It has been proved that smoking kills. In some countries it has been made illegal for people to smoke in all public places except in certain areas. All countries should make these rules.Do you agree or disagree with this statement?

It’s always very difficult to write about others behavior, and everyone should remember that every human being is born free and independent (or at least he should be). Smoking laws are a perfect example of the bounds that in a civil society have to be created.

It is widely accepted in fact that someone’s freedom ends where someone other’s begin.
So, how can we deal with that? In my opinion the lawmaker should keep in mind a twofold goal: on one side he should protect society, especially its weakest members (children for example), and therefore avoid smokers to poison others. (In that direction go the laws that avoid people smoking in public places). On the other side the lawmaker should protect individual freedom. History has given us lots of examples of how easy is to goes from libertarian and democratic societies to despotic and repressive ones.

It is my firm conviction, though, that is not a state business what a person does with his body and in his own privacy. Anyway I have to say that cigarettes and similar should be more heavily taxed as far as they imply an expensive effort for public healthcare. This way the state could rise a good amount of money out of smokers taxes and cover their future need for cures.

In sum, I think that every person should be free of doing whatever he/she wants with his/her body (as well as in his/her privacy); the state has no right to interfere with someone’s own life, but it has the duty, as well, to protect others from dangerous individuals’ behaviors.

In conclusion, I agree with those who hope that all countries will make illegal for people to smoke in public places, but I would also warn them to be very careful and keep an eye on state power.