do they really think Ohioans believe that California and New York are now completely devoid of bars and restaurants?

As an Ohioan, I can tell you that, until reading Jessica's post, I believed that the entire state of California AND the former gastronomical paradise that is NYC were empty of bars and restaurants.

Why? Because the ads told me that, and teevee wouldn't lie to me.

....right?

Seriously, the battling smoking issues in Ohio are pissing me off big time.

I refuse to live in a world without cheese.

I don't care what they say, I won't stay
In a world without cheese

In Quebec, actually, high cigarette taxes caused enormous problems, eventually leading to a show-down with the federal government. (Quebec won.)

I thought the line of reasoning was because of the huge burden that smokers placed on health resources, insurance companies, and whatnot.

Insurance companies can afford it, and are private businesses anyway.

Lots of things put a strain on health resources. And, well, one thing smokers don't strain is Social Security. Quite the opposite. Which is not to say these aren't legitimate issues, but there's more to it than just smokers driving us all to the poor house.

Again, I don't think smokers should have free reign, either. But I wish there were more room for compromise.

..And curse Sir Walter Raleigh, he was such a stupid git.

Also? I am profoundly opposed to strapping GPS locators to the ankles of sex offenders for the rest of theirs lives (Prop 83). Yes, I'm sure most sex offenders are vile, reprehensible people, and if one ever touched my child or loved one, it would take a lot of effort to prevent me from going vigilante on his ass. However some sex offenders are unfairly branded so because of bad laws (there are a few older gay men in Los Angeles who were busted back in the '50's under a perversity law who have wound up having very scary problems with being forced to register as sex offenders because of the recent crop of victim protection laws), but more to the point this is the US and we don't do that kind of thing here.

At least, that was the kind of country I grew up believing we were supposed to be.

Lots of things put a strain on health resources.

Exactly. I posted up above about the strain alcohol puts on health resources and other resources, but the truth is, how much does obesity strain our health resources? How many expensive health issues stem from obesity? Yet we're not taxing sour cream and bacon disproportionately. (And I'm not saying we should, just that the logic would follow.)

this is the US and we don't do that kind of thing here.

GWB and Assoc have burned this phrase out in my brain.

I refuse to live in a world without cheese.

There are fat free cheeses out there that can be lived with. El Presidente makes a fat free Feta which is quite tasty. Shredded fat free shredded mozerella is decent enough if you don't expect it to taste much like mozerella, and think of it as an exotic white cheese. Shredded fat free cheddar actually tastes rather like cheddar. Lastly if you use the cheese slices (which I do sometimes for sandwiches and such) Lucerne fat free cheddar (available in Safeway) tastes no worse than any other packaged cheese slice. In general fat free cheese work well in sauces.

how much does obesity strain our health resources?

Amen to that. And I say that as someone who is considered obese by health professionals. And also pays higher insurance premiums due to my weight.

There's actually some evidence that smokers have less effect on public spending because of the whole dying early thing. I'm afraid I cheer on every no-smoking legislation, because cigarette smoke sets off the asthma and coughing, and it's worse every year. It would be different if you could really keep the smoke from smoking areas in the smoking area, but if you're smoking, I'm smoking. I know it's very very hard to quit; my father smoked while on oxygen.

Alcohol is heavily taxed on the federal and state level.