so, when you recognize that complications from smoke inhalation is the leading cause of death in society, what does it mean to argue that the cops are wasting their time dealing with smoke inhalation issues?

smoke kills more people than guns, gangs, alcohol, sexual violence & virtually everything else you can come up with, combined.

if we were to be rational about the data, we would have to conclude that the primary purpose of the police should be to ensure that people aren't smoking anywhere near where it can be inhaled by anybody. they should be in special facilities, that you need to put hazmat suits on to enter.

i need to repeat this: smoke is the leading cause of death.

smokers kill more people than gangs.

smoke is more dangerous than guns.

we've got this all backwards.

but, how can we be so ignorant? what's underlying this absurdity?

it's probably some good old fashioned toxic masculinity. for, while it may be true that smoke is more dangerous than guns, fighting smokers isn't quite like fighting gangs. it doesn't have that combat component, that feeling of danger.

but, we need to be more rational about this - and that means getting more strict on smokers, not less strict.