Dear Editor:

In response to the letter by Daniel Muehl-Miller advocating the criminalization of cigarettes, I must say that this is a ridiculous idea. Mr. Muehl-Miller states at one point, “Who are [smokers] to decide what substances they take into their body?”

I ask anyone who feels they agree: Who are you to decide what I put in my body? Obesity is becoming a bigger killer than cigarettes, but does that mean we should ban cheeseburgers and fries? People who drink can become alcoholics, so should we keep responsible people from enjoying a beer?

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What this letter suggests is that the government ought to protect its citizens from themselves, but is that really its role in society? I am a smoker, and I would be furious if the government decides that they know better than I do (and no, not because of withdrawal.) Banning heroin and cocaine is one thing, as those can cause instant death, but do you know anyone who smoked too many cigarettes at once and died? This is a lifestyle choice that people like myself has made. I enjoy a good cigarette, and I do not think that anyone has the right to take that pleasure away from me. Did I know that nicotine is almost always addictive when I started? Of course, any sane human being knows by now. So why is it that you know better about my body than I do? It’s bad enough that smokers are treated like second-class citizens, but please do not treat us like a bunch of rogues that must be stopped. Let us enjoy our cigarettes in peace.

Peter Allen sophomore studying political science