June Newsletter

Interview with a Smoker Follow-up

In May one of our original content creators, Morgan J. Williams posed a set of questions to the newsletter audience, seeking input from Libertarians who are also smokers. She was seeking feedback on the proposed regulations on menthol cigarettes. The following is a thoughtful response from one of our subscribers:
What made you choose to smoke menthols over other types of cigarettes?

I always liked how fresh cigarette smoke smells and tastes. I never really knew many people that smoked menthols, and when I would bum one it wasn’t my favorite. I liked ultra lights because I thought it was harm reduction with the lower tar and mild flavor. Of course, I would say I can smoke more of them, so that was probably the illusion of harm reduction. Then about ten years ago camel crushes came out. Normal until you crush the filter and then it tastes minty. Loved em. I hope whoever came up with the concept is rich now. Then I met my husband. He like Pall Mall menthols and they were both affordable and didn’t taste gross like other menthols when I bummed off him. After a while it was just easier to only buy one kind of cigarettes and we went for the cheaper one we both liked. His menthols

Do you think that this ban will disproportionately effect Minority smokers compared to non-Latino white smokers? 

My husband is Latino from a low income upbringing and I am plain white from middle class. This ban is going to do cause menthol smokers to make a change, which even if positive creates stress. If menthol use is higher among minorities, we know we’ll be giving them stress. I’d have to do research but I bet that minorities as a whole experience more stress from economic conditions already. Doesn’t feel right. My observation is that the every single person I have known who smoked menthols were minority and/or lower income working class. To be fair it hasn’t been that many people.

How will the proposed ban affect you? 

One result of this ban will be a black market. How big that becomes we’ll have to see. I’ve been surprised that I’m not aware of a big black market for all kinds of cigarettes other than in the movies. This black market would likely be disproportionately ran by people in minority groups. Or perhaps white run organizations will have minorities handling distribution in the street, and they’ll get caught first. This will lead to more of them being arrested or having encounters with law enforcement. The more encounters with law enforcement, the higher the chances of there being a problem. I don’t like that.

Do you think that more regulation is a good or a bad thing? Why? 

I think it will make menthols harder to get and make me want to vape menthol flavors instead which is good harm reduction I’m already doing.

I don’t think more regulation is good. I think they have their fingers in too many pies- there are so many regulations most people don’t know half of them. Things are arbitrarily enforced and it creates stress. I want our government to simplify. I want them to manage a few things and learn how to do them really well. Once they’ve mastered something, I might be able to be convinced to give them more responsibility. In the meantime, I think they need to focus. Of course, I am aware of my idealistic and unrealistic hope. If that ever happens, it will take forever and face resistance.

As more states are moving towards decriminalizing marijuana and other drugs, do you think that popular sentiment is for or against drug prohibition? 

I am worried about legalization because I think it’s inviting more overreach with regulation and taxation. It’ll create a whole other thing the government has to do, it’ll be new, and they will do it poorly. It will distract them even more from things they are already managing poorly. Public sentiment is that people don’t like seeing folks wasted in the streets and don’t like seeing people in their lives hit bottom. What we have been doing isn’t working and so I think folks want solutions. I think there is a lot of agreement on that. The problem is how to do it, and what will be the unintended consequences. Because this is an emotional issue with lots of variables and unique circumstances, I don’t anticipate that we will find an approach we all agree on.

Do you feel as if the FDA is listening to smoker’s concerns? 

I don’t know anything about the FDA listening to smoker concerns. That says something. I guess those stories aren’t in my algorithms even though I’m certain big brother has me pegged as a smoker. What concerns have smokers been raising? I’ll have to do some research.