by Stuart M. Lane

About the author: Stuart M. Lane is an adjunct professor of pharmaceutical marketing and health care administration at Long Island University in New York.

Smoking is a custom loathsome to the eye, hateful to the nose, harmful to the brain, and dangerous to the lungs.

King James I, 1604

Almost four centuries ago, the reigning King of England and Scotland felt obligated to protect the well-being of his people by alerting them to the harmful effects of tobacco. Unfortunately, in the United States today, our government abdicates this responsibility to the merchants of this “loathsome... hateful . . . harmful . . . dangerous” habit. Tobacco companies use the media to make dubious pronouncements about the advantages of smoking. Children and minors are particularly susceptible to the underhanded tactics used by the tobacco companies. These “nicotine dealers...