Comment by combobyte
6 hours ago
When was the last time you saw an ad for cigarettes?
Those second-order effects are easy to mitigate with sensible public policy. And it's not like we have to invent the solution from scratch — we've done it before, very effectively.
> Those second-order effects are easy to mitigate with sensible public policy.
Regrettably, sensible public policy seems to be in remarkably short supply these days.
This is the correct reply to the constant "but whatabout" replies, that inevitably come up whenever you suggest regulation. "You've regulated bad thing X, but then they'll do Y!" So regulate Y! It's not like legislators only get one crack at a law. We should elect a government willing to move fast and iterate when loopholes are uncovered.
The thing is that US Congress can't make laws. It just can't. It's nonfunctional. When it does that's the rare exception, and it better be perfect the first time because you won't get so lucky twice.
I mean if you're arguing an edge case you've already accepted the central point, so it's not like a response needs to be made. We handle edge cases.
> When was the last time you saw an ad for cigarettes?
Today at the gas station on the outside of the pump and the store door.
I was at a gas station today that sells tobacco. No ads. Its because even displaying tobacco products, let alone advertising them, is not allowed in that jurisdiction.
I'll bet you didn't see any cartoon camels or doctors recomending a brand though, because even where tobacco ads are legal, many tobacco ads are no longer legal.
Whether you see ads, and what kind of ads you see is highly regulated. That's the whole point,
> I was at a gas station today that sells tobacco. No ads. Its because even displaying tobacco products, let alone advertising them, is not allowed.
We clearly don't live in the same states.
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