Quote Originally Posted by thethe View Post
Guns do not kill as many people as smoking. Its not even close.

Something had to be done about cigarette smoking. They pushed the culture that it was 'cool' to smoke for decades and preyed on children.

Everyone talks about the carnage guns causes and of course they do. But what about all the lives they save? How come this isn't discussed?
Actually deaths are an incomplete accounting. In the case of smoking, the cost to society includes the extra medical care required by smokers (which is subsidized by non-smokers). In the case of guns, it includes the additional spending on police, security at schools and elsewhere, etc that is required. The social cost from both are enormous. Not to mention the "psychic costs" which are not to be dismissed.