It’s no secret that I love my tobacco. More specifically a certain style of tobacco production called moassel. It’s smoked using indirect heat out of a traditional water-pipe called a narguileh, or ‘hookah’ as it is popularly called (what can I say, I’m a sucker for middle eastern culture).
Hookah tradition is literally 500 years old. It was invented in India and spread all over the eastern world—and now the western as well. Different regions ended up with their own takes on it and many different traditions emerged. Egyptians, Syrians, Iranians, Turkish, Chinese. It really goes on and on. In the middle east, the tradition is commonplace. Venture into any Middle Eastern market, and you’re likely to find moassel for sale in a variety of fruity and interesting flavors.
But, this post isn’t so much about hookah, or how much I love it. In fact, if you know me, you’re probably already sick of hearing me talk about it. Instead, I wanted to share my thoughts on American legislation and how stupid it is some times.
Now, please, don’t get me wrong. I’m usually not a politically minded person. But, because this topic comes so close to me and since this blog is really a reflection of my thoughts, I’ll bring this topic up.
A federal law was recently passed banning the sale of flavored cigarettes. The rationale being that flavored cigarettes entice children to begin smoking. Now, I am wont to understand this for a number of reasons.
1. We already have laws in place forbidding the sale of tobacco products to minors. This should be good, and with follow through, plenty sufficient. Yet, somehow, our lawmakers don’t see the value in enforcing existing laws, and instead punish legitimate businesses and adults who enjoy their products by banning those products altogether.
2. Among the flavors not banned is menthol. (a flavor I can only suppose someone high up has an affinity for). This also happens to be (among) the most popular flavors in the thick of underage smokers. In fact, there is little, if any, statistical evidence that underage people are drawn to fruit (or the like) flavored cigarettes. The only people I’ve ever even heard of smoking them are, well, very seasoned smokers (i.e., someone’s grandfather).
But what does this have to do with narguileh tradition? Well, nationally, nothing. But tides are slipping in a startling way.
New York City recently signed into law a ban on the sale of all flavored tobacco (again, except menthol type flavors). And, it’s threatening established hookah bars, most of which seem to be running in cultural hot-beds—not across the street from playgrounds and Chuck-e-Cheeses.
The government’s job is not to protect us from ourselves. At best, it should protect us from each other. If one person develops a dangerous product, the government shouldn’t ban it, it should require full disclosure. People die on motorcycles, but they’re not banned. And frankly, what 13 year old kid doesn’t think they’re awesome?
If I enjoy smoking flavored tobacco, I should be free to do so—provided the manufacturer fully disclosed the danger.
Protecting children should primarily be the parent’s job. Law prohibiting the sale of tobacco to minors helps this because teenagers have their own money and parents can’t monitor absolutely everything their children do with it. So this legislation makes sense. However, a ban on the sale of flavored tobacco not only subverts this responsibility of the parents, it also deprives hordes of people a freedom that they ought to have since ultimately it’s a choice adults can make without harming anyone but themselves. Much like riding a motorcycle.
The new laws in New York City are stupid, to say the very least. But it could also be a signal that some of our basic liberties are at risk.
I love moassel, but I also love McDonalds. How long before someone with too much authority decides that’s bad for my kids and criminalizes me from buying it too? Government control of people’s personal lives is simply never a good idea.
