3 ms·

I think wearing a seatbelt is a great idea, and if I'll refuse to drive a car unless all my passengers are wearing their seatbelt first. My partner is from a co

I think wearing a seatbelt is a great idea, and if I'll refuse to drive a car unless all my passengers are wearing their seatbelt first. My partner is from a country where it's not enforced at all, and I have insisted she always wear a seat-belt when I noticed she didn't wear them routinely. I personally rarely drink alcohol, don't smoke, take drugs etc etc. I still don't think any of the above should be forbidden. I've found it's a good idea to me - cheaper, better for my health, better for my mental state. Somehow I'm able to follow this without the state compelling me to do so. Should we ban alcohol as well - as that is how "society works"? It does a lot of harm in many countries. I don't understand why every good idea has to be enforced with a law. (As an aside, I'm from a country where bicycle helmets are mandatory, despite their dubious safety benefits, and the fact as soon as the law was introduced cyclist numbers plummeted).

minikites 10y ago
I think alcohol is a thorny example because of status quo bias stretching back thousands of years. Based on what I know of the physical harms of alcohol, I think if it was invented today it would be illegal.
xg15 10y ago
You can view it from the other side, though. if the market is skewed in such a way that most food readily available contains e.g. unnecessary amounts of sugar and you need specific skills, knowledge and mental resolve (not to mention money) to not eat unhealthy food, I believe a bit influence to re-balance things is justified. Consumer-choice and personal responsibility is a nice thing as long as that choice isn't systematically undermined by market forces.
matthewmacleod 10y ago
Bear in mind that it's not a binary choice - "total free-for-all" versus "ban it". We can implement public health measures that strongly discourage harmful activities, or offer mitigation, without banning them.

minikites 10y ago

I think alcohol is a thorny example because of status quo bias stretching back thousands of years. Based on what I know of the physical harms of alcohol, I think if it was invented today it would be illegal.

xg15 10y ago

You can view it from the other side, though. if the market is skewed in such a way that most food readily available contains e.g. unnecessary amounts of sugar and you need specific skills, knowledge and mental resolve (not to mention money) to not eat unhealthy food, I believe a bit influence to re-balance things is justified. Consumer-choice and personal responsibility is a nice thing as long as that choice isn't systematically undermined by market forces.

matthewmacleod 10y ago

Bear in mind that it's not a binary choice - "total free-for-all" versus "ban it". We can implement public health measures that strongly discourage harmful activities, or offer mitigation, without banning them.