What you all fail to mention is the incestuous relationship between government and big tobacco. The government has no desire to regulate tobacco (It has been attempted many times by surgeon generals and the FDA, and has always been over ruled by congress and the senate.) It is big business that rules the roost in the US, be it oil, tobacco, or whatever. Tobacco causes billions of dollars in medical costs each year, including the lost product of those individuals with diseases related to its treatment. I won't even go into the cost in lives and emotional suffering. If the government subsidized real nicotine replacement alternatives (people are addicted to nicotine not tobacco) like they do tobacco, things would change overnight. Current nicotine replacement products have been forced to have lower levels than tobacco, because people can become addicted to nicotine in patch, inhaler, and other forms. How ironic that our government will regulate this but not the higher nicotine content and carcinogen containing tobacco. Nicotine is more addictive than heroin. In the end for both our government, our representatives in it, and the tobacco companies, it is all about $$$, not about people.