Time to stir up some controversy. One thing I don’t understand is why cigarettes, which kill hundreds of thousands of people each year, are legal, while marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and so many other drugs that kill a small fraction of that number are illegal. While some illegal drugs could have legitmate medical uses (marijuana for glaucoma patients, for example), I can’t think of a single medical use for cigarettes. In light of the lives they destroy both directly and indirectly, the billions of dollars in health care costs, and the general nuisance they present to nonsmokers, I propose making all tobacco products illegal. Discuss.