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Should the US government control what substances individuals can put in their own bodies?
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Results so far:
| Yes | 30% | 79 votes | Total: 262 votes | |
| No | 70% | 183 votes |
Yes
by Dan Willett
Created on: March 26, 2008
A native sense of contrariness prompts me to add a YES argument to this lopsided debate. First let me say that I firmly believe that I own not only my own body, but my personal choices, as well. I can not, however, in good conscience carry such a notion to its ultimate extreme. In the practice of law, we argue the validity of a law based upon how that law would be enforced in the most extreme situation, without regard to 'common sense' or the normal restriction civilized society places on behavior. This is done because, invariably, some individuals will act without common sense, and in the extreme. To be a good law, a law must hold up under the most extreme and absurd circumstances. For an example, imagine a law prohibiting including 'foreign substances' in baby food. On its face, it seems like a good law, doesn't it? But without defining 'foreign substances' the law restricts any and all additives to baby food. Would the addition of vitamin 'C' be allowed? Arguably not, because if the food itself did not contain vitamin 'C', the addition of the vitamin would be a 'foreign substance'.
This is a parallel to the notion that the Government should not be allowed any control over what individuals can put in their own bodies. Taken to its absurd extreme, such an idea ignores issues like the following:
When does the age of consent start? Are children allowed to put anything into their own bodies? If they are not, are their parents the responsible parties, able to make such decisions for thier children? What about parents who think their toddler should have early experiences with hallucinogenic drugs?
Would you support the decision of a parent who, for religious reasons injests poison, to encouraqe their child to do likewise? What about a person in a coma, without the conscious ability to choose? Would their legal conservator have the right to try experimental medical procedures, giving them medications for testing purposes?
How would you feel, the next time you step on an airplane, about the pilot's unrestricted right to put anything he wants into his own body? What about the driver of that monster SUV next to you on the freeway? If she flattens you while under the influence, is it merely a civil matter? Buckle up, the future might be a bumpy ride.
I feel strongly about the right of competent adults to make choices about their own lives, but we can't forget that our choices often affect others. In our rush to freedom to make our own choices, let's not forget to place some reasonable time, place and manner restrictions on personal choices that affect other people.
Learn more about this author, Dan Willett.
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No
by Barbara Stanley
Created on: November 14, 2008 Last Updated: February 17, 2010
The more our government must oversee concerning our private lives, the more it will cost all of society. For every substance we deem illegal, we overburden those who police us. Reality suggests that people will, regardless of law, do as they please. The better solution to curbing the ingestion of harmful chemicals is to allow society to bring pressure upon those who drink, abuse drugs, inhalants, and indulge in a diet of high fats. The people do a good job of policing themselves when they are allowed to do so by law. In fact, government has greatly limited society's ability to bring pressure to bear upon those who do not conform.
For people intent upon eating foods high in fat and calories, thus causing obesity, society should be allowed to penalize them by charging for two airline seats, two theater seats, etc. The person can then pay for his indulgences or choose to eat a better diet and conform by losing weight. This is not to stigmatize anyone, but to allow choice, with some choices being too costly to continue.
Our government is currently attempting to place a much higher tax on soft drinks and sugary foods. Doing this would hurt people who buy these products in moderation. This would also be an example of very invasive government into our personal lives.
We depend upon our government to ensure our food products and medications are safe to consume. This is a role that government should do a better job of instead of looking for more ways to control us as individuals and as a nation. We already have laws in place against illegal drugs. This is, in a sense, government control over putting harmful substances into our bodies. No one who is law-abiding is complaining about this type of government control. There are limits to what society will allow as far as government intrusion into personal choices.
Government has placed higher taxes on tobacco products to make them too costly to buy. For those who continue to purchase cigarettes and other tobacco products, the extra taxes were supposed to fund Medicaid for treating health-related issues. No one knows where this money actually goes, as it appears that Medicaid is broke. If we cannot trust our government to use the higher imposed taxes as stated they would be, how can we trust government to control what we put into our bodies?
Government is willing to tax soft drinks into extinction, but has yet to address the issue of alcohol and the high cost of lost job production, broken marriages and families, cost of rehabilitation, and related medical conditions. It is inconceivable that government has the knowledge, the ability to follow through, or the best intentions for its citizens to undertake the role of deciding what is and what is not good for people to consume.
We have enough government control over what we should and should not put into our bodies. Our government would serve us best by doing a better job of the current tasks to which it has been charged.
Learn more about this author, Barbara Stanley.
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