Just a pinch ...

This news item from Kentucky convincingly sums-up the fraud behind much of the anti-tobacco crusade that's currently wagging its accusatory finger at smokers from coast to coast:

The Sports Flash (TSF) Radio Network and Get Healthy Kentucky (GHK) are collaborating to reduce tobacco use in the commonwealth, launching the Kentucky “No Spit” All-Star campaign.

This unique health promotion will take place throughout high school baseball season and will honor players who have taken the pledge not to use smokeless tobacco products, such as “spit” or “chew” tobacco. The campaign, which starts this week, coincides with the beginning of baseball season.

Tobacco prohibitionists usually salt their campaigns with arguments about second-hand smoke; it's all about the folks who don't want to breathe in your fumes, don't you know. So smokeless tobacco would seem to be a perfect solution. There are no second-hand effects, since the product remains in the mouth and emits nothing that can be consumed by any person other than the user.

Not surprisingly, in an age of creeping smoking bans, smokeless tobacco -- especially new forms of the product -- is experiencing a boom in popularity. It's even healthier than the incendiary variety.

A win-win situation for everybody, right?

Wrong. The nannies may be at a loss for good examples of unwilling snuff users, but that doesn't mean they've run out of prohibitionist vigor. Now the facade falls away. Campaigns against smokeless tobacco are for your own good.

Forget about any of the silly personal-choice business.

How long do you think it will be before tobacco is just flat-out outlawed?

And will there be a measurable increment of time between the passage of that ban and the appearance of the first underground tobacco dealer?