Drinkers..smokers...couch potatoes...

Uh huh...they are getting closer to getting rid of the last smoker. And looks like they are working ahead on drinkers...and non-exercisers (couch potatoes)>

CDC: Add $2 per drink for US excessive drinking - Yahoo! News

For the last year statistics were available: The CDC estimated excessive drinking cost society nearly $224 billion in 2006 (almost $2 per drink. Allrightie...just put a $2 surcharge on ever drink sold!!).

Smoking has been estimated to cost society about $193 billion annually.

 An older study estimated the cost of not exercising to be around $150 billion.

heehee - eliminate the various bureaucracies and the grants and the studies and Voila!!  $567 billion plus saved.

Give a smoker that quit or a drunk that somehow managed to not drink a platform and they will go to extremes to reform those that still smoke or drink, regardless of just about anything.  It's just another war against the little pleasures of life. And another area of taxation.

I've read several articles about this issue, please allow me to share it here. Uncontrolled drinking costs every single American about $2 per drink, according to brand new research findings from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That's past the cost of the drinks themselves. Lost work efficiency, property damage, medical issues and the cost of incarcerating drunk drivers and thieves are all factors contributing to the runaway cost that society is forced to shoulder. Source for this article: Binge drinking costs each of us $2 per drink.

I agree, lower the speed limit to 5 (grin).

There are some smart, logical thinkers out 'there' yet few of them seem to make their way to leadership spots.  Politics is only for a certain type person and that type and the smart and logical ones travel two different roads it seems.

Yeow. I must admit that a load of fragrance just kills me but I've always figured it was better than BO.