A Matter of Priorities

All evidence indicates the U.S. economy fails to cover the full cost of business. Deferred maintenance and social costs are underfunded in favor of generic economic growth fueled by consumption and there is failure to account for hidden costs. What would be the price of cigarettes if medical care costs were included? Responses to problems are indirect and expensive without resolving the issues. Is the legal system an effective or efficient means to address the public health issue of smoking? Resolutions fail as solutions. How have state governments used the tobacco settlement money? Has medical care cured the cancers or the respiratory and cardiovascular diseases caused by smoking as compared to the prevention of these diseases by avoiding smoking? Does the interaction of consumer demand, economic enterprise and the political system create a game of musical chairs to play the odds and avoid critical thinking about health? Could it be that early death was the cheapest health solution and survival with chronic diseases is an expense society did not anticipate?