As a <i>very</i> heavy smoker, I just laugh at all the furor surrounding smoking. High taxes, warning labels, interventions. I know exactly how bad smoking is, the empirical evidence is unassailable, but my question is, and has always been:<p>If smoking is sooo bad, to me, to pregnant women, to children, to the planet: Why on earth is it still legal?<p>I know taxes play a part of this, but I really wonder how much is due to tobacco lobbying? I read an article recently (which is making me think long and hard about quitting smoking) about the American Chamber of Commerce, and how they are throwing around their weight in various central Asian countries to keep anti-tobacco laws from being passed. I mean, I hate but understand lobbyists. But the ACC I (naively?) thought was above political intrigues to promote American business interests.