Many dangerous things are legal simply because “people enjoy doing them” though.
People die during parachuting and climbing mount everest. What's the upside really beyond “People enjoy doing it and it's their own life.”?
People die during parachuting and climbing mount everest. What's the upside really beyond “People enjoy doing it and it's their own life.”?
For the freedom of normal folks to have 1 beer, 25% of the population is drinking 78% of the consumed alcohol.[1]
And before anyone brings up that myth there is no beneficial dose of alcohol. Even in the pro-wine studies it's been found that the benefit was just the fact it was grapes and that eating/drinking the grapes without fermentation is superior.
[1] https://www.recoveryanswers.org/research-post/alcohol-sales-...
I'm fine with taxing it more in subsidized single-payer healthcare systems though but I also feel that should be done more consistently. I for instance also believe that say high heels should be taxed more because they're bad for one's health for similar reasons or unhealthy food but that's not “socially controversial” enough for that I get which is ultimately what it's always about. “health” is always just an excuse.
In many non-US countries, we consider the second-order effects due to having inviolable public safety nets. People who are their own victims due to vice are still afforded care because they’re still humans and citizens. That’s why we try to dissuade falling into those vices in the first place.