Now is the perfect time for Canadian governments to ban smoking....

Canada's response to the current pandemic has shown what can be accomplished when governments are motivated.  Previously we've only seen this during times of war I would argue, when money is no object to achieving a military goal.  This time money was no object in attempting to stop the spread of the novel and mostly benign coronavirus.  

Schools shuttered, gatherings of more than five people made illegal, churches cited for conducting worship services, tickets issued for strolling through a park or shooting hoops solo in a playground.  3+ millions Canadians turned from tax paying workers into government welfare receipients, countless businesses shut down, some never to re-open.  

Will it prove to have been worth it?  

I have little doubt that academics will be pubishing research papers for ten years or more on the subject, criticizing certain aspects, praising others.  How many people will have died because of surgeries that were delayed or cancer screenings that were put off?  How many incidents of domestic violence and abuse will result?  How many suicides?  

While I think the costs will far outweigh the benefits, that's beside the point of another modest, and quite serious, little proposal I have.  

That the possession, sale, distribution and use of tobacco products in Canada be banned completely. 

Consider the human cost, the Conference Board of Canada says that over 45,000 Canadians die every year as a direct result of smoking.  Sure its a voluntary activity, but going to church used to be voluntary as well and that was made illegal.  

And let's not leave out another important aspect, part of the rationale for lockdown measures was to save the beleagured and underfunded Canadian health care system from being overrun.  That same Conference Board of Canada report puts a price tag of $6.5 billion in direct costs to the health care system due to smoking.  

Save money, save lives....its win win.  

Lockdown measures to fight Covid have largely been lose lose.  Even though we know (and knew) that it was mostly LTC residents who were at the greatest risk we still weren't able to save thousands of them, and we borrowed like Donald Trump when financing a casino purchase in trying.  DJT filed  for bankruptcy when he couldn't make the payments by the way.  

If the government is really interested in the health and welfare of Canadians, and in saving the health care system, then this is a complete no brainer.  If they don't even consider it, then I don't think its unreasonable to question whether locking down the country was really done to save lives and to take strain off the heath care system either.   

And by the way, I'm a smoker.