I guess it would make the War On Some Drugs more consistent if we were to criminalise tobacco.

That’s pretty much the only thing to be said for it. We’re not talking banning smoking in public places, or even in private places with public access, for which there are some decent arguments – this is a “fags will be as illegal as coke” deal. Yey with the Prohibition, yey with the utter violation of any sensible theory of rights.

One needs to be quite intelligent to become a medical doctor, both to get on the course and to stick through it; this rules out the possibility that the Lancet and Dr Astrid James are advocating such a policy through sheer stupidity. As a result, I can only conclude that they are objectively pro-evil.

More measuredly, why does society pay attention to what doctors have to say on issues of individual rights? They never, ever have anything sensible to contribute to the discussion.