The Patriot Post® · Feds Spending Another $128 Million on Tobacco War

Taxpayers are about to spend a staggering amount to bankroll the government’s war on tobacco. And, as you’d expect, the methods are anything but orthodox. According to The Daily Caller, “The Food and Drug Administration is preparing to dole out $128 million on a hip-hop campaign in the hope getting minorities to quit smoking.” Yes, $128 million. On a hip-hop campaign. To curb smoking. That gives a whole new meaning to high expectations. FDA Center for Tobacco Products director Mitch Zeller rationalized the decision as such: “We know from our research that remaining in control is an important pillar of hip-hop culture. But smoking represents a loss of control, so tobacco use is actually in conflict with that priority.” Strangely, their research must have neglected the lyrics found in most hip-hop, which in many cases encourage nefarious behavior. As if all that weren’t bad enough, The Washington Free Beacon reports on another campaign targeted toward pre-adolescents: “The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is spending over $200,000 on an anti-tobacco video game for fifth graders, where they will navigate through ‘cancer rooms’ to find hidden objects to beat cigarettes with.” This $128,200,000 could be put to better use — like putting out the smoke from California wildfires that pose a much more imminent threat.