Supreme Court Tobacco Ruling

Re “High Court Bars FDA From Regulating Tobacco as a Drug,” March 22: In philosophical agreement with Ronald Reagan that “government is the enemy,” the Supreme Court conservatives (two of them smokers), in a 5-4 vote, ruled that the Food and Drug Administration cannot regulate tobacco. Despite their strong statements on the public health menace of tobacco, the justices still will let kids get hooked and thousands of people die from tobacco-related illnesses rather than accept the basic premise that government exists to protect people. If that premise is not true, why have a government?

PAUL H. WANGSNESS

Burbank

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I am confused by the contradictions between two front-page stories, “High Court Bars FDA From Regulating Tobacco as a Drug” and “Diabetes Drug Rezulin Pulled Off the Market.”

If the FDA can remove a medically useful drug from the market that has been linked to 63 deaths, why should it not be able to regulate a harmful addictive substance which, according to the story, causes “more than 400,000 deaths in the United States each year”?

ARTHUR L. WISOT MD

Redondo Beach

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Now that a sharply divided Supreme Court has thrown tobacco regulation back into Congress’ lap, I suggest that the GOP-controlled House and Senate consider granting the FDA jurisdiction over not just tobacco products but over another largely unregulated segment, as well: dietary supplements.

HAROLD N. BASS MD

Northridge

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Re the tobacco ruling: Score: Calvinists, 0; hedonists, 1.

MARK JAMES SIMON

Van Nuys