Tobacco settlement mostly smoke

THE TRIBUNE'S editorial suggesting that we hold off from popping
our bubbliest is thoughtful and well considered. As a consequence of the
proposed (tobacco) settlement, our collective governments (state and
federal) can no longer argue that regulation of abusable substances is
unworkable. Furthermore, these bodies cannot argue that the consumers'
health is uppermost in their minds when making policy.

The settlement ensures the survival of a major industry and allows that
industry to continue to sell its products. Furthermore, the federal
government will continue to support the industry's efforts to sell to
foreign markets, thus helping balance our unfavorable trade balance
much like the English pushed opium in China 100 years ago, leading to the
first opium war and England's acquisition of Hong Kong.

Implications for our government's drug war should be clear to all but
the most obtuse, fanatical or financially dependent upon it.

Gerald M. Sutliff

Walnut Creek, Calif.