In his April 1 letter, Brad Kocher asked, "Is there no outcry for taking advantage of the lower-income citizens who legally smoke?" No, thankfully, there is not.

Cigarettes cost this nation billions of dollars annually in health care and lost worker productivity. Who bears the real brunt of those costs? If you find that cigarettes are too expensive for your current budget, quit.

Now, why is there no outcry for middle-aged white guys who can't afford to hire Van Halen to play at their birthday parties? Because that would just be ridiculous.

Justin D. Bradford

Pinehurst