In Defense of Smokers

Welcome to Lauren A. Colby’s Web Page! I’m a practicing attorney. From 1955 to 1957, I was employed by the Federal Communications Commission in Washington, D.C. Ever since, I’ve been in private practice, dealing with and sometimes fighting the Federal Government. I’ve participated in more than 250 civil lawsuits or administrative hearings, and more than 50 appeals to the Federal Courts, contesting actions of the Federal Communications Commission and the Food and Drug Administration. My slogan is “special attention to difficult cases”. This is my picture:

I am a civil libertarian. Recently, I’ve detected an ominous trend in our society, directed against our civil liberties. Legislation has been passed to censor the Internet. Other legislation has been enacted, giving the FBI sweeping powers to tap telephones. In the name of the “War on Drugs”, many people have had their property confiscated, without ever being charged with a crime. The political right and the political left seem to compete with each other, to criminalize more and more activities; impose more and more draconian punishments; and build more and more prisons.

Right now, the country has been swept up in a war on tobacco. Smokers, everywhere, are hounded and persecuted; forced outdoors in freezing weather to enjoy the comfort and pleasure of a cigarette, cigar or pipe. Government has mounted a massive propaganda campaign, against the “evil weed”. I”ve written a book, showing that the campaign is based on distortions of fact, statistics made up out of whole cloth, and downright lies. You can get the whole book here, FREE, just by clicking on the word Book.