Eddie Pensier writes:

The next time you see an article discussing the “costs” of some bad habit or other, remember these words of Christopher Snowdon, and proceed accordingly:

Imagine I’m walking towards you in the street. Your wallet is in your hand and I can see that it contains three twenty pound notes. We get closer. A terrible thought suddenly crosses my mind that I could snatch your wallet and run off with £60. We draw still closer and, as we are about to pass, I abandon the criminal thought and go about my day.

As a result of not stealing from you, you are now £60 better off than you would have been. If you had a warped view of the world, you could almost say that I have saved you £60, but even a warped thinker would not would claim that I have actually given you £60.

For anyone with an even passing interest in the tragicomic farce calling itself “public health”– our betters busybody nannies trying to instill teetotalism by force–Snowdon’s blog and books are essential reading to counteract the lies.

William Hogarth, A Rake’s Progress 3: The Rake At The Rose Tavern, 1734