[Avodah] [Areivim] Is smoking mutar?

[Zev Sero]

Avroham Yakov wrote:

> As to the question of smoking; is there any living authority today that 
> says that it is indeed mutar?


IIRC R Bleich wrote an article many years ago arguing that there is no
precedent for the claim that "venishmartem" applies to actions that pose
no immediate danger, but only increase the probability of developing a
disease at some time in the future.  All the examples the gemara gives are
ones where there is an unacceptably high risk of immediate death.  A shaky
bridge may or may not collapse while you cross it, but if it does it will
kill you.  Exposed water may or may not contain venom, but if it does and
you drink it you will die.  None of these are like the risk from smoking.
AFAIK he has not renounced that position, and nor has our knowledge of the
metzius changed in that time, so as to invalidate its application to smoking.

-- 
Zev Sero                    A mathemetician is a device for turning coffee
zev at sero.name               into theorems.                   - Paul Erdos