Would the founding fathers have approved? The threat of stricter legislation has many smokers protesting this alleged infringement of their basic rights. Dan Reiss takes a closer look at the constitution and check for the substance (or lack thereof) behind the argument.

From do-it-yourself bomb kits to kiddie porn, the Internet is fertile breeding ground for unlawful activity-but is purchasing cigarettes online illegal? Joanna Drozd examines the digital world of cigarette vendors who cross international lines to make tobacco cheaper to buy and as accessible as the click of a mouse.

The School House Rocks educational song "I'm Just a Bill" only begins to describe the long, excruciating journey for a bill to become a law. The New York City Council puts its bills through the same rigorous processes of proposing, debating, revising, and voting, that Congress does.

Under the 1995 Smoke Free Air Act, smoking is allowed in New York City bars and restaurants that have separate ventilated rooms. Restaurants with less than 36 seats are exempt from any smoking restrictions. Patrons who violate the law are liable for a penalty of $100.

The going theory is that increased cigarette taxes will either benefit the health of smokers, by forcing them to cut down their habit; or the health of the economy, by turning over greater revenues. In 2002 alone, seventeen U.S. states increased their cigarette taxes. This logic ignores some key facts: all cigarette taxes are not created equal, and anyone with a nicotine addiction or an enterprising mind has the ability to cross over state lines.