Societies have cultivated tobacco and have fought over its manufacture, sale, and consumption for centuries. As tobacco's health consequences have become more clear, increasingly volatile conflicts have emerged over taxing tobacco, regulating cigarette advertising and sales, and limiting where people can smoke. This seminar explores the legal, political, ethical, and policy issues that underlie the current conflict over smoking in the U.S. and globally. The focus is on the clash between the rights of individuals who 'choose' to smoke, and the responsibility of the government to safeguard public health. Students read judicial opinions, scholarly articles, books, legislation, and popular materials.