First they came for your analog TV.
Then they came for your incandescent light bulbs.
Now government is coming for your insect foggers.
The state of New York, which was “pro-choice” before Roe v. Wade, has decided its citizens deserve no choice when it comes to safe, handy, inexpensive bug bombs that can kill pests infesting your home or office, creating discomfort and possibly even spreading disease.
I predict here and now this will start a new trend by busybodies in other state governments and eventually in Washington.
New York has become the first state to force the removal of insect foggers from store shelves, requiring the devices be operated only by certified pesticide professionals.
You’re probably asking yourself why.
Is this the result of lobbying and payoffs by the pest control industry?
Maybe.
Is this a response by animal rights activists?
Possibly.
Is this part of an agenda promoted by environmentalist wackos?
Could be.
But none of those explanations are part of the official rationale.
The ban was instituted at the direction of a paternalistic bureaucrat in Albany who determined the devices are just not safe in the hands of ordinary rubes like me and you.
He decided to prohibit the sale and use of bug bombs after the U.S. Centers of Disease Control reported several minor injuries between 2001 and 2006 when people did not follow application instructions or remained in the room while the fogger did its thing.
Most of those injured reported short-term respiratory problems, including temporary coughing or burning eyes. In most cases, these “victims” were treated at hospitals and released within hours.
Nevertheless, despite the safe use of these products by tens of millions of people over many decades – without a single death or serious injury being associated with them – government has declared war on them. Government, in New York for now and I promise you elsewhere soon, has just made it more difficult and more expensive for you to rid your home of unhealthy, unsightly and disgusting pests like cockroaches and fleas.
Ironically, in New York state, bedbug infestation is reaching epidemic proportions. Be careful which hotel you stay in when you visit. Asthma is also on the rise throughout the country – and asthma has been linked to … insects.
But none of that matters.
This is the next phase of the ever-encroaching nanny state.
We’ve seen it before.
We saw it when the federal government banned Freon refrigeration. We saw it when the federal government banned old-fashioned aerosol products. We saw it when the federal government banned analog television. And we saw it when the federal government banned the future sale and use of incandescent light bulbs (my personal pet peeve).
Maybe bug bombs aren’t as important to our economy as oil and coal – both of which are also under siege from government. But, if government has the legitimate authority to ban safe, simple, inexpensive and effective products like bug bombs, the end of personal freedom and personal “choice” and personal responsibility is a thing of the past.
Think about that.
Most people in government today boast that they are “pro-choice.”
But they only boast about being “pro-choice” when it comes to killing unborn babies.
They are not “pro-choice” when it comes to whether you want to bail out failed banks and investment firms.
They are not “pro-choice” when it comes to how you educate your child.
They are not “pro-choice” when it comes to how you light your home and office.
And they are not “pro-choice” when it comes to how you rid your home or office of pests.
