Letters to the Editor
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Experience versus not
Being in the uptight camp myself (although way more relaxed with others' choices nowadays), I can understand some of the LW's issues. He's likely someone who can picture the entire downward spiral of potential ill effects on a rational level before lighting up or what have you. It won't necessarily happen, but he has all the worst case scenarios jumping mentally out at him when he hears anything. The girlfriend on the other hand probably lives for the moment/has a rebellious streak. He's the one that looks at the boiling pot and sees scalding water all over himself and she's the one that is thinking "well maybe I should just touch it just to see." She has to experience it for herself to believe/know.
That's not to say one is better than the other, but I wouldn't dismiss the rational out of hand. You don't have to have been a crack addict to know that it is not a good thing for most people. In fact, if you have experience in your family with addiction--alcoholism, etc., it might be very good to be phobic about things that addict you. You don't choose not to do drugs rationally (at least from my perspective) because you don't think they feel good--you do it because you KNOW they ffeel good and don't want to open Pandora's box.