I don't like an intrusive government but we accept rules all the time when it is in the public interest. There is a limit to how much arsenic can be in municipal water, for example, or the kind of material used in children's sleepwear.

One thing that interests me is the perception of risk. Not so long ago, mothers were chasing down school buses to get the Alar-tainted apples from their kids' lunchboxes. Now, they set up accounts so their daughters can tan themselves to a crisp.