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By Scott Tibbs, February 13, 2018
With the "Tide Pod Challenge" all over social media and with mainstream media attention, it should be no surprise that authoritarians have decided that their subjects... I mean citizens are far too stupid to choose their own laundry detergent and government must heavily regulate their choices.
So yes, the nanny state swallows all, including Tide pods. The liberty to grab a single pod and drop it into the laundry instead of pouring out and measuring liquid or powder detergent must be restricted. While we are at it, dishwasher detergent pods should be banned too. After all, once Tide pods are banned people might move to dishwasher detergent. (As an aside, it is unfortunate that Tide has taken all of the heat for this, considering that other brands also offer the pods.)
I do not use laundry pods, but I can see the appeal of them - especially when you are at the end of your liquid detergent and you are not sure how many loads you have left. (I have used the dishwasher detergent pods, but they are very expensive.) With the pods, you know exactly how many you have left and how soon you need to go to the store to replenish your supply.
Of course, anything can be abused. That does not mean that products should be banned because of those who abuse them. For those worried about children ingesting the pods, how about this for a solution: Do not buy the brightly colored pods, and purchase liquid detergent instead. Some people even make their own laundry detergent at home, for a fraction of the cost of what you pay in the store!
We do not need government to micromanage our lives. Much like the War on Drugs, the War on Tide Pods will inevitably create a black market, especially where New York shares a border with states that are not as authoritarian. This is not something New York needs to spend time and money enforcing. Let people choose for themselves how to wash their laundry, and focus on the essential functions of state government.
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