Smoking in the New Century

Who would have thought ten years ago you would not be able to smoke in a bar. Recent history shows that time does truly change everything. Thirty years ago we knew smoking was bad for the smoker, but now we know it can be deadly for the innocent bystander as well.

While we debate the liberty stolen from these businesses from choosing whether or not to maintain their establishments a safe haven for those with nicotine addiction, there is no disputing the change in the air quality meter. Simply put, not smoking in closed buildings makes a big difference in air quality.

Who stands to benefit? Who stands to lose? In most cases, the same people stand to benefit from and to lose from these laws. The small town bar owner who desperately needs those smoking customers to spend time, and money, at his establishment, will no longer be able to count on their presence and patronage. These same regulars, and the bar employees as well, will benefit from the decreased healthcare costs and increased productivity. Of course the best gain on the pro-regulatory side of the debate is the gain in time. The owners of these establishments should ask themselves just how much a life costs.

The next question may be where does it end? If you are a parent who smokes, is the government entitled to rid your home of smoking, or worse, take your children from you? This slow dismantling of the lives of smokers resembles the prohibition of alcohol, albeit in slow motion. Let’s hope that we don’t lose freedom in order to gain health.