Robin Cox – 7/16/06

This page was last updated on July 16, 2006.

Ban smoking bans; Robin Cox; Beaver County Times; July 16, 2006.

Below is a copy of the letter as I submitted it. The editorials to which I refer are listed in my critique of the editorial “Smoked out.”

Title: Pro-choice

During the last 15 months, the Times treated us to at least eight editorials that lobbied against smoking on private property. We also saw at least one editorial cartoon that advocated banning smoking in one’s own home. Four of the editorials and the cartoon were published within the last six weeks.

A nonsmoker myself, I dislike tobacco smoke as much as the next guy. That said, I don’t understand the jihad against allowing customers and business owners to decide where smoking will be allowed. Why not allow individual freedom of choice determine the issue on a case-by-case basis?

We should also ask why smoking ban proponents use deceptive language like “involuntary smoking” to describe a voluntary act and “public places” to describe private property.

Regarding the alleged detrimental health effects of secondhand smoke, that’s a red herring even if the allegations are true.

Why?

The last time I checked, no one forces us to patronize or work for businesses, clubs, et cetera that permit smoking. For example, if I don’t want to eat in a smoking environment, I don’t have go to a restaurant that permits smoking. Why not allow business owners to cater to customers who like to smoke? If not being 100% smoke-free is bad for business, ultimately he’ll go smokeless or go out of business.

In conclusion, we should oppose smoking bans for at least two reasons.

First, patronizing or working for a business that allows smoking is a 100% voluntary action. We don’t need our nanny government to take yet another choice from us.

Second, smoking bans are just one more unnecessary infringement on private property rights. As noted above, while smoking ban proponents like to use the term “public place,” we need to remember businesses are private property.