Rendell signed the smoking ban. In 90 days or so, Pennsylvania will be non-smoking in 95% of workplaces. This doesn't include bars that get more than 80% of their business from alcohol, casinos, and "private clubs". So, all restaurants and most bars will be smoke-free.
I have mixed feelings. Politically, I have no issues with making someplace smoke-free. Personally? Well...
I don't mind going outside to have a cigarette about 80% of the time. The other 20% annoys me, but I can deal.
You know what I can't deal with? People who thumb their nose at smokers and say nanny-nanny boo-boo. Like it's just been a big battle between the two, and the non-smokers have won somehow. If this was put to a public vote, I would have voted for the smoking ban. This doesn't mean I won't miss my cigarettes at the bar at PHI, talking to Rob or Eugene or whoever. But please don't rub it in my face, either. It's a touchy subject.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Good for me, good for you
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3 comments:
I guess I'm on the opposite side of the coin; I'm a non-smoker, and don't like smoke (other than my annual cigar). But I think a smoking ban is patronizing, controlling nonsense. Studies on the health impact of second-hand smoke are trumped-up crap "research" - and even if there actually was a scientific basis for establishing second-hand smoking as dangerous to others, so what? There are countless other dangerous behaviors we don't restrict, and with good reason, despite the risk.
It's ridiculous than an establishment cannot choose to allow a smoking section. Oh well, apparently that battle is done, at least in PA for now. More nanny-statism... and yes, I'm a liberal, but apparently drifting libertarian on this issue.
Sorry to rant. And sorry you won't be able to smoke in most public places.
Eric, please feel free to rant away. Your rants are appreciated and well-articulated. =)
And yes, I agree that the second-hand smoke issue is fuzzy at best. I understand why non-smokers like the ban, and since they are the majority, I guess I feel that they win by default.
I'll do as much smoking indoors as I can for the next 87 days or so. Then I guess I'll have to go visit somewhere in the south, where I can't ever imagine a smoking ban.
Hm, I am actually in favor of the smoking ban -- not because I am a non-smoker, but because there was just no way to escape it. Pretty much all bars you could ever go to were full of smoke. Smoking in bars has been recently banned in almost all German states and the usual argument against the ban was "let's have every bar owner decide for themselves". Sadly, they have had the opportunity to decide to be smoke-free or not for many, many years now, and instead of a healthy smoking/non-smoking bars equilibrium we ended up with a vast majority of smoking bars and almost none that were smoke-free. Sadly, the market has failed in this respect.
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