Smoking Ban Extended to Homes in California
[Casen Gregg]
Our personal freedoms took another step down the slippery slope yesterday, as the Belmont, California City Council passed an ordinance that extends its smoking ban in public locations and privately owned restaurants to multi-unit and multi-level residences.
I will be honest, I hate cigarettes, and I think it requires a special kind of self-loathing, moron to knowingly suck on one. In fact, if I was an employer, I would refuse to hire smokers because they are less productive, would be a drain on our health insurance premiums, and generally smell bad. Despite this, I will be the first to stand up on behalf smoker’s rights when the government tries to limit them.
Moreover, I think it is obnoxious and rude to smoke in a in a public setting; however, if that public setting is owned by a private entrepreneur, who consents to the smoking, then the government has no right to regulate it. That is the beauty of our free market society; if you don’t like the smoky setting, then you, as a consumer, can go to another restaurant or just go home.
At least in the case of restaurants, the government can justify the regulation on public health concerns, stemming from second hand smoke. What the Belmont City Council has done is inexcusable, however. The threat of smoke leaking through the walls and into an adjoining unit is non-existent, and the government knows this. This is just another example of the nanny state thinking it knows what is better for you than you do.
As I alluded to above, personal liberties cannot be discriminately chosen based on inclinations. Every time we give up a right, even where the majority favors it, our Republic is skidding a little further down the slippery slope towards fascism. Even if you hate smoky restaurants, stay true to the principle of freedom and quit being so haughty that you think your preferences supersede others’.
October 11th, 2007 at 4:28 pm
Bout time we heard from Case again
October 11th, 2007 at 11:52 pm
Of course, I don’t smoke and completely agree that smoking should be allowed - but I never herd of anyone saying that a smoker would be less productive. I know some smokers that are more productive than their co-workers who don’t.
October 12th, 2007 at 4:57 pm
David, law school and the job hunt are killing me - not a lot of time to contribute. Ill be back though
John, I was referring to smoke breaks at work
October 12th, 2007 at 5:07 pm
I was also referring to smokers health being inevitably worse than non-smokers, and therefore, most likely missing more work due to illness.
October 12th, 2007 at 5:18 pm
Some of the smoker’s may be as productive as the non-smoker’s, but you can’t say they don’t stink.