For years now, I've opposed government-imposed smoking bans, feeling they are yet another violation of individual liberties (not just against smokers, but against business owners, as well). And in an era when an increasing number of businesses are banning smoking on their own for economic reasons, it makes little sense to take the drastic step of a government ban on otherwise legal behavior. I'm convinced that I would have stopped smoking years before I finally did if it hadn't been for the obnoxious, holier-than-thou, self-righteous bullshit of the hardcore smoking ban mob.
But now that the smoking ban is just over 3 months away from being enforced here in North Carolina -- the heart of tobacco country! -- I have to say that I've lost the ability to rail against the prohibition. In fact, I have to admit that I'm looking forward to it, even if most of the places where I see bands these days already ban smoking from the main rooms.
I've sold out. I've given into the man and joined the system. I'm now officially part of the problem.
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I have felt as though this is a situation where the market should really determine what to do. If people really disliked smoking, they'd complain to the manager of their favorite restaurant or go somewhere else, until that restaurant decided to be smoke-free. Wouldn't that be how it works? Am I missing some sort of scandal, like Big Tobacco subsidizing small restaurants who allow smoking? I don't think so...
ReplyDeleteBTW, I enjoy the blatherings. The himplestocks have to stop, though.
^That's how I'd felt for years, and it certainly seemed to be working. I believe it's reached the point where a quarter of the bars I go to and at least half of music venues are now smoke-free. And I know that the policy at music clubs is due to demands placed on owners as more musicians -- singers, especially -- refuse to perform where there's going to be a lot of smoke. Govts ought to allow that trend to continue so that choice remains in the market. But I'm embarrassed to admit that my selfish side -- which is not particularly a lover of free market economics, democracy, liberties of any individual not named "me," or any other concepts involved with this issue -- has recently added its rather loud voice to my feelings about this.
ReplyDeleteAnd sorry about the himplestocks: it was the only alternative I could find after I'd decided that I'd best stop with all the binklesloping.