The Smoking Ban

Indiana has no state-wide law against smoking in public places. However, in West Lafayette you can only smoke in your house, tobacco stores, private clubs, and outside. This means no smoking in any bar or restaurant. A few cities in California are even trying to ban people from smoking in public areas outside.

Here in good old West Lafayette, it all started back in '06 when Ordinance 8-06 was introduced in March and passed in April. However, it didn't take effect until July of this year. Since then, there has been no legal smoking in Harry's, no smoking B-Dubs, and no smoking in any place of employment. This is all part of a large country, if not world, wide movement towards the prevention of passive smoking. The idea is that anyone who takes in the smoke let off by smokers absorbs an assortment of toxins that can lead to heart disease and lung cancer, not to mention do harm to people who have asthma or an allergy to cigarette smoke.

So what’s my opinion on the whole deal? I'm on the fence. I've heard from many people and studies that second hand smoke is nearly as harmful as the act of smoking itself. I've also heard that it is only a small fraction as harmful. I've even heard some studies go so far as to say it is harmless to most people. Personally, I don't believe it to be very dangerous unless you are exposed to it on a regular basis, but my opinion shouldn't hold much weight since it isn't exactly backed up by scientific data. Then again, a lot of "studies" aren't exactly backed up by real unbiased data either.

It is when it comes down to the areas in which a ban prevents smokers from lighting up that I get a strong opinion. When cities start banning people form smoking outside and in bars I start getting upset. As a self-described Libertarian, I believe people should be allowed to do basically anything they want as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else. (Don't take me too literally on that, there are many exceptions.) You would be hard pressed to convince me that people smoking outside, where there is such a huge area for the toxins to disperse, have a significant negative effect on non-smokers around them. People who don't want to be exposed to smoke in bars and restaurants can simply eat and drink somewhere else, like a no smoking section or your own house.

I don't believe in a smoking ban in any of the areas mentioned above, but I do believe in a smoking ban in some places. For instance, people can easily choose a different area to eat dinner that doesn't expose them to smoke, but finding a new job where the employees don't smoke is a different story. Likewise, smoking in an area such as a hospital is totally unacceptable; half the people in there can't even walk to get fresh air, let alone the fact that they are already sick. Apartments and dorms are up in the air, perhaps there could be a small section of an apartment complex that allows it or a certain dorm on campus that lets people light up.

I'm very skeptical about jumping onto the no smoking bandwagon, and I believe smokers are undeservingly being shunned. However, some of the ideas being thrown around do hold some merit, such as banning smoking in the work place. All in all, I don't believe second hand smoking is really that dangerous, people are being too anal about the entire ordeal, and banning smoking in restaurants and bars is a serious infringement on our rights as Americans. But, I ask, what are your opinions? Do you think there should be a total ban everywhere, no where, certain places? Do you think that second hand smoke is the next plaque, a joke, or some kind of middle ground? Please, comment, elaborate, and share your facts and opinions.