European Union mulls continentwide public smoking ban — If people want to smoke that is there business. I don;t smoke and in certain countries such as Denmark you simple cannot go out at night to a bar or restaurant since the ventillation is so poor and the places are gosh-awful smoky. So smoky that you cannot see across the room. It’s actually unbelievable. It does vary from country to country but it’s generally bad.
European Union legislators are due to meet with national authorities and consumer groups to discuss a proposed continentwide ban on smoking in restaurants, bars and public spaces.
EU Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou presented a discussion paper Tuesday calling for the ban.
As of Thursday, smoking in offices and public buildings will be banned in France. The country expects to extend the ban to restaurants, hotels and casinos by 2008. As of Thursday, smoking in offices and public buildings will be banned in France. The country expects to extend the ban to restaurants, hotels and casinos by 2008.
(Francois Mori/Associated Press)“Smoke-free policies are very popular with European citizens …,” Kyprianou said. “Every European deserves full protection from tobacco smoke.”
Just for clarification: I never identified myself as a libertarian. If my views coincide with theirs on the topics in question, that’s fine. But I’m not affiliated with any party. Perhaps I should look into the libertarian party, however.
Shawn
#28 “Well, first… The government is the people… So let’s stop pretending we are the unwilling subserviant class to some foriegn occupying force…”
Actually, I pretend no such thing. Furthermore, I don’t smoke. I just happen to believe that once you let the busybody do-gooders of the world into your life, your life is no longer yours.
#7
Simply not possible. I have been in places with air scrubbers (e.g. Vegas) and there is simply no scrubber in the universe that can protect you from a cigar smoking fool five feet away.
John is right about Europe. It is amazing how many people in London smoke. I keep telling the British to stop listening to us silly Americans. I suspect that Raleigh was smoking more than just tobacco when he brought it back to Europe. I can tell you that if you like good food and wine that smoke ruins both.
#18
There are rare times when capitalism breaks down and this is one of them. Without an outright ban, smoking in offices would be legal. If most people smoke, there are only so many places to hide. The smoking habit imposes on everyone, not just the smoker.
#20
Law and punishment is not decided solely on the basis of danger. Civil Law is designed to change behavior. The more society wants to change behvior the more costly the punishment. That is why in some states a non-injury DUI can have a more severe punishment than armed robbery.
#30, Lauren,
It boils down to this: neither you nor the govt has the right to prohibit otherwise legal behavior on my premises, for that very reason – they’re my premises.
Oh, contrare. While I don’t always agree, the government DOES have a right to dictate what you may or may not do in your home. For example, you may not have sex with your 13 yr old daughter, drink moonshine, or run a brothel. Oh, guess what, those are already illegal. So if tobacco is also banned then it would be considered as one of the “otherwise illegal behavior”.
I challenge any of you nanny-staters to show why it is desirable for the people to have their rights abrogated by the government.
I don’t know if I’m a nanny-stater but I will challenge you on this. It is not desirable to abrogate any RIGHT. However, I do not see anything in the Constitution that gives someone the right to pollute the air I breathe. Many court decisions have upheld the belief that your “rights” can not infringe on my rights. So while it is wrong for the government to take away my rights, neither do you have any special status to take away or infringe on my rights.
If you do not like the government regulating an activity then let them know. Vote for someone who will change the law to what you want; that is what happened to Prohibition. It is also why our little town banned all titty bars within 500 feet of a church. But what you insinuate is anarchy.
Lauren the Ghoti, excellent comments.
It isn’t true that smoking bans do not hurt bar sales. Here is Austin, Texas, many bars saw revenue drops of 30% or more after the ban. The anti-smokers touted the same “studies” that “prove” that bar sales do not suffer, but they are just lies, lies, and damn statistics. And bar sales did not bounce back in many cases.
This entire issue is easily resolved by asking bar owners to post a sign at the door. Smoking or Non-Smoking. If you do not like smoking, do not enter. Simple.
With smoking bans, the State is now beginning to ban what is not “good for you.” The list of things that are not good for you includes trans-fats, fatty foods, ice cream, and alcohol. When will they start banning those?
Smokers, do not worry too much. “Smoke-easies” will appear all over Europe. The nanny-state has not learned the lessons of Prohibition.
Banning smoking makes business better for bars and restaurants? If that’s the case, then why do they need a smoking ban to go smoke-free? Wouldn’t they make this choice by themselves? This little factoid sounds like convenient made-up stuff to defend their puritanism.
#36
What you are missing in your equation is the fact that non-smokers will stay away from restaurants in droves when smoking is allowed.