I’ve always been against bans in general, as pretty much all good Libertarians are. We generally stand for the government only providing for the country’s safety and security, without meddling in the business of our day to day lives. We generally feel that every person should have enough sense of personal responsibility not to infringe on the rights of others, without laws. After a couple experiences over the last few months, I think I’ve changed my mind on smoking bans.
I used to smoke cigarettes, but I’m one of those that actually still craves them from time to time and not one that judges everyone else because I hate the smell. As such, I never really minded people smoking and in fact, if I was drinking, I actually enjoyed second hand smoke. What’s contributed to me seeing the other side of this argument? Two things really; the location and the amount of smoke.
My location example took place a J. Gilbert’s, where we had dinner a month or so ago. Even though we were seated in a no smoking section, a significant distance away from the bar, I couldn’t help but get the waft of stale smoke every few minutes. One thing I really can’t stand is smoke when I’m eating, especially when it’s a “nice” meal. There really wasn’t any escape from it and at times, I couldn’t enjoy my meal because of it. So yeah, I don’t feel bad that it’s now banned in restaurants (for the most part) in Virginia.
My amount example is an amalgamation of several experiences. I’ve been making a habit of trying to blow off steam more often and as such, I’ve had occasion to spend time in bars, bowling alleys, etc. that tend to foster large amounts of smoke just hanging in the air. This didn’t used to bother me, until I started noticing a pattern. Like Chin, I realized the more smoke there was, the worse I felt the next morning. Now we all know that correlation is not causation but I’m smart enough to know that if something makes me feel bad, try and avoid it. When you throw in the bonus “my hamper stinks for 4 days” thing, it kinda becomes a no-brainer.
So yeah, while I wish Americans were considerate enough of one another not to require smoking bans… I realize they’re not. Maybe I’m just getting old enough to loosen my idealistic visions of society, but I’ve realized I’m okay with the government intervening here. Now if they try and take away my foie gras, we’ll have a whole different post on our hands.
Smoking ban made bar hopping possible for me, and now my life is so much more… complete 🙂
-Marina