Wednesday, June 06, 2007

Smoking bans and Libertarianism..

Here in Ohio we recently had a smoking ban pass and there has been a great deal of discussion and debate on the clarity of the language used. There is now another attempt to gather signatures to try to put before the voters a plan that would allow bars, bowling alleys and private clubs to be able to determine for themselves if they want to be smoking facilities.

The libertarian side of me takes issues with these types of bans believing if the free market really supported the concept of non-smoking establishments the market would have created them. That if all of the people who are truly non-smoking demanded non-smoking places or opened non-smoking places of their own, by virtue of the free market it would be demonstrated that we as adults could police our own desired way of life without all of this unnecessary regulation. Unfortunately that does not usually end up being the topic as most people get bogged down in arguing over who has rights, smokers or non-smokers. Personally I believe it is the business owners rights who are getting trampled on since they are being told they cannot allow something to happen in their businesses that is still legal...

1 comment:

Hooda Thunkit (Dave Zawodny) said...

In my experience, the non-smoking group is pretty passive and would rather avoid a confrontation, than tackle it head on.

But they vote and apparently have spoken.

Perhaps it's the vehement pro-smoking crowd needs to get a grip and UNDERSTAND just what that vote really meant/said.

But I doubt that they will. . .