Update: Smoking ban
Posted by Morgan Brooke Wilkins on December 27th, 2007 in Uncategorized |
An unexpected change was added to Louisville’s smoking ban. The CJ now reports that the new ban includes
“a requirement that business owners call police if their customers refuse to stop smoking inside.”
Yup, that’s right. You are now required by law to call the police if your customers smoke a legal substance on your own property.
Update: This is a part of the proposed ban.
One Response
You know, I have never understood the lack of outrage when government disallows otherwise legal activity on private property.
I have heard the argument go this way: Second hand smoke is a health hazard (I agree.) Therefore, government should disallow smoking in public places.
Here’s the rub: a private business establishment is not a public place–it is a private place into which the general public is allowed to enter. It is not a courthouse or DMV or other government monopoly for which you would have no other alternative to conduct that particular business–so a reasonable argument can be made that it should be accessible to non-smokers as well.
But for a tavern or whatnot, with the variety capitalism affords why not allow smoking bars?
Think of it this way: you can legally inhale the concentrated smoke directly from a cigarette but if you dare inhale it second hand it’s a crime? What gives?