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By Dan Mollison and Chuck Prochaska
Posted: 9/20/05 Section: Opinions
Smoking ban protects all
Dan Mollison
Recently there has been some discussion in the Champaign-Urbana area of instituting a smoking ban in bars and restaurants. While this would certainly pose a large inconvenience to smokers, I believe that instituting a ban is the correct choice.
In most circumstances, I am a firm believer of letting people do what they want to do. I don't like it when the government steps in to tell me how I should live my life any more than anyone else. I think that if you choose to smoke, that's fine, as long as you're the only one affected by it.
The problem is that research reported by the National Institute of Health shows that second-hand smoke can cause cancer in non-smokers. This means that in bars and restaurants, your smoking is not just your problem anymore; now I'm affected by it, even if I choose not to smoke.
Ultimately, this issue brings up a debate we've had in America ever since its founding: when should individual liberties be respected, and when should the government limit some freedoms to protect the whole? Although a ban would impede on the rights of smokers, it's appropriate in this case because smoking in bars and restaurants affects not just smokers, but everyone around them.
The prospect of a ban is difficult for smokers to face because smoking in bars and restaurants can be a way of life for them. But it's important to remember that there's no inherent connection between being at a bar and smoking. Everyone has an equal right to a safe bar and restaurant atmosphere regardless of their smoking preference, and non-smokers shouldn't have to leave to protect their health. If safety weren't an issue here, I'd be siding with the smokers; but in this case, the needs of the majority win.
The smoky gray area
Chuck Prochaska
As a conservative waging war against the wild-eyed left wing, you don't often hear me referring to "the gray area." But when it comes to the issue of public smoking in Champaign, or any other city for that matter, a complete ban on smoking, or lack thereof, is not the answer.
Dan Mollison
Recently there has been some discussion in the Champaign-Urbana area of instituting a smoking ban in bars and restaurants. While this would certainly pose a large inconvenience to smokers, I believe that instituting a ban is the correct choice.
In most circumstances, I am a firm believer of letting people do what they want to do. I don't like it when the government steps in to tell me how I should live my life any more than anyone else. I think that if you choose to smoke, that's fine, as long as you're the only one affected by it.
The problem is that research reported by the National Institute of Health shows that second-hand smoke can cause cancer in non-smokers. This means that in bars and restaurants, your smoking is not just your problem anymore; now I'm affected by it, even if I choose not to smoke.
Ultimately, this issue brings up a debate we've had in America ever since its founding: when should individual liberties be respected, and when should the government limit some freedoms to protect the whole? Although a ban would impede on the rights of smokers, it's appropriate in this case because smoking in bars and restaurants affects not just smokers, but everyone around them.
The prospect of a ban is difficult for smokers to face because smoking in bars and restaurants can be a way of life for them. But it's important to remember that there's no inherent connection between being at a bar and smoking. Everyone has an equal right to a safe bar and restaurant atmosphere regardless of their smoking preference, and non-smokers shouldn't have to leave to protect their health. If safety weren't an issue here, I'd be siding with the smokers; but in this case, the needs of the majority win.
The smoky gray area
Chuck Prochaska
As a conservative waging war against the wild-eyed left wing, you don't often hear me referring to "the gray area." But when it comes to the issue of public smoking in Champaign, or any other city for that matter, a complete ban on smoking, or lack thereof, is not the answer.
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