Daren Bakst wonders what comes after the smoking ban. Once state government decides that adults are really little children, anything is possible. Two critical points Daren makes:
- Smokers do not have a right to smoke on someone else’s property. Similarly, nonsmokers do not have a right to a smoke-free environment when the environment belongs to someone else.
- Smoking-ban proponents actually want to create a new right: the “right” to be able to go anywhere they want, including for-profit private clubs, and not encounter cigarette smoke. Instead of respecting property rights, they want their preferences to take precedence over others’ property rights.
Me, I’m still amazed that the “adult or else” language is still in the House bill, language which effectively bans all-ages music shows or performances at private clubs which admit smoking adults at any time.
