Civitas poll on smoking ban

From the Civitas Institute:

Raleigh, N.C. ? North Carolina voters want bar and restaurant owners to have the ability to set their own smoking policy according to a new poll released today by Civitas Institute.

Rep. Hugh Holliman (D-Davidson) yesterday reintroduced a bill (HB 2) identical to one that was defeated two years ago that would ban cigarette smoking in all bars, restaurants and enclosed workplaces.

According to the poll of 600 North Carolina voters, when asked if a bar or restaurant owner should be able to set their own smoking policy given that it is clearly posted at the entrance to the restaurant, 62 percent of voters voiced their support, while 34 percent opposed the proposal. Three percent were not sure.

?Rep. Holliman?s draconian ban leaves no exception for restaurant or bar owners to have the ability to set their own policy,? said Chris Hayes, senior legislative analyst for the Civitas Institute. ?Voters clearly recognize that private businesses should be able to set their own policies for a legal activity, such as smoking, so long as the public is adequately informed before entering the establishment.?

A state policy banning smoking in bars and restaurants, but allowing them to ?opt-in? and permit smoking so long as it is clearly advertised within the establishment was adopted two years ago in Virginia, but vetoed by Gov. Mark Warner.

?Providing an ?opt-in? provision for bars and restaurants would protect the interests of private businesses while allowing consumers to make an informed decision about which businesses to patronize,? Hayes added. ?If left free from government intervention, ultimately, the market will set smoking policies in restaurants. As consumers demand more and more options for smoke-free establishments, businesses will respond in the way that best suits its bottom line.?

Those interested in hearing an interesting take on the social costs and benefits of smoking might enjoy revisiting Duke professor John Staddon’s recent presentation on the topic for the John Locke Foundation’s Shaftesbury Society.