Hood writes in his Daily Column today about the silliness of a proposed smoking ban in restaurants and he?s right.  But the bill that was filed last week, House Bill 2 goes even further.  In it?s present form, if enacted into law, the bill would prohibit smoking in ALL public and private workplaces, not just restaurants.  It goes so far as to outlaw smoking in all workplaces, even if there is only one employee who is the owner of the business. It would outlaw smoking in any enclosed area to which the public is invited or permitted to go and in any enclosed area used for private employment – pretty much anywhere anyone works or sets foot on public property.

They would still allow smoking in a private home, unless of course that home is used to provide child or adult care commercially, then there would be no smoking.  Tobacco shops are exempt to the ban (gee thanks) but only 20% of hotel rooms could be set aside for smokers.  

The bill requires county and city governments to  comply with the state wide smoking ban and encourages them to enforce additional, even more restrictive smoking ban ordinances of their own in buildings, on grounds (parks and walkways?) in publicly owned, leased or operated vehicles or in public places.  

Hood visited the prohibition of smoking in all state vehicles as was considered by last year?s General Assembly urging lawmakers to be reasonable here, talked about the tyranny of public health imposed by the government here and explained why a smoking ban is an assault on personal freedom here

Read it all and you?ll understand the dangers of the House Bill 2.   It really is all about personal freedom.