Big news from the rotunda - the state legislature passed a state wide smoking ban (no exceptions), effective June 2009. I for one am extremely excited. After being spoiled here in Lincoln for the past 3 years I really notice it when going to the bars in Omaha - even when there are just a few people smoking. Now if KC would pass a smoking ban too, I'd be set.
The arguments against the smoking ban have really lost all validity to me, despite being enticing on the surface. The "smokers losing their personal freedoms" argument doesn't hold because smoking affects everyone else in the room and those people are losing their personal freedom to breathe clean air. The "go somewhere else if you don't like it" argument doesn't hold because 1) we're talking about public establishments and 2) all businesses are required to have healthy work enviroments for their employees, whether were talking about asbestos removers or bartenders, and there is no feasible way to regulate when a room becomes too smokey.
The only thing I'm torn on are businesses whose primary source of income is through tobacco sales, such as cigar shops or hooka bars. They could have smoking areas that are separate from the main establishment where employees would not have to enter that could be equipt with super duper ventilation systems. All the same, it would be a regulatory nightmare.
1 comment:
I think this is great because I am tired of having to wash my hair after a night of hard drinking.
Post a Comment