September 07, 2005
Univ. Of Georgia Student Criticizes Smoking Ban: It Introduces New Risks
Brandon Lowe writes in UGAs student newspaper, Red and Black, that the city's ban on smoking in bars and clubs creates new risks:
The ban the commission passed in July puts an even greater burden on police, who besides handling drunk drivers and fights, now have to manage greater crowds on the sidewalk.It also increases the amount litter on the streets because of cigarette butts.
Proponents of the ban have said such arguments don’t recognize the need to protect people in bars. . .Moving smokers to outdoor seating areas, which tend to be near the front door, does not solve the problem.
Lowe also raised good points about second hand smoke outside, the problem of enforcement. Lowe highlights a huge problem with governmental "one-sit-fits-all" approaches. It's not a zero-sum game and other problems, long-term always arise.
If I was a bar owner and knew that that many students(?) did not like second-hand smoke I would have made my bar non-smoking for sure. This offers people a choice: you can go to the smoky bar or to mine. Now the police have to waste time chasing smokers rather than protecting the community from real crime.
Is this the best use of law?
Posted by anthony at September 7, 2005 10:10 AM | TrackBack