In Defense Of Smoking Bans

Commissioners in Campbell County, KY, have voted to reverse a ban on smoking in bars and restaurants. While some members of the public were in favor of the ban,

the majority in the room — some of them offering a standing ovation — won the battle. Many said they didn’t believe studies that showed the harms of secondhand smoke, noting some of them are sponsored by foundations that oppose smoking. Some criticized doctors and the medical community for taking a position on the issue. Ban critic Charlie Coleman, a county resident for more than 60 years, drew raucous applause when he compared anti-smoking efforts to tactics used by dictators such as Hitler. Other opponents couched the debate as one between hard-working, blue-collar people and an elitist medical community that seeks to remove liberties of the common workers.

Now, speaking as someone who has been smoking for twenty-five years, I have to say, it is painful to see this kind of anti-intellectualism used in defense of one of my favorite hobbies. Smoking kills. This is not a deniable fact. I guess there are still arguments about the dangers of second hand smoke, but mostly in the sense that there are still arguments about the existence of climate change. Filling the air with foul smelling chemicals, no matter how pleasant they are to their inhaler, is not just rude, it shows an utter disregard for the people around you. But here is the most important point: The best thing that ever happened to New York was its bar and restaurant smoking ban. I cannot tell you how many unbearable conversations I have been able to cut short by having to go outside for a smoke. I don’t think the people of Campbell County quite understand what they’re giving up here. And if that makes me Hitler, I’m Hitler. Now I’m gonna run out for a smoke.

Photo by Craig Cloutier.