Issue date: 2/10/09 Section: Opinion

Media Credit: Natalie Cervantes [Click to enlarge]

As of Feb. 1, College Station police will be enforcing a citywide ban on smoking in restaurants, bars and any public business.

Touted as a progressive movement toward better health for the citizens of College Station, the ban is a well-intentioned limit on liberty. Not on the freedom for an individual to smoke, but the freedom for a bar or restaurant owner to decide for themselves the atmosphere in which they present business. The ban will hurt businesses which depend upon creating an inviting environment for smokers who want a place to spend money and time while enjoying their habit.

Proponents of outlawing cigarettes inside business locales point to the health risks of secondhand smoke. There is no denying that tobacco is unhealthy for the user and for those around the inhaler. For those forced into a smoking environment to attend their favorite restaurant, the ban makes sense. Places frequented by families need to be smoke free, as no child should be exposed to any life-threatening substance before being old enough to make an informed choice.

Unfortunately, the "save the children" argument can only be taken so far, as bars often refuse admittance to youngsters. The law assumes those spending Saturday (or Tuesday) night trying to destroy their only liver are extremely protective of their other organs.

The restrictions extend to forcing smokers to stand at least 10 feet away from any establishment, preventing them from buying anything while they huddle en masse outside.

"I think it's ridiculous," said Luke Martin, a sophomore general studies major. "All the bars are close together on Northgate; there's no way to be 10 feet from one without being to close to another. My friends and I will have to stand in the streets, which is somehow safer than being inside."

The problem with smoking bans is they force decisions on adults that they should be allowed to make. Adults can inform themselves of the consequences of cigarettes and second hand smoke, and decide on their own whether or not to expose themselves to a potentially dangerous environment.

"These laws are a modern-day health prohibition from a recent wave of reactionary health consciousness," said Shaun Miller, co-owner of Texas Avenue Cigars, one of the only stores in College Station that still allows smoking indoors. "The city council gave us an exception, as they said they did not want to ruin anyone's business, but the proponents of the law argued against that. They wanted a citywide ban for every business indoors."

Continued...

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