Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Dallas May Ban Smoking In Bars

"Business owners should have the right to choose for themselves [whether or not to allow smoking], then let the market decide for itself what the public wants," says the manager of the Lakewood Tavern, a nonsmoking bar.
As a general rule, children do not go into bars, so no one, including those opting to work there, are forced to go into those places.
Hypothetical story: Joe Smith is a blue-collar worker who always wanted to open his own bar. He works the typical 40-hour week, which pays the bills, then volunteers for overtime, putting the extra cash in his piggy bank to save toward his dream. Frugal living along with a large loan allow him to open Smitty's, a bar in Far North Dallas. Then the city council, for "the health of the customers and employees," (remember, no one is being forced to be there) passes this ordinance. The sixty percent of his customers who smoke decide to start hanging out at a bar in nearby Addison where smoking is allowed. This sudden loss of business, forced upon him by a law he had no control over, results in the closing of his bar, default on the loan and bankruptcy.
Is this fair?
Should his bar be 'grandfathered' and only new bars be forced to be smoke free?

Buy a T-shirt.

No comments: