New Proposed Vigo County Smoking Ban Taking It Too Far?

Early this week, the Vigo County Health Department proposed an admendment to the Vigo County Clean Air Ordinance.  It was a pretty big admendment as well- they want to ban smoking from all public buildings.  This would mean all businesses, bars, and private clubs.

I'm a non-smoker, and have been all my life.  Does it bother me to see people smoke?  Not at all.  If you have the money to spend on cigarettes and choose to puff away, that should be totally up to you.  (Now if you are on government assitance and still light up, I have a problem with that, but that is an issue for another blog.)

Do I want to go out to eat dinner and inhale your smoke?  Absolutely not.  That is why I loved the original Clean Air Ordinance.  It put up some paramaters that allowed people to enjoy eating out and taking their kids bowling without smelling like an ashtray on the way home.  The smokers were not completely put out either, with most restaurants and bars building enclosed smoking sections so those patrons could enjoy a smoke with their meal.  I thought it was a win-win for everyone.  Basically the only place a non-smoker would have to deal with smoke is at a bar, which is easy to avoid if you choose.

The new county ordinance would change that.  Basically, you would be relegated to smoking only inside your own home, vehicle, or outside.  Even as a non-smoker, I think this might be taking things a step too far.  The current ordinance more than accomodates the average citizen, and every person can choose what they want to do.  Businesses can decide to have special enclosed smoking areas to attract and serve smokers.  Now those businesses could lose those customers, and in a struggling economy, nobody can afford that.

Also, I feel it is extremely unfair to the food establishments who incurred a hefty expense in building and designing these "enclosed smoking areas", as they will have to again spend thousands of dollars to undo the previous work to the layout of their building.  From personal experience, the food industry is very, very hard to be profitable in.   I can't see how this will help.

I think this issue is one that needs to be voted on.  What we have now seems to work just fine.  Let local buisness owners who already do a great job following the current ordinance, CHOOSE how the operate their business.  What is next?  Is the Health Department going to mandate serving portions at restaurants too?  If Vigo County thinks public smoking is still an issue, then let's put it on the next ballot, and let the voters decide, but don't decide it for us.