Where There's Smoke

Philadelphia officials are debating and voting on a city-wide smoking ban in restaurants and bars (a la New York City and California).

As a nonsmoker, who is constantly bothered by smoking, I disapprove of the smoking ban. If a bar wants to outlaw smoking, that’s its choice, but it shouldn't be forced into it. I have nothing but disdain for the cowardly bar owners who advocate a city-wide smoking ban in order to level the playing field because they fear if they go-it-alone with a smoking ban they will lose customers to bars that permit smoking. That’s the risk you take in a free market society.

If you put together quality shows/beer selection/menu/venue, smokers will still frequent a bar even with a smoking ban in place. Smokers will go outside for a few minutes, puff their cigarettes, and come back to their table/bar stool. An official smoking ban is the lazy proprietor’s crutch. It’s almost like communism…forcing smoking equality on all bars instead of championing the individual bar that goes the extra mile to win customers regardless of smoking preference.