Tonight At Midnight, It Time to Butt Out!

I'm happy to read in today's Canoe Ottawa headlines the Smoke Free Ontario Act comes into law tonight at midnight. In my opinion, its long overdue.

Usually I'm a conservative when it comes to government interference in rights of citizens, that is to say, the less government involvement the better. But the issue I have with smoking in public places is that it is not something that has no ill effect on others near the smoker. In fact, it has well documented side effects both long and short term. The argument that one does not have to go into establishments where smoking is allowed but can go somewhere else is useless because if one establishment can do something to attract customers that another cannot it creates an uneven playing field for competition. Smoking sections in businesses are a joke; if there is smoking in one room, it spreads throughout the building. Believe me, I know.

The only solution in my view was to ban smoking from all public places like the government has done. Its the right thing to do for everyone, an easy case of utility where the "sacrifice" of a few results in improved happiness for many more.