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I'm sure I'll hear arguments from both sides on this subject, but on the issue of whether or not smoking should be allowed in public places, my answer is that it depends.

A Libertarian acquaintance of mine once argued that when it came to smoking he did not feel the government should ban the practice in public but he would have no compunction about telling a guest in his home not to light up.

I'd ad just two things to this.

1. I don't think the government should require smoking bans in private establishments like restaurants or bars if the owner wants to allow his clientele to smoke. What of customers like me who are annoyed by the practice? We can always take out business elsewhere.

Think private business people won't ban smoking on their own in some establishments? You'd be wrong. In the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania near where I live there's a great diner called the Trivet that is completely smoke free.

Any visit to the place whether during the week or on a weekend reveals that the restaurant owners haven't suffered a loss of business for their choice. Quite the opposite! In fact, I think more entrepreneurs should take the plunge.

I cling to the belief that smoke free clubs would do a thriving business with music fans like me who would like the experience of nightlife without coming home smelling like an ashtray.

2. On the other hand when it comes to publicly owned buildings-schools, universities, municipal and other government buildings paid for with my tax dollars-I think a smoking ban is perfectly reasonable.

I am particularly unmoved by the complaints from public employees who whine that such bans impinge on their personal freedoms.

Let's go back to my earlier argument. If you run a restaurant and tell the waitresses you employ that they should not smoke in your building, should they have the right to do so anyway regardless of your wishes?

But not every tax payer opposes smoking, you say. So why should the anti-smoking crowd get its way?

The answer is that while I may take my business elsewhere when it comes to a restaurant or bar (though this may be practically impossible in some small communities) I have NO CHOICE when it comes to where I go to do my public business.

On a visit to a local municipal building to access some public records I was almost overcome by the stench in the office of a public employee who was obviously ignoring the policy against smoking in the building.

When it comes to smoking, freedom comes with responsibility. Be responsible when deciding where to smoke.

Learn more about this author, Shawn Hessinger.
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