By Brennan Dawson
Senior Vice President, Government Relations
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company The Washington Post recently reported that 60 restaurants in Alexandria, Va., have voluntarily agreed to ban smoking.
A spokesperson for the Alexandria Health Department' "Proud to Be Smoke Free" campaign says this is evidence that the owners of these restaurants recognize the health hazards associated with secondhand smoke.
Given that there are more than 400 restaurants in Alexandria, it' also evidence that, at least for the time being, the free enterprise system is alive and well.
In our view, the owners and operators of hospitality venues should have the right to establish their own policies for accommodating smokers. When the free market is allowed to function without interference from government, there will be a mix of smoking and nonsmoking establishments from which the public can choose, as is currently the case in Alexandria.
Proponents of smoking bans, such as the Alexandria Health Department, support smoking bans with claims that breathing secondhand smoke can be just as dangerous as smoking. There is abundant and credible evidence to the contrary.
For example, a February 2005 Washington Times editorial reports that a 39-year study of 35,561 Californians who had never smoked conducted by UCLA and published in the British Medical Journal showed no causal relationship between exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (secondhand smoke) and tobacco-related mortality.
Claims that smoking bans are needed to protect restaurant and bar workers from secondhand smoke ignore the fact that these individuals are free to evaluate the evidence and make up their own minds about where they want to work.
Smoking ban supporters also frequently cite reports that claim business receipts increase in the wake of smoking bans. If that were the case, every restaurant owner interested in increasing profits would voluntarily ban smoking.
The facts prove otherwise. An October 2004 study commissioned by the Greater Dallas Restaurant Association following the imposition of a 2003 smoking ban, for example, concluded that the ban contributed to a decline in alcohol sales in the City of Dallas, negatively impacted revenue at many restaurants in Dallas, and caused at least four restaurant closings.
Business owners know best how to satisfy their customers, and they, rather than the government, should be allowed to decide whether to allow, restrict or ban smoking in their establishments.
We agree with Robert Tracinski of the Ayn Rand Institute, who says of government-imposed smoking bans, "The real threat is not cigarettes, but the unfettered power of government."
Source: The ABL Leader, Oct, 2005, published monthly by Continental Communications, 125 W. Granite St., Suite 102, Butte, MT 59701.