I'm not a big fan of the smoking ban. I don't like the fact that government imposes this kind of restriction on some businesses and not others. If this was truly about health and welfare, the smoking ban should have been extended to the casinos in Atlantic City.
The fact that it wasn't is a visible sign of the pay-to-play atmosphere that is prevalent in Trenton. The casinos managed to throw enough weight around to get excluded from the smoking ban. Restaurants and bars weren't so lucky.
Governments impose high levels of taxes on cigarettes and tobacco products, and impose greater restrictions on cigarette and tobacco products consumption each passing year. It's a cash cow that most politicians believe comes without the baggage of taxing other items.
Now, this isn't to say that I don't mind the fact that I can now go to some of my favorite eateries and bars and have a good meal without sucking down a bunch of tobacco smoke. But I think it should have been left up to the individual businesses to decide to go smoke free. In the end, some businesses might have decided to go smoke free while others wouldn't. Free markets and all.
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