Friday, November 12, 2010

Smoking Bans

Yes, yes, we get it. Smoking is terrible for us and other people. We understand this. And yes, this is a pretty awful thing:


That said, I think that this article over at the New York Times misses something when discussing efforts to ban smoking in Nevada casinos. Specifically:

Stephanie Steinberg, chairwoman of Smoke-Free Gaming — an organization of casino workers and patrons who are pressing casinos to ban smoking — said that while smoking was allowed in other casinos across the country, particularly on Indian reservations, Nevada had proved the most intractable. South Dakota approved a voter initiative this month to ban smoking in commercial casinos, joining Colorado, Delaware, Illinois and Montana in passing complete or partial bans.

“The problem with Nevada — and the reason it stands out as a smoking state — is because of the power and control the gaming industry has in the state,” Ms. Steinberg said.

Actually, that's an incorrect analysis. The root problem with pushing through a ban isn't with the casinos. Rather, it's with the customers. People are opting to utilize a service, in this case gambling, in places where smoking is permitted. All evidence seems to indicate that it's pretty popular service. If a significant enough percentage of people chose not to gamble, or for that matter; work, in places where people can light up, I'm quite certain that casinos would of their own accord, elect to ban smoking from their premises entirely.

But that ultimately is the flaw with bans like these: They inherently ignore the fact that people want to have choices. People want to make their own decisions about what they will and will not do. I see nothing wrong with casinos fighting to offer their customers an atmosphere that they find amicable, in this case a rather smoky one.

Just as I would prefer to not go to a non-smoking casino (or bar for that matter), other people certainly have the option to not go to one that allows it.

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