Your right, he didn't answer your question. Let me take a stab at it, though I think the comments preceding mine have done an excellent job. You can CHOOSE to patronize a place of business. You cannot CHOOSE to go to DMV every year or so to register your vehicle. For businesses, its a choice of economics. If you run a family friendly business that sees a lot of parents with young children patronizing your establishment, of course you will at least severely curtail if not ban smoking altogether in your establishment. However, if you run an establishment that sees more adult traffic (such as a bar, high end restaurant, etc.) then being more accepting of smoking in your establishment may benefit you financially.
Let me explain. There are many many people where I live (the beautiful state of CA) that smoke when they drink. Its a hassle to go outside, 20 feet away from the entrance to any building in order to smoke, AND you can't bring your drink with you, which means one of two things is going to happen. The first is you will consume less alcohol, which cuts into the bottom line of the establishment. The second more severe option (at least for the bar) is you will throw a party in the privacy of your own home where smoking is still legal and the bar will see NO profit from you or your friends, which can add up into the hundreds or even thousands of dollars each night. That is a lot of money lost, all because business owners are not given the freedom to run their own business.
Now don't get me wrong, I get the idea that second hand smoke is harmful, but it all goes back to YOUR choice to not patronize an establishment because of their policies. We live in a supply and demand world. If a bar, restaurant, etc sees a drop in sales due to a relaxed smoking policy, they will react accordingly. But the problem I have is it shouldn't be the government's decision, it should be the decision of the people who made the financial investment to start with.
no subject
Let me explain. There are many many people where I live (the beautiful state of CA) that smoke when they drink. Its a hassle to go outside, 20 feet away from the entrance to any building in order to smoke, AND you can't bring your drink with you, which means one of two things is going to happen. The first is you will consume less alcohol, which cuts into the bottom line of the establishment. The second more severe option (at least for the bar) is you will throw a party in the privacy of your own home where smoking is still legal and the bar will see NO profit from you or your friends, which can add up into the hundreds or even thousands of dollars each night. That is a lot of money lost, all because business owners are not given the freedom to run their own business.
Now don't get me wrong, I get the idea that second hand smoke is harmful, but it all goes back to YOUR choice to not patronize an establishment because of their policies. We live in a supply and demand world. If a bar, restaurant, etc sees a drop in sales due to a relaxed smoking policy, they will react accordingly. But the problem I have is it shouldn't be the government's decision, it should be the decision of the people who made the financial investment to start with.