I'm as much in favor of individual rights as the next guy, and that's why I couldn't be happier about the new smoking ban in Maryland. Consider the 2005 study by the American Lung Association, which showed that only 21 percent of American adults were current smokers. That means that every time you've been greeted at your favorite bar, club or restaurant by that ominous cloud of noxious second-hand smoke, it was the result of just one out of five people who were there. Based on the principles of a democratic society alone, it seems that the law should protect 79 percent of the population.
Of course, just because a large majority of people do not smoke does not directly mean that banning smoking is not a violation of smokers' rights. The law protects the right of persons over the age of 18 to purchase and use tobacco products, and it is true that banning smoking in public places infringes upon the implicit right of smokers to use the products they have legally purchased.
Based on innumerable studies regarding the dangers of second hand smoke, however, not banning smoking in public places would effectively deny non-smokers' right to not smoke. So it is impossible to protect the rights of one group without necessarily ignoring the rights of the other group. Given the choice, I pick the one that is healthier, cleaner and supportive of a significant majority of the population.
It is also important to remember that this is not a ban on smokers but on smoking. Any smoker can go to any bar they want so long as they don't smoke while they are inside. According to an article in the Baltimore Sun, many bars are already planning to add outdoor patios and bars for smokers, meaning that smokers will simply have to get up and go outside for a few minutes if they need a cigarette; they will not be forced to avoid public places all together.
The importance of this is two-fold: First, bars and restaurants will not lose the business of smokers, and second, smokers, with only a minor inconvenience, will be able to go everywhere they could before. Considering the rather significant "inconvenience" posed by second-hand smoke (lung cancer, heart disease, etc.), this is an unbelievably small price to pay.
For many years smoking was considered "cool," but those days seem to have come to an end in light of a multitude of scientific studies proving the severe dangers it poses.
Likewise, smoking in bars, restaurants and the like has long been culturally acceptable, but it is a pleasure to know that at least in this case, politicians are willing to make changes in light of significant scientific evidence. So next time you're out on the town, pull up a chair, order a beer and take a long breath of that free, clean air.
