As a believer in free enterprise and limited, accountable government, I don’t like the idea of the state telling business owners how to run their business.
Sen. Robert Flanders: Trust the people to make good choices when it comes to smoking
By SEN. ROBERT FLANDERS
Another View?
April 6, 2006?
WHEN IT COMES to smoking, trust people to make good choices.
As a state senator I have the unenviable task of deciding how to vote on the proposed statewide ban on smoking in restaurants and bars. Neither choice would be my choice.
As a believer in free enterprise and limited, accountable government, I don’t like the idea of the state telling business owners how to run their business. As an ex-smoker, I admit my preference to eat in restaurants that don’t allow smoking, but that is a choice I am free to make.
When a favorite restaurant in my district voluntarily went smoke-free, it was good for me, for not only was it more enjoyable for my wife and I to eat there, but it was also good because the owner made his own decision; it was not made by a group of politicians in Concord.
Supporters of the statewide ban claim that it will create a level playing field, but I disagree. We have a level playing field today. Every restaurant owner in New Hampshire is equally free to decide whether to allow smoking. All owners face the same consequences, both good and bad, of their decision. That is a level playing field.
It appears to me that some supporters of a smoking ban aren’t interested in a level playing field, but want the decision dictated to them to save them from having to make the tough choice. Many restaurants owners admit that they would prefer to be smoke-free but want to be able to place that decision on the Legislature for an easy excuse. In truth, there might be some gain or some loss in customers. But, prohibiting smoking might also make it easier to recruit, reduce cleaning costs and in the long term might even reduce health insurance cost.
So while I personally support smoke-free restaurants, I don’t support a statewide ban on smoking because I don’t like having state government telling businesses how to run their business. We have enough of that already. But that shouldn’t be the end of the discussion.
Some communities, like Colebrook and Keene, have already passed local smoking bans. However, the New Hampshire Supreme Court correctly decided that they did not have the authority to do that under current state law. So maybe we should be talking about enabling legislation to give communities that authority instead of debating a statewide smoking ban.
As a believer in local control, I support the idea of allowing voters to decide for themselves whether to allow smoking in restaurants in their community. We already allow local voters to decide whether alcohol can be sold or consumed in their town. And through zoning we allow voters to decide where restaurants can be located in their town. Why not add smoking to the list?
I’m pleased that a majority of people in New Hampshire choose not to smoke. I’m pleased that a majority of restaurants in New Hampshire choose to be smoke-free. Both of those things happened without politicians in Concord imposing their choices on the people and businesses of the state. Sometimes a little trust in people goes a long way.
Sen. Robert Flanders is an Antrim Republican.
