Clearing The Air

"Level the playing field" part deux.....

I've heard a Minneapolis bar or two demanding a statewide smoking ban to "level the playing field".

It should first be noted that the term level the playing field was coined by the Nicoderm funded anti-smoking activists, in hopes that the rose colored glasses crowd would be lulled into believing equality of business damaging mandates would somehow magically increase business.

Well guess what? New York's smoking ban is statewide and after barely a year 160+ bars & restaurants are out of business or headed that direction., 2,600+ jobs lost.

Ireland's smoking ban, also barely a year old with 300+ pubs closed and 7,600+ jobs lost.

If business owners want to demand state action to stay alive they ought to be demanding a pre-emption bill, which simply states that local governments cannot enact air quality laws which exceed the current statewide Clean Indoor Air Act. South Dakota did just such a thing about two years ago and it has been a resounding success.

A couple years ago the RWJF, American Lung, American Cancer, American Heart Association, and the rest of the Nicoderm marketing department attempted to get local South Dakota cities and counties to pass smoking bans. So the legislature of South Dakota stepped up and said to the pharmaceutical company pawns, "Ok, so you want a statewide smoking ban, we'll give you a smoking ban. First off, no local government may enact a law which supersedes our smoking ban, second, smoking is banned in all public and quasi public places, with the following exemption........ those establishments with a liquor license are exempt.

Guess what, those Nicoderm funded organizations like RWJF, ALA, ACS, AHA, AMA, ANSR haven't been back since........I wonder if MN. lawmakers also have the backbone to stand up against the pharmaceutical nicotine special interest organizations........I know the state lawmakers that I talk to do.

posted by marcus aurelius @ 9:37 AM