[Gabz]

"The hospitality and leisure industry have sat back for far too long and let anti-smoking organizations lead the debate. The public has a very one-sided view on this subject thanks to the hospitality trades negligence on tackling this issue head on."

This statement is so very true.

I watched it happen first hand in Delaware when one after another sports bar owner caved in and accepted the smoking ban as long as it included the taverns instead of fighting against the whole thing for everyone.

The problem is that the hospitality trade associations are controlled by the big chains and the fast food joints - they've got the power of the big corporate conglomerate behind them to cover payroll, etc for the initial down turn following the smoking ban. They know the small businesses and the mom and pop joints won't be able to withstand the loss of business for long and they will finally be the only "choice" in town.

[-YYZ-]

I hate to admit it, but those of us here who smoke have also been complacent. We've just been saying "it's the owner's choice to allow smoking or not, and if they do and you don't like it, you're free to not come in." This is correct and proper, but the realities of politics suggests that we might have gotten further with the non-smoking public by arguing science and proposing real alternatives to smoking bans.

What we really need are standards for indoor air quality that include tobacco smoke, and then places could be tested and either pass or fail, and it'd be up to them to improve the quality if they failed. Yes, I know, this shouldn't be necessary in a putatively free country where private property owners should be free to do as they please with their property, but the reality is we can only do what the majority will accept, and most of them don't smoke and don't care overly much about our rights.

[SheLion]

They know the small businesses and the mom and pop joints won't be able to withstand the loss of business for long and they will finally be the only "choice" in town.

That makes me sick. :(