[MrLeRoy]

What goes on in your home is your business. What goes on in the public is everybody's business. [...] local businesses should at least be given the option

Are you claiming that businesses are "in the public"?

[TKDietz]

Not all businesses, but restaurants, theaters, bars, buses and so on... you bet those are "in the public." These are public places where the whole community is "invited" to come.

Now, I would think there should be a distinction for businesses where the public isn't regularly being confined to closed, smokey rooms. I would think that blanket ordinances banning smoking in all places of business go too far. But, I suspect such ordinances could be devised in such a way where they would not be unconstitutional infringements on property or privacy rights. I think your remedy if you live in a community that passes such a law is to move to a community where they don't over-regulate. Pretty soon local authorities will feel it in the pocket book and get the message that perhaps regulating peolpe to death isn't a good idea.