Government must protect the health of citizens to a reasonable extent, but it must do so carefully to avoid taking away individual freedoms.

Monday, March 26, 2001

Government must protect the health of citizens to a reasonable extent, but it must do so carefully to avoid taking away individual freedoms.

The Minnesota Department of Health would cross the line if it stiffens ventilation requirements for restaurants with smoking sections, as it hopes to do.

The department wants restaurants to add systems that channel the air from a smoking section away from a non-smoking section.

But such a requirement would put a serious financial burden on many restaurants. Small, independently owned cafes are likely to be the first to feel the effects. They’ll have to shell out for the new ventilation, outlaw smoking entirely, or shut down.

Instead of the burden being placed on the proprietors, the burden should be on the consumer to stay away from second-hand smoke. That should be easy to do; most restaurants are now dominated by non-smoking areas, and many don’t allow smoking at all.

Perhaps restaurants should be required to indicate their level of smoke tolerance with a sign on their door.

If most consumers shun the restaurants with higher tolerance for smoking, those restaurants will feel compelled to act at their own pace.

Smoking is a problem that by no means is good for society, but it’s legal, and until it is not, the rights of all individuals should be protected.