Chances are if you are a U.S. citizen who owns a TV, you have seen at least one (if not more) of the ""Infect Truth"" advertisements warning against the dangers of smoking cigarettes. Even the cigarettes themselves come in packaging that states, ""Quitting smoking now greatly reduces risks to your health.""
With all the information and resources around, people are well aware of the detrimental effects cigarettes have on health, yet it continues to be a subject of controversy.
Madison's very own controversy heated up July 1, 2001, when smoking was banned in public establishments in Madison and again Jan. 30 of this year, when Gov. Jim Doyle, gave his State of the State address in which he urged the state Legislature to take the steps toward enacting a statewide ban on tobacco in all public establishments.
Now that this ban is proposed, for most people the question is: ""When can we get this in writing?"" Although it would seem morally appropriate to approve the ban with fervor, it is necessary to consider those who would be put at a disadvantage by the ban.
Here on the UW-Madison campus, ""bar-hopping"" is a popular social activity for many students. Prior to the city ban on smoking in bars, part of the ‘bar-hopping' experience was sitting in the dimly lit interior peering through the smoke while enjoying a Spotted Cow straight out of New Glarus. Spending the night traveling from bar to bar is not only a cultural trend characteristic of Madison, but of many other cities in Wisconsin as well.
Madison is known for being a city with a European feel. It has bountiful restaurants serving food from different regions of the world and has many parks where its citizens can throw Frisbees and go running. There are bars filled with boisterous people and sports games on the TV or bars that exist to serve wines in an intimate setting. Many of Wisconsin's cities are this way: they have their own unique feel.
Besides the fact that this ban would impose on Wisconsin's unique cultural atmosphere, it would potentially violate each business' right to choose how to run its establishment. Part of the draw of a bar or restaurant is the ambience it creates and if part of an establishment's style is defined by smoking, it could affect the influx or type of customers. This could ultimately affect the profit the business takes in.
Each business should be able to choose what kind of place they want to run. This way people can decide whether they want to be in that environment. Families will go to restaurants that cater to them by prohibiting smoking on the premises. A person that wants to enjoy a smoke and a beer will go to a bar that allows it.
In order to respect the businesses and culture of Wisconsin, it would behoove Wisconsin lawmakers to find alternative ways to take action against smoking.
In addition to the statewide ban on tobacco, Doyle called for a higher tax on cigarettes in order to discourage people from buying the product. The higher tax would take care of a portion of the medical costs smokers acquire due to tobacco-related health issues. This action would be a wiser choice because it would give businesses their freedom.
