To be fair, the ban on smoking in most parts of the public domain suits me fine. I used to stink of the cigarette smoke That permeated the office. But in recent years there is no more of that and I need to change my shirts less often. Certainly the principle remains true that most regulation turns out counterproductive, and in many cases leads to major criminal activity.
In many European countries, pubs and restaurants themselves are permitted to decide if they would prefer to allow smoking or not. Consumers can choose if the trade-off (smelling of cigarettes!) is worth it.
I recollect sitting in a no smoking area in Hungary, I think, when a group of smokers entered. I politely pointed out the no smoking sign to them, so they moved it rather than stop smoking. Which shows I suppose that laws are only as effective as their implementation.
To be fair, the ban on smoking in most parts of the public domain suits me fine. I used to stink of the cigarette smoke That permeated the office. But in recent years there is no more of that and I need to change my shirts less often. Certainly the principle remains true that most regulation turns out counterproductive, and in many cases leads to major criminal activity.
In many European countries, pubs and restaurants themselves are permitted to decide if they would prefer to allow smoking or not. Consumers can choose if the trade-off (smelling of cigarettes!) is worth it.
I recollect sitting in a no smoking area in Hungary, I think, when a group of smokers entered. I politely pointed out the no smoking sign to them, so they moved it rather than stop smoking. Which shows I suppose that laws are only as effective as their implementation.