Smokers Lose More Rights

The city of Belmont, CA has taken the national trend of banning smoking to heretofore unseen heights. In 14 months, a newly passed law will take effect banning smoking in multi-unit apartment complexes.

While it is already illegal to smoke in the stairways and hallways of these buildings, this new law goes even further: as of 14 months after the passage of the ordinance, smoking will be banned in the individual apratments within those buildings. The law also bans smoking in all manner of public places, including parks and outdoor workspaces. Going even a step further, the city will be able to prohibit smoking on sidewalks near areas where smoking is prohibited and during city events.

The wave of anti-smoking legislation, which started with public buildings, has moved since then to private businesses, and is now lapping upon the shores of private homes. Moralistic legislation banning the use of various substances has generally proven to be an ineffective way of regulating or halting consumption (see Prohibition).

No doubt this latest paternalistic trend will not suffer from the same fate.