Friday, March 31, 2006

Optimal allocation of cigarette smoke is 0?

I happen to disagree with the latest lawmaking happening in our states capitol building. I find it hard to believe that despite all of the education of our state legislators, not one of them had enough conviction to sway the rest of the vote in opposition of the latest smoking ban.

This latest law would suggest that the optimal allocation of second hand smoke is zero based on the understanding that the law prohibits smoking in all but a handful of locations. Coase would suggest otherwise, and I happen to agree with the model at hand. Governments role in the understanding of lawmaking has no right to completely abolish a smokers right to smoke. Make it more costly, tax it more, subsidize those who don't smoke, but DO NOT MAKE IT ILLEGAL!!

I happen to be a cigar smoker, not the everyday nic-fit cigarette smoker, so my rights to smoke at a cigar bar have been preserved, but it would seem that the rights of the smokers have been violated by governments attempt to control what they percieve as a bad.

It just seems frustrating to me that in all of the hooplah about this measure, not one politician was effective in portraying that this is not the role government.

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