Today I got very irritated by the ongoing discussion in my country on the prohibition to smoke in bars and restaurants. Since the 1st of July it is not allowed to smoke in bars and restaurants, but in practice a lot of bars do allow smoking even though they are heavily fined. Earlier it has been prohibited in offices and other places where people work. I am not a smoker but why prohibit everything ?
People know that smoking is bad for their health and smokers make a conscience choice to smoke; who are we as the public, through our representatives in parliament, to tell them that they should not smoke. Paternalistic ! I want to live in a free country, where you should be free to do whatever you like as long as it does not hurt others and you don´t bring yourself in a dangerous situation unknowingly, for example children. We will die anyway; why not choose how and when to do it. But you must be willing to also accept the consequences: the medical costs directly related to smoking and a shorter life.
OK; of course there are non-smokers in the bar who are also affected by the nicotine-fumes. But you do not have to go to a bar; this is also a choice. If there was a market for non-smoke bars, these bars would have been created a long time ago.
As a jurist I studied the judicial system and came across a lot of baloney provisions. That´s why I do not see myself as a "proper" lawyer; in my opinion a system only works with basic provisions to regulate the system and sees to it that these basic provisions are observed. If you want to bring society ahead, society should have the freedom to develop itself and not be restricted by bureaucratic procedures. Anyway, we do not have enough police officers and other government staff to enforce all these regulations and nobody is willing to pay extra money. This creates irritation, inequality and is detrimental to governmental and legal authority.
Do not let the moral majority rule this country (certainly not a religious moral majority) !! I want to decide myself ; I am sensible and I know what I am doing. That´s that !!
People know that smoking is bad for their health and smokers make a conscience choice to smoke; who are we as the public, through our representatives in parliament, to tell them that they should not smoke. Paternalistic ! I want to live in a free country, where you should be free to do whatever you like as long as it does not hurt others and you don´t bring yourself in a dangerous situation unknowingly, for example children. We will die anyway; why not choose how and when to do it. But you must be willing to also accept the consequences: the medical costs directly related to smoking and a shorter life.
OK; of course there are non-smokers in the bar who are also affected by the nicotine-fumes. But you do not have to go to a bar; this is also a choice. If there was a market for non-smoke bars, these bars would have been created a long time ago.
As a jurist I studied the judicial system and came across a lot of baloney provisions. That´s why I do not see myself as a "proper" lawyer; in my opinion a system only works with basic provisions to regulate the system and sees to it that these basic provisions are observed. If you want to bring society ahead, society should have the freedom to develop itself and not be restricted by bureaucratic procedures. Anyway, we do not have enough police officers and other government staff to enforce all these regulations and nobody is willing to pay extra money. This creates irritation, inequality and is detrimental to governmental and legal authority.
Do not let the moral majority rule this country (certainly not a religious moral majority) !! I want to decide myself ; I am sensible and I know what I am doing. That´s that !!
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