Opinion

Despite economic impact, benefits far outweigh costs

Dear editor,

Fall is upon us, and with it are the thousands of returning and incoming University of Wisconsin students. These students will enjoy many new things on campus this year, including the finalized version of the new Camp Randall stadium. However, the biggest change students will notice is that Madison restaurants and bars are now smoke-free.

Madison joined hundreds of other communities around the nation July 1 by prohibiting smoking in all indoor workplaces, including bars and bowling alleys. The smoking ordinance is one of the most controversial public-policy issues Madison has faced in many years. The smoking ordinance offers many benefits for non-smokers, such as not ruining their clothes when they go out, but the real reason for the ordinance is to protect public health and the health of employees. Students looking for part-time work to pay their ways through college as bartenders or wait staff will now be protected from the cancer-causing chemicals found in secondhand smoke, and nobody will need to compromise their health to accept an invitation to a friend’s birthday party.

Students will hear arguments from bar-ordinance opponents, and I would like to take a moment to respond to the most popular comments from the opposition.

“The ‘rights and freedoms’ of smokers have been taken away.”

People are still free to smoke. Smokers are simply being asked to take responsibility for their actions and step outside to protect the health of those who choose not to smoke.

“How can you ban a legal product?”

This is a common misconception: the fact is that smoking is not being banned. Smoking is being restricted in businesses that open their doors to the public. Similarly, shooting a gun is legal, but not in a bar or restaurant.

“Businesses have the right to operate how they want without government regulation.”

Businesses that open their doors to the public are already regulated in many ways for public-health reasons. When you open a business, you are liable for the safety of your employees and patrons and must follow local regulations.

“Supply and demand — if so many people wanted smoke-free options, the market would dictate and businesses would decide to go smoke-free on their own.”

Secondhand smoke is a proven killer, contributing to over 53,000 deaths each year; unfortunately, dangerous effects don’t materialize until years after exposure, so people don’t accurately take it into account when making decisions. The marketplace is not perfectly set up to protect public health. When the marketplace fails to protect public health, the government’s role is to set standards that will.

“What about the extra cigarette-butt litter and increases in drunk driving?”

A person deciding to break other laws is not a reason to give up protecting public health. People will still be responsible for their actions. Like every other place where people must smoke outside, business can either provide cigarette-butt receptacles or sweep up in front of their establishments. As before the smoking ordinance, driving a car intoxicated is still illegal.

“If they are trying to protect our health, why don’t public-health advocates ban things like cheeseburgers, drinking and other things that are bad for your health?”

The government’s duty is to protect freedom, not protect people from themselves. The smoking ordinance protects people from the actions of others. Now smokers and non-smokers are equally free to attend these establishments. People can still choose to eat and drink whatever they desire as long as it does not affect those around them.

“What about the economic impact on businesses?”

The goal of the smoking ordinance is to protect people from the dangers of secondhand smoke. However, nobody wants to lose any local businesses, so hopefully the Madison experience will be similar to the experiences of the hundreds of other municipalities that have gone smoke-free. Of all the studies done on existing cities with similar smoking ordinances, none have shown a negative impact on the economy. Although many of the cities studied experienced short periods of slowed business at the start, the final impact on business was either neutral or positive. With today’s astronomical health-care costs, protecting people from unnecessary health risks should benefit everyone’s pocketbook.

Nate Altfeather is a founding member of Students for a Smoke-Free Madison.