http://www.vasmokingban.info Rational, conspiracy-free commentary on government- imposed smoking bans in Virginia and around the world Mon, 09 Apr 2007 18:47:48 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en That 65% of Virgina voters would prefer a public ban on smoking is not relevant to the issue the Virginia House faced this week - Governor Kaine's proposed comprehensive smoking ban. Just as they did yesterday, our representatives have in the past decided again and again that a smoking ban ... http://www.vasmokingban.info/2007/04/05/voter-preference-is-irrelevant-in-smoking-ban-issue/ Smoking bans aren't just gaining momentum in the West. China is the world's largest tobacco producer as well as home to 350 million smokers, making it the world's largest tobacco consumer as well. As reported today by NPR ("China's Smokers Confront Changing Culture"), a government-enacted ban is gaining momentum after ... http://www.vasmokingban.info/2007/04/04/chinese-government-proposes-smoking-ban/ According to NBC4.com ("Kaine: Smoking Ban Would Protect Restaurant Workers", 03/29/07), Governor Kaine has proposed a comprehensive smoking ban that would apply to all restaurants in Virgina. His reasoning is for worker health: "For a lot of employees, it's not necessarily easy for them to pick up and get another ... http://www.vasmokingban.info/2007/03/29/kane-proposes-smoking-ban/ From the Washington Times: Struggling D.C. bars miss the smokers, their cash. Like every other smoking ban imposed in every other city, bars are getting hit the hardest. Since the ban went into effect in Washington, D.C. on January 1, bars have lost business to their counterparts in Virginia, where no ... http://www.vasmokingban.info/2007/02/28/dc-smoking-ban-struggling-bars-miss-the-smokers-their-cash/ In addition to a comprehensive indoor smoking ban recently enacted, a vehicular smoking ban has been passed by West Virginia's paternalistic assembly. The issue raised here is this: every parent should protect their child from harm as best they can, but is it within our government's rights to tell them how ... http://www.vasmokingban.info/2007/02/23/vehicular-smoking-ban-west-virginia-slipping-down-the-slope/ Inside Higher Ed's article, Calculating the Tobacco Taint highlights an emerging debate: is it ethical for researchers and education institutions to accept money from the tobacco industry? The debate surfaces from UVA's recent acceptance of $25 million from Phillip Morris to conduct tobacco research and invest in university programs. The research ... http://www.vasmokingban.info/2007/02/16/ethics-and-big-tobacco-money/ This blog has a new domain name, VaSmokingBan.info. You can still access it via the old subdomain, however. http://www.vasmokingban.info/2007/02/14/new-url-vasmokingbaninfo/ Lamont university professor at Harvard University and Nobel prize winner for economics Amartya Sen wrote a comment for this past Monday's edition of Financial Times. In Dr. Sen's essay, entitled Unrestrained smoking is a libertarian half-way house, he criticizes the libertarian arguments against smoking bans, arguing that appeals to liberty ... http://www.vasmokingban.info/2007/02/13/can-libertarians-support-a-smoking-ban/ According to the Roanoke.com article, Smoking ban battle seems lost, the anti-tobacco coalition led by Senator Brandon Bell has seemingly lost yet again in this year's battle to impose a smoking ban on the constituents of Virginia. An attempt to ban smoking in Virginia's public places, including restaurants and bars, appears ... http://www.vasmokingban.info/2007/02/10/anti-tobacco-forces-losing-ground-in-this-years-smoking-ban-battle/ Jonathan McGlumpy of the Collegiate Times has presented a well written article (Businesses should decide what's best) with some concise arguments. He touches on the rationality of the free will of workers and patrons, as well as the rights of business owners and self-determination. http://www.vasmokingban.info/2007/02/10/coll/