No More Smoking Outside?

After months of campaigning, yard signs, and candidates pretending to care about what the public has to say, the election season is over. There were winners and second place finishers, there were selfish ideas crushed and other ideas ignored.

The influence of these decisions may not be seen or understood for some time…March 19th at the earliest. However there is one passed initiative that is getting a lot of attention. I-901 which bans smoking in public places, and within 25 feet of a door, window, or pair of smart shoes, goes into effect on December 8.

Statistics show that banning smoking inside increases business at bars and restaurants (of course, there may be some bias in those numbers---as we all know, statistics are composed by nerds, while smoking is for cool people). However, this is the first such ban that would eliminate smoking almost everywhere near a business, and it is unsure how this part of the law will be enforced.

History shows that there will be a period of adjustment as police and business owners try to appease the will of the people without harassing those ducking outside to smoke. In 1927 when Washington voters approved a ban on murder, many didn't know how to deal with the change, and the murder rate spiked until it was brought under control. We will have to wait a month to see what democracy has wrought.