City Councilman Michael Nutter recently proposed a bill that would ban smoking in almost all public places in Philadelphia if approved by the City Council.
A forum was held Tuesday to address the effects of the bill, but discussion instead centered on the positive and negative aspects of smoking, as well as whether the government has the right to intervene.
Deirdre MacDermott, business manager of the White Dog Cafe -- which banned smoking eight years ago -- said she wished the city would pass the smoking ban.
Because of the enthusiasm shown by non-smokers after the restaurant chose to ban smoking, she is doubtful the enactment of the proposed ban would hurt other establishments' sales.
"This is not about saying to smokers, 'We don't welcome you.' We do welcome you. We just don't welcome your smoking," she said.
MacDermott believes that workers don't always have the ability to choose where they work, whereas smokers can choose not to smoke or to do it elsewhere.
Under Pennsylvania law, smoking has been prohibited in all enclosed public places other than designated smoking areas since 1998.
According to the American Cancer Society, second-hand smoke is responsible for an estimated 35,000 deaths from heart disease and about 3,000 lung cancer deaths per year, as well as respiratory problems in non-smokers.
Yet, to panelist Michael McFadden, author of Dissecting Antismokers' Brains, all this evidence is questionable. McFadden said the studies conducted on second-hand smoke had been twisted and that no action should be taken to dissuade people from smoking in public spaces.
"It could be that smoking even prevents you from getting cancer. Who knows?" the West Philadelphia resident said.
School of Design graduate student Jade Shipman, who represented the Penn Office of Health Education, said that the ban was "not about keeping people from smoking," but rather "about keeping people from smoking in places where it would harm others."
In contrast to Shipman -- who believes the government has the right to ban smoking in public -- Joe Leibrandt, chairman of the Libertarian Party of Philadelphia, said the government should protect citizens' lives and liberty and leave it to the free market to let "people to choose where to eat, drink and yes, smoke."
Leibrandt also pointed out that the smoking ban leaves a loophole; places with a significant percentage of their revenue coming from tobacco are exempted from the ban.
While pleased with the discussion, organizers were disappointed with the event's turnout.
