To the Editor:
In a recent Letter to the Editor, ("Smoke free," DP, 9/22/05) Arthur Williams and Josh Lantos advocate a smoking ban in Philadelphia bars and restaurants. Although I am strongly opposed to smoking and recognize its harmful second-hand effects, I am equally opposed to the legislation in question.
As private corporations, bars and restaurants are merely extensions of private individuals -- their owners. The owner, not the city government, should be the one to decide whether smoking -- a legal activity -- is allowable in his or her place of business.
Moreover, one must consider the economic impact of a smoking ban. According to the New York Nightlife Association, 34 percent of New York bars and restaurants have cut staff by an average of 16 percent since the ban was enacted. Seventy-four percent of the establishments attributed the layoffs to the ban.
Given these numbers, one must ask whether a ban is really the answer, or whether concerned staffers should simply seek employment elsewhere.
Scott Kahn
College '08
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