Editor, Times-Union: Our legislators are proposing a smoking ban, all in the “public health interest.”
I do not smoke, and I do not recommend smoking. I am very concerned, however, that our legislators are attempting to control a currently legal activity on private property.
If they think smoking is the health hazard they claim it is, they have a moral and legal responsibility to make smoking illegal in order to save lives. They will, of course, not do this, as millions in taxes are raised through the sale of tobacco.
This is merely another attempt by big government to control more of our private property rights through excessive government regulation. We are already regulated to death by government agencies such as the EPA, IDEM, DNR, zoning boards, assessors, department of health and other regulatory boards in regards to private property and home and business ownership.
Our legislators need to leave property owners alone and let them decide what legal activities they will or will not allow on their premises. Either ban smoking entirely in the state of Indiana or quit infringing on peoples constitutional rights.
