Since the early 1990s, most states and cities have banned smoking in public indoor spaces such as bars, restaurants, and offices. These bans were sparked by contemporary research that, for the first time, proved the harmful, carcinogenic effects of secondhand smoke. Over the past few years, cities around the country have been proposing (and sometimes passing) bans on smoking in public outdoor spaces such as parks, bus stops, and even sidewalks. These outdoor proposals have fueled a lively debate between public health advocates and opponents who see such bans as an infringement on individual rights.
It’s a complicated dilemma that reveals the murky complexities of social engineering, civil liberties, and addiction treatment. Since tobacco use is largely perceived to be a bad habit that squanders money and lives, should smoking be banned in public places? If so, how far are we as a society willing to go in order to police our behavior?