Wednesday, September 25, 2002
Smoking and vices: Speaking of Boston being a European-style city, it’s about to become less so if the proposed bar/restaurant smoking ban passes, as it now seems likely. It’s awfully hard to oppose this measure because of the secondhand-smoke argument. Indeed, Hub Blog, who lights 'em up way too much, secretly views the proposed ban (as well as the recent cigarette tax hike) as a challenge to finally quit smoking. Yet, there’s clearly a strain of selective Puritanism running through the anti-smoking movement here and elsewhere. Bars are in the business of selling a vice (lots and lots of mind-altering booze) but the city is moving to ban one vice that often accompanies the consumption of another vice. Logical? No. Sign of the times? Yes.
