Hey, I agree with elements of what you're saying, but your arguments are so ass-backwards it's actually difficult to side with you.

I don't like smoking, and I am in favor of many of the restrictions on smoking here in California in public venues, but I also think it's taken too far, both socially and legally. Smokers are treated like leperous pariahs, which I don't think is right either. And certainly one who owns a bar - an establishment which exists for the purpose of patrons enjoying vices - should allow smoking if they choose. I find the argument that waitresses might get cancer from second-hand smoke is erroneous.. many jobs have occupational hazards and you accept them as part of the job, or you don't accept the job.

For you to claim that second-hand smoke is harmless just takes away the ability for some people to take your position seriously. It is well-verified that it is harmful. My argument would instead be that there are calculated risks we take in life all the time, and smoking or being around people who smoke is one of those risks. It's certainly less than the risk of driving in a car, something we all do every day, yet we wouldn't dream of doing anything to restrict automobile useage, no matter how trivial the reason to drive.

What I always find ironic is that a lot of these people have absolutely no desire to restrict alcohol in terms of consumption or advertising in the same way they restrict cigarette usage. For those who think there is no "secondhand alcohol" - think again. The number of alcohol-related instances of violence, drunk-driving, random accidents, etc. amounts to a much greater threat to public health than second hand smoke. We have no major problem with beer advertisements, intoxication in bars, etc. Now, I'm not saying there necessarily *should* be such restrictions, but I am saying it's definitely a double-standard. I certainly find loud, stinking-of-alcohol drunk people far more obnoxious than smokers, but my solution is to simply do not go to drinking establishments or events where people are drinking to intoxication. Similarly I think smokers should be allowed to do their thing in private bars and venues in which the proprieter has chosen to make it permissible.