Florida morgen naar de stembus voor Amendement 6
Naast de normale verkiezingen voor congres, senaat en de eigen gouverneur,
moeten de bewoners van Florida morgen ook stemmen over een totaal rookverbod in
cafés en restaurants. De aanpassing van de wet waar ze over moeten stemmen werd
ingebracht door anti-roken lobbygroepen, die daarvoor 512.000 handtekeningen
verzamelden.
Verrassend is dat het amendement in de media alom wordt afgeraden, omdat het
ingaat tegen het eigendomsrecht van de ondernemingen of gewoon omdat ze verbaasd
zijn over de onzinnigheid van het voorstel:
Amendment 6 would ban smoking in restaurants and other
indoor workplaces except “stand alone” bars and tobacco shops. Proponents say
people should be protected from secondhand smoke. However, restaurants already
have smoke-free areas — 65 percent of the seating — and it’s better to let
business decisions be made by the marketplace.
We are mindful of health considerations, but it seems
doubtful that anyone who eats out once a week could suffer a lethal exposure
during a one-hour dinner. Smokers can eat in restaurants with smoking sections,
and non-smokers can choose to sit in non-smoking areas or patronize those that
are smoke-free.
If concerned non-smokers were shunning smoking
restaurants, restaurant owners would be changing their policy.
In certain cases, smoking would be outlawed even inside
private homes — which would be an invasion of privacy.
We recommend voting no on 6.” (The Florida Times
Union, 10/31/02)
