Clayton Smoking Ban

I read this article about the proposed smoking ban in Clayton with dismay. I know, lots of places have smoking bans, and it’s no surprise that Clayton residents want to follow the trend. I take issue with the reasons they give in support of the ban, like this one:

Among the other speakers was Siobhan Jones, a senior at Clayton High School. Jones said that students learn about the health hazards of smoking in school.

“But then we go to the restaurants in Clayton and we are bombarded with secondhand smoke.” she said. She urged the board to “reinforce what we learn in school.”

So, don’t go to those restaurants! This reasoning — that if you learned something is unhealthy in school, then the city needs to “reinforce” what you learned — boggles the mind. It’s also antithetical to the idea of education. Why study health in school, if the government will make all your health decisions for you?

The student has information about the health risks of smoke, but she chooses to go into a smoke-filled restaurant anyway. She wants Clayton to impose a ban so she can enjoy restaurants without facing a choice, and possibly making the less healthy choice. This reluctance to face the consequences of choices is indicative of a worldview that will stop at nothing in requesting government control, and that’s why I find it scary.