Well, Colorado has proven that the Bloomberg inspired gun control legislation wasn’t the end of Nannyism in New New York. Maybe next the Centennial State will ban some high-capacity sodas, and put some restrictions on trans-fats. The Greeley city council recently decided to amend their smoking ban to include e-cigarettes… Because, as we all know, allowing people to act like responsible grown-ups and make their own decisions is just unacceptable in today’s world.
Apparently, the good folks who run the northern Colorado town of Greeley have decided that because e-cigarettes vaguely resemble puffing on an actual stick of cancer, they should be the target of heavy regulation and criticism. The Weld County town actually amended their current law to make sure the previously legal activity was covered by “existing” law. (Yeah: Weld County… A Colorado county that considered trying to secede from the state of Colorado because of some anti-gun legislation. Sure, they like their guns; but heaven forbid you decide to be a grown-up and make your own decisions about inhaling nicotine-laced water vapor!)
So, what exactly is it about being elected that makes people think they can intrude on our lives? At least the real smoking ban is predicated on the theory of public health… I mean sure, it’s still an egregious violation of private property rights (seriously: if I don’t want to be around smoke, I won’t go into your Joe Camel bar and Billiards Club), but at least it was based on the flimsy excuse of protecting innocent non-smoking bystanders. “Secondhand smoke kills” went the ads. “Save the kids from secondhand smoke,” pleaded the advocates of big government. And while the infringement on private property rights was troubling, calls for a smoking ban were ultimately accepted by a reluctant public because of the benefit of a healthier world… And nonsmokers generally don’t like smelling like an ashtray.
So what, exactly, is the sales pitch for outlawing a cigarette alternative that emits no smoke, scent, or toxin? What is the excuse for government regulating the inhalation of water vapor as an alternative to tobacco smoke?
Well… Apparently it looks like a cigarette. (GASP! *coughcough*) And, according to city council member Randy Sleight: nicotine is bad. Or something.
“[E-cigarettes are] no more than a sophisticated nicotine system designed to deliver the most nicotine possible in the quickest way possible.”
Um, okay. So we should start banning Vodka, espresso, Red Bull, as well as other products designed to deliver some sort of stimulating chemical in an efficient and effective manner? I mean, what exactly is the problem here? Are you just a little threatened when there’s efficiency staring you in the face?
Correct me if I’m wrong, but there isn’t a ban on nicotine in Bloomberg’s favorite western state, is there? Because I kinda thought smoking bans were designed to eliminate smoke. (Silly me.) I mean, you can still take a dip of Copenhagen in Greeley, right? (Uh oh… I might have just given those Nannycrats in Colorado a couple of a horrible ideas… Sorry.)
I guess it’s a good thing Weld County didn’t break away from Colorado. I don’t know if the country can handle another state run by big-government Bloomberg wannabes.