The crackdown on smoking in public places has reached the inevitable stretch of destiny where logic is tossed out the window. No longer content in merely prohibiting smoking by a small minority in areas where the large majority object - a line of thinking that most smokers can at least comprehend, if not agree with - governments seek to build incrementally upon yesterday’s line drawn in the sand, and push it further into the realm of the absurd. In other words, it’s not just about shielding those who disagree with a legal pastime, but frankly that they want to stop everyone, anywhere, from smoking. For their own good. Why else would anyone need to ban smoking in an establishment which, by definition, is dedicated to the consumption of cigars? Boston - a former hotbed of revolutionary spirit - is now another sad example of the overreaching hand of government, ushering in a new era of regulation with the banning of smoking - outdoors - on patios of bars and restaurants. Currently, that decision is left up to the discretion of the establishment’s owner, based on market needs. Many choose a non-smoking policy on their own, while others invested in outdoor patios specifically to accommodate smokers when the original smoking ban was passed four years ago.

At least these businesses will still have a future, albeit a non-smoking one, which is more than can be said about the city’s six legal cigar bars: under the new regulations, they will be forced to close their doors, rendered illegal, in 10 years. Why 10? “We wanted to give them a bit more time to get used to the idea that they’ll have to close,” explained Roger Swartz, who heads the Boston Public Health Commission’s community initiatives bureau, which lengthened grace period as a concession in light of hard economic times.

As the Boston Herald notes, cigar bars aren’t exactly taking over Boston. “With six locations, little advertising, and a strict 21-plus patron policy, we believe these are good establishments with a solid record of community involvement and employment history,” the Herald wrote in urging the commission to think logically.

“Boston’s cigar bars have become a favorite destination of tourists, conference attendees, suburban visitors and residents alike,” the Herald wrote before the vote. “These are reputable establishments, most with regular customers, including us, who care to enjoy the pairing of a cigar and a glass of wine following dinner at one of Boston’s excellent restaurants.”

Add to that fact that smoking will be illegal inside any hotel room in Boston, and the stark reality sets in. Government is no longer looking after the interests of the majority, but enforcing its nanny-state policies on the entire populace. It’s a sobering prospect, one that won’t likely end with smoking.

SMOKE - Winter, 2008/2009