[TheRealVille]

I never realized how libertarian this forum was.

Most other forms of anything, I have no problem with. I feel as if any true restaurant that wanted to serve alcohol by the drink, as long as they realistically limited a persons consumption should feel free to do so. If you want to serve alcohol to anyone that can legally have it, great. Dancing girls? If you so choose, fine. Gun shows that adults can have target practice while enjoying a T-Bone? Why not! Private business, means private business.

However, smoking is altogether different from many other substance or practice. Second hand smoke is dangerous and can be lethal. So, just being in the same place where someone else smokes is dangerous.

Many of you are saying private business. When I think of private business, I think of a business that can legal restrict someone from entering. A place where a membership is required or a person must be of a certain legal age to enter.

Just with my experience in restaurants, any restaurant that is a franchise must allow anyone to enter. The only exceptions? Someone with no shoes on, or no shirt on, OR someone that tries to start smoking or someone that will not put out their cigarette/cigar/pipe/ before entering. Basically, I can "own" a McDonalds, but I have to let in whoever wants to come in.

So as far as restaurants go, if franchised, they ARE public places. A person may not have to enter one, like a courthouse, etc... but they are public, nonetheless. I am sure there are loopholes, just as with anything.

To sum it up, to allow smoking or not, is the one decision that I do not want in the hands of businesses. Pretty much anything else, I am fine with. I agree with many of you. Let the market dictate how successful you will be.

PS-If by some wild chance, smoking pot (reefer, not kettles. I know there is a smarty-pants reading this right now, lol.) ever becomes widely legal, I throw that in as well, but for different reasons.

Yes, a restaurant that intends to sell goods to the public is a public place. If the owner doesn't want to run a business that allows the general public in, put in a private business that doesn't invite the public in.