I want to voice my strong opposition on behalf of thousands of retail store owners, their employees, all their customers and all New Hampshire residents of the possibility of a ban on smoking in restaurants and bars in New Hampshire, the “Live Free or Die” State. Do not let this state get ruled by the iron fist of its government.

The smoking ban, SB-42 would not allow private business owners of restaurants and bars to exercise their freedom of choice to accommodate customers who smoke by totally banning smoking in their establishments.
If the government is truly interested in our health and welfare, I appreciate the concern but I will take care of it myself rather than the risk of losing my freedoms.

Here are a couple of good reasons that we should oppose a smoking ban whether we smoke or not.
First, we should oppose any government body that tramples the rights of business owners to operate their own business as they see fit. A government dictated ban gives people no choice of where to use a perfectly legal product.

We are quickly becoming an over regulated society with ever declining freedom of choice. I have a problem with government officials who claim to know what’s best for us without understanding all the facts.

A smoking ban would cause great economic harm to all New Hampshire retail establishments.

Enough is enough, this is not Politically Correct, it is Politically Incorrect, when elected officials attempt to take away the freedoms and liberties of their private business owners and citizens. The loss of revenue that the retailers and wholesale trade would suffer if this bill is passed would be in the millions of dollars, because one quarter of New Englanders choose to smoke and buy their tobacco products here in New Hampshire.

Do-gooders are trying to scare our citizens into submission with endless contradictive reports on the most exaggerated epidemic, second hand smoke, that are simply not true. Look no further than the World Health Organizations Report or the 2006 Surgeon Generals Report that says “There is no conclusive evidence that second hand smoke harms anyone” Let me say that again, second hand smoke harms no one.

You may not smoke and this bill may not to be important to you, but it is. Last year alone some states tried to ban everything from tuna to chicken, salt, soda coffee and sugar, and its latest war on Trans-fats, booze and junk food snacks. Next is to take candy from babies. It's time to back off! This government has been driven by an artificial public need to fix what is not broken. The market place will self-regulate itself like it always has done in the past; no additional laws need to pass to make that happen.

There is a declaration of war on smoking, you are targeting smoking today. Who’s next, food, soda, beer, wine, liquor, snacks, salt, and sugar? As you regulate, you will dictate more and more and that is big trouble.

Leave the small business owner alone to make their own choice of what to sell and how to sell it, it’s the right thing to do. Next restaurant owners will have to shut their customers off if they eat too much, no desert for you!

With a vote on the ban, New Hampshire is about to become a police state, and not a free state. Think twice about your vote Mr. and Mrs. House Member, it is very important.

Leave the decision to allow smoking in restaurants and bars to the owners of their own establishments as it always has been. If they choose not to allow it, so be it. Keep the Government out of it.

Any legislator that votes in favor of this ban absolutely did not look into the facts and is not doing the job for those who have voted them in.

I encourage all New Hampshire residents that enjoy their rights of freedom, whether they choose to smoke or not, to call or write their House Reps today and encourage them to Vote No on SB-42.

David Garofalo
NH small business owner Two Guys SmokeShop
resident, citizen, tax payer and voter

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