Show Civil liberties restricted by smoking ban in private clubs State Legislature to end smoking in Utah clubs by end of the decade Aaron Zundel The Globe On the last day of the 2006 legislative session the Utah Legislature passed an amendment amendment amendment amend amend- ment to the Utah Indoor Clean Air Act that banned smoking in all private clubs by 2009 This was not a good thing Its It's true smoking in bars has been banned in several places Ireland California and New York just to name a few And while its it's kind of wacky like banning golf at a golf course theres there's nothing wrong with it at least not constitutionally speaking Utah however finds itself in a precarious situation a areal areal areal real Catch For those of you not in the know public bars are illegal in Utah so theres there's something called the private club instead These private clubs are allowed to serve alcohol but butin butin butin in order to get in you either have to buy a membership or you have to be the guest of someone who has one Its It's slightly convoluted but its it's not really a problem as anyone anyone anyone any any- one with a few minutes and an f internet connection can figure figuie tit t i it out t 1 The problem comes when I you start banning things As a private club the clubs fall into a different legal area than say the local Dennys Denny's something the Indoor Clean Air Act already covers On the legal spectrum of things these private clubs are more akin to a home and the Utah Legislature ought to tread carefully when they start thinking about imposing restrictions on what people can and cant can't do on private property Its It's true the government can and has placed restrictions restrictions restrictions on private property I cant can't do smack in my basement basement basement base base- ment for instance but they should be doing it as little as possible even in the name of public health Originally the Indoor Clean Air Act was put in place to protect people in public r r. r from the selfish unhealthy habits of others At a private club the only people who enter are consenting adults who know what they're getting getting getting get get- ting into The clubs were designed to provide people with a place to congregate and socialize where they could do things they couldn't do anywhere anywhere anywhere any any- where else like drink liquor by the glass Will we now create separate smoking clubs to facilitate this need for people who wish to smoke and socialize Smoking is an unhealthy disgusting habit I should know I used to do it But in inthe inthe inthe the name of public health the Utah Legislature has put values values values val val- val val- ues before freedom What's next Will the legislature regulate regulate regulate reg reg- what fat people can keep keepin in their fridge How about banning smoking in ones one's own home Its It's a slippery slope that no one should be comfortable comfortable comfortable com com- with By all means shame people who smoke Make it a social stigma on the level with lep lep- rosy Write your legislator and request they throw gobs of money at smoking anti-smoking ads campaigns and activities But dont don't give up your freedoms freedoms freedoms free free- doms just because youre you're not using them you never know what they'll want to take tomorrow I can just see it at this rate by 2030 there will be no drinking in private clubs and probably no talking either I CM 01 1 I W f vO rP 1 J JrP r jJ ya f jr m r t i f. I 3 Smoking laws to change club atmosphere in inthe inthe the future i 1 e Y L' L n vi Di ri r. VV r. r r p c- c I |