Smoking Regulations in Restaurants

The inherent logic for regulations that ban smoking in restaurants proposes that smoking is optional, whereas breathing is not. Ostensibly, the regulations provide a public service to promote smoking cessation and protect the individual and collective good by safeguarding everyone from secondhand smoke and smoking-related life-threatening illnesses. According to Keith Woodeshick, smoke-free legislation was deemed to be one of the most effective interventions to reduce cigarette consumption and promote quitting among adults. Despite their effectiveness, such regulations have also had adverse effects. This entry examines these adverse effects after briefly presenting background information on smoking bans.