Pay the fine before you light up inside
In Holland where the laws are much nicer to pot than to cigarettes, some bars that illegally still allow smoking have resorted to asking for a cover charge to defray eventual fines. It’s not only an interesting way to make a statement about laws that affect property rights it’s a solid economic move as well, along the user-pay vein.
I did a little digging and found that the possible fines available as “incentive” for Calgary bylaw officers would make such a move here prohibitive. Fines are around $100 per patron, with the bar being subject to 10 or more times that. Only a very infrequent imposition of the law would make sense here.
I’ve always made it clear where my feelings on smoking in bars stands. Private property should not be under the control of the state unless it adversely affects other private property (including people). Hence a bar should be free to allow smoking on premises, as long as it doesn’t force people to smoke.
Of course Canada doesn’t have property rights like other countries.
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