This unusual ashtray on Thompson in front of a barber shop has me thinking about smoking. The ban on smoking in bars and restaurants has me torn. It's helped an awful lot of people stop smoking. And it helps make sure we all smell better. But, it does seem too invasive of an area of the government, telling businesses how they can be run. But OSHA protects people against unhealthy working conditions all over. Also, the taxes are extraordinarily high, but, again, helping people quit. Anyway, since I can't seem to make up my mind about the government's role in people's private life, I decided to turn to the facts.
* Last May New York City reached its lowest rate of smoking on record (15.8%), with less than 1 million adult smokers here.
* Cigarettes still kill more than 7,000 New Yorkers every year.
* The NYC Quits Smoking Facebook page has 5,039 fans.
* A cigar bar it must have opened prior to December 31, 2001, 10% of revenue must come from the sale of tobacco products, and 60% of revenue alcohol sales.
* New York City's bars and restaurants with tax receipts went up 12% between March 2003 (when the law was enacted) and May 2005.
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