Smoking ban in public?

My friend and I just had this conversation last week. He took the ground that the government should stay out of his business but I submit that employers also have a responsibility to provide a safe working environment. Smoking is a health hazard and people who smoke should not be allowed to harm others period. If their actions cause harm to others then that is a crime.

I appreciate this rights of the smoker, but lets just for a moment call the actions of imposing hazardous smoke in my air space assault with a deadly weapon. I believe that is a crime punishable under the law. Lets go a step further and call parents who smoke in the house with infants or children who do not have a choice child endangerment.

If I poison another with small amounts of arsenic each day is that any less of a crime? I think not. If the government has required that cigarette companies post hazards and warning on the product and people continue to slowly poison me then isn’t this a crime?

This is one area my friend and I disagree. Both politically conservative and usually on the same page. But, slowly killing me is grounds for parting ways on this issue. He is totally against government involvement in business. But I say that the government is exercising its Constitutional responsibility as stated in the preamble. “...promote the general welfare…”

I am usually opposed to large government, but it's role is to defend this country against foreign and domestic threats like criminals, con artists, and fraud including protecting the people from hazards that we know cause death. Would you advocate eliminating the FDA? I’d say not.

If people want to kill themselves slowly that’s not a problem [I enjoy my adult beverage often] but that is my choice not others. If every restaurant put arsenic in your food people would have a fit. Why is this so different?

Update: Wednesday February 22nd, 2006

Fightback states "Many studies have been carried out but most have found no statistical evidence for an increase in smoking related diseases for those exposed to environmental tobbaco smoke (ETS)."

So I have included links to the studies below.
Ontario's Medical Association - http://www.oma.org/phealth/2ndsmoke.htm
American Heart Association - http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4521
National Center for Health Statistics - http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/96news/nrsmoke.htm

I think these 3 are enough proof that second hand smoke causes cancer and is therefore a health hazard. Google it yourself Fightback.