"Where does this no-smoking obsession end? With bans on smoking in cars, apartments, backyards and public streets? Probably. The anti-smoking lobby is a powerful one." a little alarmist, aren't we? whether you're a smoker or not, i'd encourage you to explain why non-smokers should be subjected to smoke in often poorly ventilated venues such as restaurants. i'm not an ardent anti-smoking advocate, but given that more folks in this town don't smoke than do, i don't see why they should be inconvenienced by a minority. or do you appreciate the smell of your clothes the morning after being in a smoking establishment? even prior to the ban, all of my smoker friends chose on their own to smoke outside simply because it's more polite. smoking in an enclosed public place, of course, is a far cry from smoking in your back yard - however much you'd like to conflate the two. as for apartments, i'd actually be in favor of that given that the smokers that live above me seem perfectly content their butts down on my patio.