You have to be careful...
very careful, and I agree with the consideration of another layer of laws.
Let me first say that I hate smoking, I have asthma too and I hate "smoking rooms" in a hotel. That said, I always think, what next?
As you know, politicians love to create new laws, I don't care what side of the aisle you are on. For some, its a measurement of "progress" and something they can put on their website in terms of accomplishment.
Remember, every time you gain a law, you lose a freedom.
Personally, I don't want to be around smoking anywhere. But the problem I have is someone who wishes to have a smoking restaurant or bar. YOU have a choice not to go there. YOU have a choice to visit a hotel with non smoking rooms. Therefore, I don't think the government has any right to restrict such things for those who wish to have them or not have them.
The government was not founded as a mechanism to control all behaviors. Control your own behavior! Provide security, basic law enforcement, access to roads, power, etc, these are the things that the government, both local and federal, should focus on. Making it illegal to smoke in PRIVATELY OWNED BUSINESSES that is OPEN TO THE PUBLIC oversteps all types of boundries. If you could go back in time, I bet our founding fathers would choke on the whole idea.
I particularly bristle at "for your own good" laws. I can certaintly understand other writers here not wanting to deal with other people's smoke, I don't want to either. But how is some private bar, open to the public, allowing smoking, HURTING ME? I don't have to go there, I don't have to work there.
If it's all about risks, well, how about people involved in skiing, snowboarding, skidiving, auto racing, and other sports? Should we consider laws prohibiting such acts "only in certain areas or conditions" and then, maybe making them illegal, because of the risks? Sure the argument would be that skiing does not affect your neighbor, BUT NEITHER DOES SMOKING IN A PRIVATE BAR.
I don't like it one bit, it smacks of nanny state. As I have said in the past, the last thing we need is more laws. People think more laws are great when it governs activities they don't like.
If we accept this kind of thing, one day laws may impact something WE like...I don't know, like maybe owning or operating appliances that are made before a certain year.
How would such laws happen? Well, it can start when your insurance company denies claims for water or fire damage if they trace it to an older appliance. Since that becomes a norm, it is pretty easy down the slippery slope to making it a law. See how easy it is?
Don't think it can't happen.