Smoke-free Denver

I am a little late on this news, but as of July 1st, 2006, Colorado is smoke-free. All bars and restaurants and most clubs are sans second-hand smoke. We are all so excited. Well most of us. When I say we, I mean WE NON-SMOKERS and even some of my casual only-smoke-when-we-drink friends. There was a story on the news last night about how it has affected businesses in Denver. One popular meat market hangout, Govn'rs Park, is booming with butt-free business. Another joint in Aurora is down in business by 78%. Well ma'am, I guess this is the time you start thinking about changing your business strategy. I personally am so happy to be able to go into say, St. Marks Coffeehouse, or the Thin Man for that matter, that I can't wait to go to bar after bar, concert after concert to see how the change feels. It used to be that when Christy and I wanted to go get a cup of coffee and support out local shops, we would come out of St. Marks stinking like a big butt. We tried it last night as the rain came pouring down and when we left, I was elated to find that the only smell on us was fresh chocolate cookie breathe and coffee hair. I know my buddy Jay says we should let the market decide and not our lawmakers, and he has a point on many subjects and issues that face our "diplomatic" free world today, but for this one, I have to agree with them. When second-hand smoke is becoming more and more written about in health journals for being one of the leading causes of lung cancer, I feel that it is the government's right to step in. When it affects the free rights of others, we need help. I could ramble on and on but in the end you have your own opinion. I just am happy that after spending 15 minutes in the shower, throwing on cologne and freshly Tide-washed Downy-d clothes, that when I come home from a bar or concert that I do not have to repeat the process again to just go to sleep and the piece of mind knowing that I avoided inhaling second-hand smoked 10 cigarettes unvoluntarily feels pretty damn liberating.