Giorgio: When Government Over Reaches

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Paul Giorgio, GoLocalWorcester MINDSETTER™

Paul Giorgio

The recent spat in the tiny Central Massachusetts town of Westminster, over the possible ban on the sale of tobacco products in town is a case of government over reach. If you are one of the few who haven’t heard, the town Board of Health has proposed banning the sale of tobacco products within the town borders. This story has gained nationwide attention. The Board of Health believes that this is good public policy. I disagree. It may be good health policy but not necessarily good public policy.

Let us agree that smoking is a horrible habit. It is bad for your health according to all scientific knowledge. It’s also bad for anyone who is in close proximity to you. Second hand smoke is almost as hazardous as being a smoker. Almost every one of my friends who smoke would give it up in a flash if they could. It is more addictive than heroin and there are no inpatient treatment programs to help you go cold turkey like there is for heroin.

Smoking costs the American healthcare system hundreds of millions of dollars a year if not more.

So if what the Westminster Board of Health is good for Public Health why is it bad public policy?

Banning the sale of tobacco, does not stop smokers.

Banning the sale of tobacco products in one town, does not stop one person from smoking. What it does is hurt small businesses in the town of Westminster. I don’t know much about Westminster other than it is the home to Wachusett Brewery and that the Westminster Oyster Cracker company used to be located there. There are also some great restaurants in town.

In addition to those businesses that I just mentioned, there are seven convenience stores that currently sell cigarettes and tobacco products. Most of these are small family owned businesses that employ local residents. I would have to believe that selling cigarettes is a major part of their business and they can’t survive without the sales.

So in effect you are putting those seven businesses out of business. It will, however, help business in neighboring Gardner and Princeton and other towns on route 12 and the route 2 corridor.

What’s bad for Westminster is good for its neighbors.

This proposal, which could be implemented unilaterally, is bad public policy, just for that reason. It has created a backlash among the town’s folk, who turned up at the Local Board of Health hearing on the matter. Tempers were running high and the Chair of the Westminster Board of Health shut down the meeting within a half an hour of its beginning, which created more anger. She told the voters and taxpayers of the town that they could email their comments.

I think it was Harry Truman who once so eloquently remarked, “That if you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen.” She could not stand the heat.

Turning friends into foes.

The Board of Health has turned potential allies into opponents because of the way they handled this. I am a staunch opponent of smoking, because I know the disastrous health effects smoking has. It pains me to see my friends and colleagues smoke.

However, as strong as an opponent, I am of smoking, I am against this proposal. It won’t stop one person from smoking. It will simply force them to buy cigarettes in other towns and it will cost at least 7 businesses and their owners their livelihood.

That is why it is bad public policy.

If you want to stop smoking make it illegal, which I would not support. If you want to stop smoking, have insurance companies refuse to cover smoking related illnesses, so that smokers will have to bear the brunt of the costs. If you want to stop smoking provide treatment on demand for smokers and opiate abusers.

Otherwise, we are just blowing smoke.

Paul Giorgio is a longtime Democratic Party Activist who has worked on numerous campaigns. He was a Lead Advance Person for President Clinton & Vice President Gore. He was Deputy Director of Special Events for President Clinton’s first Inauguration. He has been elected a delegate to numerous Democratic National Conventions and recently served as one of President Obama’s representatives on the Platform Committee. In 2013 he was chosen as a Presidential Elector. He is the President of Pagio, Inc., publishers of Pulse Magazine, Vitality Magazine and Worcester Medicine.