Tobacco smokers could be hit with a double blow to their wallets and freedom to smoke if Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle has his way with a new piece of legislation.

According to an article published in the Jan. 27 issue of The Spectator, Doyle has proposed a statewide ban on smoking in any public venue. In an additional attempt to reduce smoking, Doyle called for a $1.25 raise on the state cigarette tax, according to the article.

The increased tax money will go to funding anti-smoking initiatives aimed at reducing smoking among Wisconsin youth. Ironically, the more cigarettes a customer buys, the more money goes towards these programs.

While cigarette smoke may be hazardous to people’s health, it would be unfair to single them out as the sole perpetrators of bad health, when things like fast food are just as unhealthy and widespread in America and Wisconsin.

People who do, and still want to, smoke will continue to do so regardless of a raise in taxes. The cigarette tax is the wrong way to combat smoking as a health problem.

Like Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn., there have been some Wisconsin cities, such as Menomonie and Madison, that have enacted city-wide bans on public smoking.

Giving local control to certain cities over smoking bans hurts both the city life and bar business by driving potential patrons to neighboring cities that allow smoking in bars.

By enacting a statewide ban on public smoking, it would eliminate this unfair advantage in each of these cities and keep the night life alive.

It should not be a big problem for a smokers to have a cigarette outside as oppose to at the bar.

A statewide ban will help bars and other businesses stay equal with each other, but asking smokers to pay an additional tax on cigarettes will not stop people from smoking altogether.