Simon Chapman argues that outdoor smoking bans are seldom justified because they can rarely be supported from a health standpoint, and they invite backlash from the community. We disagree. Rather, we believe that outdoor smoking bans are reasonable in a number of instances and that such bans can be justified for reasons other than health.

All should agree that, while indoor smoking bans are a higher priority, smoking bans are justified for health reasons in those outdoor environments which are similar to indoor environments in terms of their exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). Besides the crowded stadia example cited by Chapman, we would add outdoor entertainment facilities with assigned seating and other outdoor areas where smokers and non-smokers may have sustained, close contact. However, …