>>Until the smoking bans went into effect, there was no such thing as a restaurant that did not permit smoking.

Thats not true. I have been in restaurants that did not permit smoking even though they could have.

In fact when I was a smoker there was a bar I would not go to because it marketed itself as smoke-free. (I believe it later changed that policy).

>Seems to me that old saw about "your right to swing your arm ends at my nose" could apply to smoking as well.

seems to me that if you voluntarily go a private business that permits smoking and complain about second hand smoke it would be like a boxer complaining that the other boxer punched him in the nose during the match.

>Actually, in this case, it gives them the freedom to choose where they dine without having to suffer the adverse effects on unwanted second-hand cigarette smoke

removing the choice is not freedom of choice.