Individual Rights Argument #1 – [BILL] is an example of over regulation and a loss of my rights

Good afternoon, My name is _______, I am a [STATE] resident, former smoker of ___ years and a vapor for ___ year. As an American Citizen and a [STATE] resident, I strongly believe in a free society.  I believe that if the government wants to take away ANY of my freedom, it has to be for a good reason. The enlightenment philosopher John Stuart Mill, who’s work defined the foundation of Western Democracy, wrote: “That the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others.” I believe that these words ring as true and are as important as ever. If the government wants to take away an individual’s freedoms, the responsibility is on the government to prove that those individual’s actions are harming someone else, and that is the ONLY case in which government intrusion is warranted and righteous. I’m sad to say however, If this legislature passes [BILL], it would represent a gross betrayal of the basic premises of liberty: this legislature cannot demonstrate harm caused to the public by Vapor, because it doesn’t exist, and – As I’m sure we’ll hear about later, when used properly, Vapor poses no more risk to bystanders than taking a walk downtown, or even just standing in an over crowded room like this one. If one believes in personal liberty therefore, you must also believe that, absent harm, it is not the government’s role to dictate how an individual conducts their life. If private businesses feel it is in their best interests to prohibit vaping in their establishments, that is absolutely their right as business owners, and absolutely nothing is currently stopping them from doing so, therefore, a statewide ban does relatively little to change their situation. What a statewide ban does affect, are business owners who feel vaping positively impacts their businesses, and it takes away their liberty to make that choice. When Considering [BILL], I ask you to do your own independent research, and after careful critical analysis – there can be only one conclusion; it is a harmless aerosol. Therefore regulating as [BILL] does, would be a grave miscarriage of governance.