OUR OPINION: SMOKING

It's unclear who should be more upset about productions of plays such as "The Tobacco Monologues" at Barnacles Resort and Campground near Aitkin - health officials or lovers of good theater.

Barnacles is one of the bars that is trying to subvert the state's indoor smoking ban by staging what they call a theatrical performance involving bar patrons and employees. The recently passed law has a theatrical production exemption.

The Minnesota Health Department has correctly affirmed its intent to crack down on offending bars and insist that smoking be prohibited. Minnesotans, Health Department Commissioner Sanne Magnan said, deserve protection from second-hand smoke as she maintained that the bars were improperly circumventing the law.

If need be, the indoor smoking ban bill's sponsors appear ready get rid of the theatrical exemption during the legislative session.

Give the bar owners credit for a sense of humor and imagination but it appears clear that if they persist with their smoke-filled dramas they'll be telling the joke to a Minnesota judge, incurring considerable legal expenses along the way.