Pissing match battle royale

Not coming as a surprise to Sophie, I am currently engaged in a pissing match at work over the university's recent edict to ban smoking on campus, a move I am all in favor of.  The Magic Plastic Tuna, among others, see this as a huge violation of the rights of the Individual against the behemoth that is the university.  The Tuna sees this as MSU owning the air we breathe (which it does when we work) and the sky above.  While I might be predisposed to believe that this is a violation of individual rights I am, in my own words 'heartened' to not have to walk through a haze of smoke to get into the library.  The Libertarians see this as a line in the sand, a la Ayn Rand, pitting the rights of individuals against the common good.  I have been called nothing short of stupid because of my stance, which says more about the Individualists than me.  They perceive the new ban on smoking as draconian.  MSU is not nearly as draconian as other employers, e.g. Consumers Energy who mandates smoking bans, obesity levels and general health and wellness policies across the board.  Now the Individualists see the ban as a slippery slope to this type of regulation.  As support staff our wages and raises are predicated on the basis of our ability to keep health care costs down.  And this is another reason to support this ban.  Additionally, as I said in my reply to Ms. Tuna, cigarettes are a known carcinogen, much like asbestos, I really don't see the problem.  No one is raising a stink about asbestos removal on campus or lead paint abatement. Again these are carcinogens.  They have a negative impact on business and our environment.

I suspect for some what this boils down to is the rights of the individual against the common good.  Liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  I, again, don't hear the complaints when the state banned smoking in restaurants and bars (private sector).  This violate individual liberties for the sake of a common good.  I am sure to hear more about it today.  So today's topic is the rights of the individual against the rights of the common good.  Discuss and talk amongst yourselves.