Mt. Vernon Register-News

Opinion

June 14, 2007

Secondhand smoke isn’t the only problem

Dear editor:

I’ve been reading the letters from some of the smokers complaining about the new law banning smoking in public places.

I enjoy eating out and do so at least five times a week. For a while, it was hard to find a place to eat where you didn’t ingest a smoker’s secondhand smoke.

Several of us like to eat together, having a decent meal after church on Sundays. We’re fairly dressed up and are looking forward to the visiting and food.

Where we eat has smoking on one side of the room, divided by a partition that doesn’t run the length of the room and certainly doesn’t help keep any smoke contained. It’s simply a placebo.

Most of the time the smokers lean back, light up and exhale that first puff as if they’re a factory firing up their boilers. The smoke doesn’t realize that it’s supposed to stay in the smoking section and before too long this smoke is drifting around our table polluting our food and saturating our clothing so that it reeks of smoke, as does our hair.

Where are our rights not to smoke?

I’ve been eating dinner and have seen, numerous times, a man or woman light up and blow their smoke across the table into the faces of their kids.

Where are their rights not to smoke?

I like to ride my motorcycle, but not one to just go up and down Broadway, I like to have a destination. One of the main problems is being behind the car of a smoker. They aren’t thinking about anyone behind them and 99 percent of the time when they’re finished with their pacifier, they will flip it out of the car/truck window and, luckily, it deflects off of my windshield.

Not only could this cause a serious accident, but it could also start a fire ...

Where is our right to ride motorcycles without dodging cigarette butts?

Now, the one letter stated that we, the taxpayers, shouldn’t have to pay for the medical expenses of a smoker as they smoke by choice, but what about we secondhand smokers who have no choice? Are we supposed to not eat out because of inconsiderate smokers? Do we stay away from the other businesses that allow smoking? Where are our rights?

The one letter also suggested the taxpayers might pay to help people stop smoking; p-l-e-a-s-e! Where’s the logic in that? Why should the taxpayer pay anything for someone to kick a habit? We have our hands full picking up after the druggies.

Now, maybe a business owner could stock up on pacifiers to pass out to the smokers who just can’t get through a meal or a store without lighting up. I realize it wouldn’t be the same as a cigarette, but at least you aren’t killing anyone.

When you talk with our local businesses which have banned smoking in their establishments, they will tell you they’ve suffered no loss in business. I, and a few others, will not shop or eat in anyplace that is smoky when we enter.

Anxiously awaiting Jan. 1, so we can eat and breathe at the same table!

Jerry Merritt

Mt. Vernon

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Secondhand smoke isn’t the only problem
by Anonymous , , Thu Jun 14, 2007, 11:35 AM CDT
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