Smoking ban should go beyond prisons
I was especially interested to see how quickly the N.C. House Judiciary Committee voted to ban smoking in N.C. prisons. Citing an attempt to curb health care costs by banning smoking inside prisons, the House sent a message that, as clearly documented today, indoor air quality contributes to individual health.
Could we hope in the near future that the same House that protects our prisoners would vote to also protect the N.C. taxpayer's health and curb health costs by banning smoking in public buildings, including all government facilities, retail and restaurants?
Maybe to have clean public indoor air we should visit our prisons vs. our local restaurants.
Gary Rhymer
Greensboro
Comments (7)
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"Maybe to have clean public indoor air we should visit our prisons vs. our local restaurants."
Just go rob a restaurant Gary and you will be on your way to a nice smoke free prison. Betcha won't want to be around some really angry convicted murderer who has just been forced to quit smoking.
Posted on August 4, 2005 8:06 AM
Smoking stinks, and I hate to be around it for loang. But smoking and non-smoking sections of restaurants works just fine. If you want to avoid smoke altogether Gary, stay home...or like Dan said...go to prison!
Posted on August 4, 2005 8:50 AM
Why ban smoking from prison. Seems like the perfect solution to resolving the overpopulation issue. Get those guys serving life hooked on Marlboro's and we'll automatically take YEARS off their sentence.
Posted on August 4, 2005 9:09 AM
The province of Ontario has prohibited smoking in virtually all work enviroments(including bars and restaurants) and soon will ban smoking in all public areas including parks,baseball diamonds,soccer fields,etc. The only exemption will be prisons.
Posted on August 4, 2005 10:08 PM
"public buildings, including all government facilities, retail and restaurants?"
First of all, government buildings are the only kind of buildings that are public, so saying "including government buildings" is redundant.
Retail places and restaurants are not public buildings. They are privately owned, and therefore government has no more right to ban smoking there than they do to ban it in my home.
Posted on August 5, 2005 6:44 AM
Reading Barry's comment again.
It's kind of ironic that prisoners in Ontario have more freedoms than non-prisoners.
Posted on August 5, 2005 8:46 AM
I have intentionally waited almost a year to post a response to your responses to my letter to the editor.
The passing of laws banning smoking in public and government buildings (not always the same as someone stated) has not only become a reality, but many cities have gone even further to ban smoking in outdoor public areas.
To say that someone can just move to the other side of a restaurant and not be exposed to the deadly second hand smoke is obviously from someone who has not taken the time to read and understand the dangers of second hand smoke and/or the allergic reactions it can have not only in healthy people but especially those with chronic breathing problems/etc.
As cities continually recognize the the importance of protecting those that can not protect themselves that deserve the same basic rights to dine where they want to dine, the responses that I have read above will be nothing more than antiquated 'sayings' from those who have not accepted the reality that something that kills people can not and will not be legal in society.
Posted on April 13, 2006 6:57 PM