When did smoking become a "human right"? In fact, there is no such thing as "smokers rights" so lets not elevate this "nasty habit" to the status of a basic human right!
And while we are at it, lets remember that no one has proposed a ban on smoking! Where one can smoke is already a regulated activity much like drinking alcoholic beverages, riding your bicycle and having sex - do them as much as you want but you cannot do it wherever you want! This proposal is simply places another restriction on an activity that already has other restrictions in place. It is long established that communities have a responsibility and the authority to regulate certain kinds of behavior and especially so when public health is concerned. Yes, smokers are allowed to partake in their "nasty habit" but when their decision to indulge creates unsafe conditions for others (secondhand tobacco smoke is dangerous, that is no longer in dispute)then a community has an obligation to act. The comparison to drinking alcohol doesn't work; there is no pollutant from that drink that affects the health of anyone else but the drinker. The idea that restricting smoking is a prelude to banning certain foods like ice cream is also flawed; one can consume as much ice cream as one likes without affecting the health of anyone else. We do not allow the drinker or the ice cream eater to dispose of the residue of their activity on the person next to them. Next time you indulge, try throwing that drink or a glob of ice cream in the face of the person sitting next to you or at the next table over. I suspect that the reaction of the recipient will be . . . impolite? Yet non-smokers who do not wish to consume tobacco smoke are required to suffer or leave. The argument that people who work in places where smoking occurs should not be protected because they are not "forced to work there" is no argument at all. Most places of business whether they are mines, airplanes, factories, breweries, offices, schools, or farms have rules in place to protect the workers in those places. No one is forced to work there either, but common sense has prevailed and we do our best to protect the people who work there and use those services. Jim Bernstein Fulton -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Anderson, Mark V(GE Infrastructure) Sent: Monday, May 10, 2004 2:14 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Mpls] Smoking ban in Mpls -- NO! RT -- Go RT! I'm sure people will say that you are in favor of fried lungs. But it's far more important to be on the side of human rights than on the side of the health police. People should have the right to their own nasty habits. There are plenty of smoke-free restaurants out there. It is hard to find a smoke-free bar, but I think it's really pushing things to say someone has the right to drink in a bar without smoke. Non-smokers sitting in bars are much more likely to die of liver disease than lung cancer. The anti-smokers just prefer their poison to be alcohol rather than nicotine. And now they want to force everyone else to choose the same poison. Usually you hear smoking ban advocates of championing the rights of bar workers to avoid smoke, but let's be realistic here. It's pretty obvious that most bars are full of smoke. Anyone who decides to work in a bar has accepted that. No one is forced to work there. And I bet 80% of bar workers smoke themselves. For the record, I have never smoked, and I hate going into smoky bars. But this is one of those classic examples of do-gooders trying to force everyone into their own little mold. Minneapolis is full of activists that think they know how to live their life better than anyone else. It's time to take a stand and tell them where to go! Next time they might ban ice cream, and then I would be personally affected. Mark V Anderson Bancroft Neighborhood REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
