Steve Brandt: > I am glad this state has a Clean Indoor Air Act, and it has increased my > enjoyment of restaurants and bars. But I'm not so sure that banning > smoking completely at such places would reduce my exposure to it. When > my workplace banned indoor smoking in the early 1990s, those of us > coming and going from building entrances ran a gantlet of smokers. We > were exposed to a lot more smoke than when all smoking in the building > was limited to a single well-ventilated room.
Steve's point is the underpinning behind one of Skyway News' April Fools jokes this year - that the city would begin requiring smoke alarms on building EXTERIORS. (And now I'm thinking, you never know...) However, Steve's observation only underscores that a smoking ban based on health, not comfort. As big a drag as outdoor blue clouds can be, no study has found that they significantly impact non-smokers' health. (I admit, though, they annoy me, too.) On the other hand, there is ample evidence about the toxicity of second-smoke from indoor exposure. Therefore, banning indoor - but not outdoor - smoking is logical if you're proceeding on public health grounds...and a libertarian one: the right to swing your fist stops at my face (or in this case, bloodstream). Also, as to the lack of comments on Michael's wish that someone should just invent a machine that would eliminate secondhand smoke dangers: I'll bite. It's a nifty wish, but don't you think someone would have invented it by now, given the hefty and expensive debate over this issue in other cities? I've been told by a bar owners who looked into such a machine that you simply can't replace the air quickly, quietly and inexpensively enough. Doesn't mean it can't be done, but it's probably unlikely - me, I'd rather spend our energy developing that Wayback Machine they were always talking about in Rocky & Bullwinkle (or was it Underdog)? David Brauer Kingfield Non-smoking Boomer 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
