Ban Smoking

This article was in my local paper this morning. A 14-year-old kid proved that passive smoke has a detrimental effect on non-smokers. Come on, now. If a kid who hasn't even started shaving yet can figure this out, so can the tobacco companies, so can the local and state governments, so can anyone with half a brain. It is way past time to ban smoking in public places. People have the right to kill themselves through cigarette smoking, but they don't have the right to kill me, too.

For a brief time, Iowa City banned smoking in some restaurants. I can't begin to tell you how happy I was. Then the City Council removed the ban when it was discovered they didn't have the right to make that law. It has to be decided at the state level. My understanding is the tobacco lobbyists are fighting it hard at the state level.

You know, people talk about tobacco companies as evil these days. But these companies are made up lots and lots of regular people. How do those people live with themselves, knowing that they are selling an addictive substance which will eventually kill most of the people who use it?

I don't blame the addicted smokers. I know it's damn hard to quit. But the people who work for tobacco companies... you should be ashamed.