Everyone has the right and choice to smoke or not to smoke. Just like drinking, smoking is legal. Some issues do arise with both smoking and drinking but smoking impacts the quality of air for all. Smoking in public places has been a long and complex issue. Thanks to a recent bill, we no longer have to be forced to deal with such pollution.
I was ecstatic about the recent bill that was signed by Virginia Governor Tim Kaine. Based on the signed legislation, which took affect on December 1, 2009, "smoking is prohibited in public restaurants that are open to the public with a few exceptions." What this means for you and I is that all restaurants have smoking restrictions that must be enforced. All businesses that operate and handle food must have separate rooms with proper ventilation for smoking. However, certain private clubs are exempt from abiding by this legislation. Such clubs are the VFW's. Being a non-smoker and having a child with asthma, I most certainly appreciate the clean air in a public place and I'm sure I'm not the only one.
Before this legislation took effect, I experienced several issues with smoking being permitted in restaurants. One issue is dealing with the smoke lingering into the non-smoking section. The odor would often irritate not only me but my children as well, especially my son. The smoke would cause headaches, watery eyes and difficulty breathing. We usually would try to rush eating so that we could go outside and breathe the fresh air. I recall going to a public sports bar with my boyfriend to watch the Steelers vs. Vikings game. We sat in an empty location; well at least it was empty for the first hour. By half time, all surrounding tables were full and needless to say, the smoking began. Shortly after, my head began to pound as if I just attended a Heavy Metal concert with the music blasting in my ears. In order to prevent my headache from getting worse, I held napkins up to my nose so I wouldn't inhale this pollution. This brings me to my second issue, which is having your hair, clothing and coat smell like smoke after your departure. There were times I'd intentionally leave my coat in the car to avoid the scent of smoke on it later. Third, just knowing that second hand smoke is just as bad as smoking is not surprisingly another issue of mine. One might ask why I wouldn't avoid such exposure, well; the truth of the matter is that going out to eat shouldn't be a health hazard to anyone, especially minors. I've seen children not old enough to walk or talk being exposed to smoke in restaurants. Smoking in public places is problematic.
Smoking in public places, other then those exceptions should have been banned and/or restricted a long time ago. This legislation now allows everyone including children to avoid this unhealthy exposure.
1 comment:
I'm just as ecstatic as you are about the legislation going into effect to ban smoking in restaurants. There is nothing more disgusting, to a nonsmoker such as myself, then having to deal with the hideous odor that comes from others smoking around you. Not only does it stick to your clothes and your hair, but it's not as simple as just washing your hair or clothes item one time to let the stench out. Your point about the health risks is also extremely valid. There is nothing more that upsets me than seeing smokers smoke around their children and babies. I think it is one of the most absoloutely selfish, endangering acts to participate in.
I think this legislation is absolutely fair because even though there is no concrete evidence of who is the majority/minority in this situation, non-smokers should be allowed to function like normal and not at the discretion of others, whose personal preference is to light up a cigarette.
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