I just read that Calabasas, CA has become the first city to ban smoking in a public place ... period. Honestly, I couldn't be more disgusted in their decision or embarrassed to say Californians made it. I went to high school just down the road from this city and my family is still there, so from my repeated experiences there, I can't say I'm surprised. I understand that indoor smoking is harmful and annoying so I get the premise behind those bans - even if I think they are too draconian. But seriously, this time they are taking the whole smoking ban idea just a little too far.

But the California legislature ruled second hand smoke to be a toxic air pollutant and a public nuisance, so that makes it ok...right?

Um... no!

Because you see, secondhand smoke is not nearly the same as diesel exhaust, arsenic, or benzene, all compounds found within the same category secondhand smoke has now been placed. Lobbying groups are citing studies linking secondhand smoke exposure to breast cancer, but what about the studies that show more than 35-40% of women that develop lung cancer have never touched a cigarette? Is one person smoking outdoors so potent that it should really be considered poisonous? Even a group of people smoking together outside, is it really that terrible?

No, it's not. However, the lawmakers of this city are so rude and arrogant that they must be controlling of others' behavior instead of asking people to be responsible for their own.

What ever happened to the ability to get up and move away from the smoke? Or letting businesses decide for themselves whether they will allow smoking on their outdoor patios? Are we really the kind of society that feels the need to isolate and ostracize people, simply because they smoke?

Last I checked really drunk people were a public nuisance too - but we still let establishments decide for themselves whether they will apply for a liquor license, don't we?

What is our country coming to when we feel the need to legislate every bit of individual behavior? I miss when Americans had a pair and could simply act like adults instead of running to Daddy Lawmaker every time someone else got a little annoying.

Posted by: Princess Cat at 08:43 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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