by Jonathan Webb

Created on: September 10, 2008   Last Updated: December 20, 2008

There is not a person on earth who has a 'right' to smoke. It is a thing people are doing and have been allowed to do but it is not a 'right.' We have the right to vote, the right to free speech, the right to petition our government, but not the right to smoke. Before we go any further with this business of smoking in public places let us get that fact straight. We have so blurred the line in this country between what is a protected right and what is not. It is laughable that some would compare smoking to free speech in terms of what is a right. Give me a break.

Our protected freedoms in this country are for the sacred and precious things, some of which I mentioned above. Driving a car is not one of them. Drinking once you turn 21 is not one of them. And, smoking in a place where others are present is definitely not one of them. Your opportunity to smoke should only take place where it is not easily taken in by someone who chooses not to smoke. If you want to light up in your own home, go right ahead. Puff away in your car if you so choose. But, you should have to put it out once you enter into the world of the rest of us non-smokers.

Besides the obvious factor of smell, the health risks involved are far too great. I am not just talking about me and my breathing in of that garbage. I am talking about pregnant women and the effect it can have on unborn babies. Being a soon-to-be new father I can not imagine how unpleasant it would have been to be out with my wife and have to move to a different location due to the smoke filled restaurants. However, our hometown has banned smoking from indoor facilities and it has been a huge relief. Imagine going to a restaurant and not leaving smelling like smoke! It is wonderful.

Let us stop the crying and 'I have the right' noise and face reality. Smoking causes health problems in everyone it comes in contact with, not just the person holding it in their hand. Do you have the choice to kill yourself slowly with those things? Absolutely. Go right ahead if that is the choice you decide to make. Some of my close relatives are smokers and I have been around it for most of my life. However, I can not be in favor of lighting up in public places to please people and overshadow the greater health concern of the general public. Enjoy those things in the privacy of your home or car, but keep them away from the rest of us.

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