[Mpls] My last words on the subject

[Michael Atherton]

Mark Snyder wrote:
 
> My focus has been on the characteristics of the smoke itself. If you
> recognize that direct smoking is harmful, then you have to 
> recognize that secondhand smoke is harmful. It's the same stuff.

There is some issue of density.  Water in some instances is deadly, 
in others not.
  
> The "known" category is reserved for those substances for which there
> is sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity from studies in humans that
> indicates a cause and effect relationship between the 
> exposure and human cancer.

You mean like sunshine?  Does this imply that we should ban sunbathing 
and tanning?  Or, as I have been arguing it's a matter of personal choice.
 
> On 6/23/04 3:18 PM, "Michael Atherton" <athe0007 at umn.edu> wrote:
> 
> > An analogy of smoking rooms to automobiles would be for risky drivers
> > to only be allowed to drive dangerously only on roadways that
> > are not connected to rest of the highway system (of course
> > they'd also have to drive non-polluting cars as well).
> 
> Right. Who's in favor of building a separate roadway system for risky
> drivers to drive on to keep them isolated from the rest of 
> us? Anybody?

As I understand, you can currently pay a fee and race on private tracks
and that most roadways are publicly funded and most restaurants and bars
are privately financed.

> So why would it make sense to build separate rooms in bars and
> restaurants for smokers to smoke in?

It makes sense only if business owners find it profitable, if not
it would make more sense for them to go along with a ban.  The difference
is that the ban you are proposing would require them to eliminate
smoking completely.

> If we hold drivers accountable for behaving responsibly with 
> regards to those around them through our traffic laws, why wouldn't it 
> be OK to hold smokers accountable for behaving responsibly with regards to 
> those around them by setting limits on where people can smoke?

I have always believed that smokers should be held accountable
for secondhand smoke and I also agree that it's acceptable to
limit where they can smoke.  I just don't think that a single
non-smoker should be able to walk into a bar where it's been
permissible to smoke for a hundred years and tell everyone
to put out their cigarettes.  I think that smoking rooms provide
a reasonable comprise and would appreciate it if you would explain
why they are not.

Michael Atherton
Prospect Park