Up In Smoke (a societal rant)

New laws, voted by the people and for the people of Washington, take affect today: no smoking in any public building (mostly already adopted so this really only affects bars and bowling alleys), no smoking with 25 feet of a door to a public building, no smoking at any workplace (auto mechanics are sure to rebel), no smoking in cigar Bars, or even in private clubs, and most notably: no smoking in a minimum of 75% of all hotel rooms.

How did this happen? Well, voters passed it by a 2 to 1 margin, to be honest. That means out of every 100 people 66 said no smoking and 33 said let ‘em smoke.

The “25-foot rule” makes Washington’s law the most restrictive in the country. And in a state whose largest population density (King County/Seattle) is made up primarily of liberals, that’s downright amazing.

I quit smoking a number of years ago and am, to be truthful, one of those very annoying ex-smokers who can no longer stand the habit. However, I’m not completely unsympathetic as I feel that cigar bars and smoke shops should be left alone. The irony here is that an establishment solely designated for the population that smokes should not be allowed to let people smoke. Sometimes people don't think things thru well enough.

That said, there is a certain amount of rejoicing from yours truly:

A great many smokers insist that they’re polite and will go out of their way to not smoke near those who don’t puff. Bogus; every morning on my way to work and inside my work perimeter I find myself behind a smoker and awash in their cloud (I work with 10 thousand people so waiting for them to pass is tantamount to just inviting another smoker to walk in front of me). There might be twenty people in front of me, but the only one I notice is the one who insists on getting that last ciggy in before work.

My real annoyance is that after the new law passed the state capitulated and said that they would not persecute smokers who were in transit. And, there again, someone isn't thinking. Put a smoker in a designated place and I can avoid that place, but how do I avoid walking in the cloud of the person in front of me if there is no restriction against this? In fact, the new law more or less encourages this. Well, at least we'll have cardiovascularly healthy smokers here in Washington.

Too, many smokers claim that their habit doesn’t affect anyone else. Hogwash. Secondhand smoke has a baseball field worth of studies that link it to cancer in non-smokers (and yes, there might be an opposing team but I’m going with the one I’m rooting for). More importantly though, is that a smoker inherently imposes upon everyone around them. The smell, the burning eyes, the acrid air, the “smokers” breath, the skunk affect of a smoker’s clothing that propels a horrid air behind them as they walk through a room after a smoke break.

Smokers claim non-smokers are overly intolerant and hypersensitive. Have you ever seen a smoker who can’t smoke? THERE is someone who is cranky and intolerant.

Regardless, it seems that for better or worse, there's a brand new perspective on smoking taking place. California will surely stiffen their laws so as to not be outdone by Washington. And if America can't make smoking illegal, they can definitely tax the habit to oblivion. When I smoked in the Army, a carton of Marlboro was between $8.00 and $10.00 depending on the time of year. That same carton costs a Washington Resident in EXCESS of $50.00 and $60.00! As more and more people are convinced or forced to quit, there will be a smaller and smaller population that is resistant to a nationwide contraband on Tobacco.

I predict it will happen in my lifetime. Mark your calendar.

:j