Column:
Missouri should pass smoking ordinance
Published Feb. 9, 2010
Apparently, I am not the only one who is fed-up with breathing in toxic air.
There is a statewide ordinance on the docket down in Jefferson City that would ban smoking in all public bars and restaurants in Missouri if it passes. This ordinance might be a little ambitious, but I hope it passes. I know there are thousands of smokers in this state who would be outraged with the result, but it would be for the greater good if smoking were banned.
I'm going to start by saying that I don't smoke, I never have smoked and I never will smoke. Most of my friends and family don't smoke, either.
That said, I understand tobacco is addicting, and it is really hard to quit. I certainly respect the choices of people who have decided to smoke.
As a non-smoker, there is nothing more annoying than going out on the town and being stuck somewhere that smells like a casino.
A similar ban is already in place in Columbia.
Three years ago, city leaders passed a "no smoking" ordinance valid throughout the city limits. The rest of Boone County was not affected. There was great resistance from smokers who thought their rights were being violated and from businesses who felt that they would lose significant business because smokers would not use their goods and services.
MU also has a similar policy. MU hopes to eliminate all smoking on campus by 2014 — a change that can't happen soon enough.
Smokers should have the freedom to smoke wherever and with whomever they choose. The problem is smoking is a hazard not only to the smoker but also to innocent passersby.
As we've learned since elementary school, secondhand smoke is very dangerous. It can cause a variety of medical issues, including lung cancer. Smokers might cling to their rights, but I think the citizens of Missouri (and everywhere else, for that matter) have the right to breathe clean air.
Refraining from smoking in a public place is common courtesy. Nobody wants to have to worry whether they are getting exposed to hazardous toxins.
Sure, if customers are not comfortable with the smoking, they can find somewhere else to go. Workers do not have that luxury. In a study by the American Journal of Public Health, workers are 24 percent more likely to be diagnosed with lung cancer if they are exposed to secondhand smoke in the workplace than those who are not.
I don't know about you, but my respiratory system doesn't particularly like the stench of smoke. It seems every time I walk by a group of smokers I start to gag. I know I can't be the only one out there with this problem. I try avoiding smokers, but it is not easy.
Smokers are everywhere. Heck, I've even had smoke blown in my face by a girl as I was leaving my residence hall earlier this year. If I can't even leave my room without getting compromised by secondhand smoke, soon I will not be able to go much of anywhere.
If this ordinance passes, this all becomes a moot point.
This ban is controversial, sure, but it is not as if the legislation is making it illegal to smoke. Smokers can still smoke in their homes, cars, tobacco shops and other places.
If they want to go out, they can just abstain from cigarettes for the time being. I know this is easier said than done, but it is in the best interest of everyone, nonetheless.
When the state legislature comes together to vote on this issue, I hope it does the right thing and bans smoking throughout the state.
