Overall, business owners and state officials report that the transition to the law - as well as the state’s new 10-foot rule, which prohibits smoking within 10 feet of any business entrance - has gone smoothly…. “We’ve had a lot of luck with the educational approach,” says Cathryn Cushing, a state health division spokeswoman. “Our goal is to bring every business into compliance, not to impose penalties.”…. The vast majority of businesses have been able to resolve any complaints lodged against them and come into compliance through remediation efforts. Statewide, just four other businesses were cited in the law’s first year.
January 1, 2009 was one of the happier days of my life. No, I didn’t hook up with Swedish Bikini Team or wake up next to Rachel McAdams AND Natalie Portman…though those would certainly have made for some memories. Actually, Oregon’s law banning smoking in bars and restaurants went into effect that day…and my life has been much nicer since. You see, my problem is that I’m allergic to cigarette smoke. Nothing will accelerate me from zero to asshole faster than someone lighting up in my vicinity. Over the years, I’ve gone many rounds with numerous WWJD readers over this issue, but it’s my sandbox and so I get to say it again: MY RIGHT TO BREATHE CLEAN AIR TRUMPS YOUR “RIGHT” TO SMOKE. Period. End of story. Finis….. For years now, the legal landscape has been tilting in favor of (arguably irrational on this issue) people like myself. States, municipalities, even several European countries have banned smoke in public places. Yes, you have to know that the world is changing when news arrives that France has banned smoking in bars and restaurants.
I love being able to walk into a bar or a restaurant without being assaulted by the lingering stench and/or the thick bluish haze of cigarette smoke. It’s nice to be able to not feeling my head pounding or the nausea rising as I try to relax and enjoy myself. If this angers those of you who smoke, I’d offer an apology…if I felt an apology was appropriate. The reality is that I shouldn’t have to compete for clean air in a public place. I shouldn’t have to be exposed to second-hand carcinogens. I shouldn’t have to place my health and well-being at risk in order that you should be able to feed your addiction. If you don’t like being forced to smoker’s patios, perhaps you might consider finding a hobby that doesn’t involve creating unwanted air pollution for those in your vicinity, eh?
No longer do I have to risk my health to enjoy a meal or a relaxing evening. It’s nice to know that my disposition won’t be put in peril by someone lighting up nearby. Those of us who believe in the right to clean air are slowly but surely winning this battle. This may well sound arrogant, but come back to me when you invent a cigarette than doesn’t create secondhand smoke or stink up a room. Perhaps then we’ll have something to discuss. In the meantime, I’m still enjoying the sweet smell of victory; it DOESN’T smell like tobacco…. ;-)
