We're sick and tired tired of South Carolina being more modern than North Carolina.
Just over the South Carolina line, in Rock Hill, you can safely eat, drink (or work) in a restaurant or bar without risking your life.
Not here in Charlotte. That's because N.C. stubbornly refuses to let city and county governments ban smoking in public establishments. And our lawmakers have repeatedly rejected a statewide ban.
N.C. needs to get the smoke out. We're behind the times.
Three years ago, the U.S. Surgeon General said any (yes, ANY) exposure to secondhand smoke is dangerous.
Twenty-four states have banned smoking in public places. Here's a map. (Note we're surrounded by public health-minded states.)
Here, too, are the latest cancer stats from the American Cancer Society.
The issue isn't just the health of patrons. It's protecting North Carolina workers who breathe smoke for hours.
It's time to snuff the danger. Go to http://www.ncleg.net/homePage.pl, find your lawmaker's e-mail address, and send this message: "Get the smoke out of N.C.!"
In the meantime, if you want to dine and drink safely (or want your college kid to work somewhere he or she isn't exposed to danger with each breath), here's a list of smoke-free dining establishments in N.C.
- posted by Mary Schulken
Just over the South Carolina line, in Rock Hill, you can safely eat, drink (or work) in a restaurant or bar without risking your life.
Not here in Charlotte. That's because N.C. stubbornly refuses to let city and county governments ban smoking in public establishments. And our lawmakers have repeatedly rejected a statewide ban.
N.C. needs to get the smoke out. We're behind the times.
Three years ago, the U.S. Surgeon General said any (yes, ANY) exposure to secondhand smoke is dangerous.
Twenty-four states have banned smoking in public places. Here's a map. (Note we're surrounded by public health-minded states.)
Here, too, are the latest cancer stats from the American Cancer Society.
The issue isn't just the health of patrons. It's protecting North Carolina workers who breathe smoke for hours.
It's time to snuff the danger. Go to http://www.ncleg.net/homePage.pl, find your lawmaker's e-mail address, and send this message: "Get the smoke out of N.C.!"
In the meantime, if you want to dine and drink safely (or want your college kid to work somewhere he or she isn't exposed to danger with each breath), here's a list of smoke-free dining establishments in N.C.
- posted by Mary Schulken
Posts
7 comments:
It is your prerogative to support those non-smoking establishments and I am glad you choose to do so. But it is a business owner's right to make the choice whether or not their place of business allows smoking or not. We do not need the government to take away any more rights and dictate to the people. If you don't want to be around smoke, don't go in a place that allows it. No one forces you to go in or to seek employment there. Please quit asking the government to make laws that satisfy your personal preferences. If the majority of people want non-smoking establishments, then the free market will make them more available.
Excellent comment and I agree. Smoking is cool and non-smokers know it!!!
Smoking should be banned in public places but left open to the owner in private places. Hence the reason Hardee's rarely ever gets my business, they allow smoking inside, I'll never eat there.
Every day more and more restaurants and bars are going smoke free. Why must you promote government forcing private property owners to do so? It's a choice. We are able to make fewer and fewer choices every day. This is another decision Americans can make for themselves.
Adam, it's because the folks at the Observer are a bunch of fascists.
Sorry, I don't agree. Along with already separate smoking and non-smoking areas, a little investment in modern environmental technology, and being upfront with restaurant/bar workers about which section(s) they will need to be working in [I know a lot of bartenders & waitresses and it seems like a pretty high percentage of them smoke themselves] and there will be no real need for a total ban. I'm socially liberal on a lot of things, but I am tired of having to stay in lower-tier hotels (since almost all of the upper tier ones have either banned smoking outright or have maybe 5 rooms in a 200 room hotel that are smoking - which are ALWAYS completely booked, BTW), stand outside in the cold/rain, etc. I also get tired of the hypocrisy of people who smoke only on social occasions, smoke cigars, etc. against the rest of us who smoke regularly. I am completely against a total ban, sorry. If you can't stand the smoke, get out of the bar.
Smoke Free NC!!! It is a nasty habit that non-smoking patrons (and especially children) should not be subjected to in a restaurant.
Post a Comment