Story Published:
Mar 2, 2010 at 7:45 PM CST
Story Updated:
Mar 2, 2010 at 7:45 PM CST
There are many who oppose smoking. I might remind those who so adamantly oppose smokers that the use of tobacco is a perfectly legal thing to do.
Yet, smokers are continually being marginalized by society. Absolutely, there is no place for smoking in any public building, or private building for that matter.
Restaurants and bars ought to be excepted as long as smokers are restricted to a specified well-ventilated space. Such space should be well marked by signs as well.
Those who don't wish to patronize such a business take note. If a restaurant or bar owner wishes to cater only to non-smokers, that is his/her right. Smokers should take note.
Here in Cookeville, Tennessee Tech, and CRMC are going completely smoke free. In buildings and outside as well. How will this be enforced outside?
People will continue to smoke outside. Maybe not in the core areas, but on the fringes of the campus it will happen.
I'm waiting for a donor to be told not to step out of the President's box at Tucker Stadium for a smoke high up in the stadium.
There also shouldn't be any smoking in Hooper Eblen Arena. But, people will still step outside to light up. That's just the way it is.
There are anti-smokers who vehemently want to dictate to those who would smoke in their car or own home.
Well, fine, but as society dictates their whims to smokers, might I remind them that big government derives big bucks for health programs from each pack of cigarettes sold...big bucks nationwide.
Big tobacco also pays big taxes and pays out billions from the tobacco settlement with the states. That money will flow for some 25 years. Tennessee puts its share in the General Fund.
They depend on it every year to help balance the budget, depend on that money from the big tobacco settlement big time.
Does medical science want to eradicate cancers that are related to tobacco use? There's big money to a lot as a result of cancer.
Yes, we eradicated polio, but polio was small time when compared to the sweeping sickness known as cancer.
When tobacco is demonized, tax revenue has to come from some place. Grab your wallets.
