Dear JoeCherner, what a regulatory (and hypocritical) society!!!!! As an
emphysema sufferer on oxygen 24/7, I, with my fellows, am well aware of the
dangers of tobacco BUT, the emphasis here seems to be that the smokers
themselves are the villains, not the victims. What is being done by all the
regulators , many of whom gladly share the tobacco tax dollar (!) to help
the smokers overcome both the physical and the psychological addiction to
nicotine? Do they receive the same sympathy or support ...at no or low
cost... as say heroin addicts? I bet not. I have not smoked for over 2
years, but, like the recovering alcoholic, I am always only one cigarette
away from total recidivism and I often crave for a smoke. What percentage of
air quality pollution in your average city is as a result of tobacco smoke
as opposed to say, exhaust fumes and/or industrial pollution and seasonal
factors (such as wildfires in California!). To me it appears that the
primary sinner is government at all levels in refusing to consider tobacco
as a prohibited substance. It is much too profitable. They verbally attack
the tobacco companies whilst raking in the dollars. Yet everyone seems to
shy away from this issue. Why?
Heather Stone
----- Original Message -----
From: <emphysema@yahoogroups.com>
To: <emphysema@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, August 15, 2002 7:42 AM
Subject: [emphysema] Digest Number 53


>
> There is 1 message in this issue.
>
> Topics in this digest:
>
> 1. [JoeCherner-Announce]Smokefree Parks and Beaches
> From: "Joe Cherner" <Joe@...>
>
>
> ________________________________________________________________________
> ________________________________________________________________________
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Tue, 13 Aug 2002 12:52:21 -0400
> From: "Joe Cherner" <Joe@...>
> Subject: [JoeCherner-Announce]Smokefree Parks and Beaches
>
> The front page of the New York Post ran a story today based on a interview
I did with them yesterday about smokefree parks and beaches. I would like
to elaborate on what was written in the Post.
>
> STATEMENT IN ADDITION TO THE NEW YORK POST ARTICLE
> August 13, 2002
> Joe Cherner
>
> SmokeFree Educational Services, Inc., the largest smokefree advocacy group
in the country, solidly supports Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council in
their effort to provide ALL New York City workers with a safe, healthy,
smokefree work environment. ALL workers (including office, restaurant, bar,
bingo, bowling, and nightclub workers) deserve a safe, healthy, smokefree
work environment. No one should have to breathe tobacco smoke pollution to
hold a job, because it causes cancer and respiratory disease. The health of
bartenders is just as important as the health of others. Bartenders are
forced to breathe the equivalent of a half a pack a day in secondhand smoke,
and that's not fair.
>
> In addition to smokefree workplaces, SmokeFree Educational Services, Inc.
supports smokefree parks and beach legislation. A handful of cities around
the country have proposed and/or passed smokefree parks and beaches.
Although smokefree parks and beaches are not an employee health issue, they
are a quality of life issue.
>
> Up until now, government has faced a very easy decision about tobacco
smoke pollution in public places. Government has decided for the most part
that no one should have the legal right to make someone else sick. Every
worker deserves a safe, healthy, smokefree work environment. No worker
should have to breathe something that causes cancer to hold a job.
> But now, government must decide what to do when smoking pollution is
merely a nuisance. Government constantly makes such decisions when one
person's pleasure causes another person discomfort. For example, government
bans loud music in a person's apartment when it bothers the neighbors.
Government bans eating on the subways, talking in the library, pets in a
restaurant, noisy nightclubs in a residential neighborhood, noisy trucks
after certain hours, pungent odors which bother neighbors, adult video/book
stores in certain neighborhoods, and loitering in public places.
>
> Parks and beaches have lots of rules already too. For example, most parks
ban loud music, bonfires, loitering after dark, dogs without leashes,
nudity, and sex. Some also ban rock climbing, rollerblading, food selling,
alcohol, and barbequing. Most beaches ban glass containers, nude bathing,
sex on the beach, barbequing, throwing a hardball, and certain types of
flyaway umbrellas. None of these things cause disease. Most of them are
nuisances and quality of life issues.
>
> The next wave of smokefree legislation will address the nuisance issue,
the quality of life issue. Already some cities, like New York City, have
banned tobacco smoke pollution in children's playgrounds. Smokers were
throwing cigarette butts in sand boxes and children were putting them in
their mouths. Many cities and companies have banned tobacco smoke pollution
in front of building entrances. In New York City, Merrill Lynch, Chase, CNN,
and others have posted "No Smoking In Front of This Entrance" signs outdoors
in front of all of its buildings.
>
> If you are from the media and would like to speak with me about this
issue, email is best. But my contact numbers are 212-912-0960 and
917-815-7200 (mobile phone).
>
>
> Joseph W. Cherner, President
> SmokeFree Educational Services, Inc.
> http://www.smokefree.org
>
> "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the
world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead
>
>
> ========================================================================
> To search the JoeCherner-Announce archives, go to:
> http://smokescreen.org/JoeCherner-Announce
>
> To unsubscribe, send any message from emphysema@yahoogroups.com to
> JoeCherner-Announce-unsubscribe@...
>
> If you would like to help prevent another generation of
> tobacco addiction and disease, go to www.SmokefreeAir.org
> and send a smokefree EZ-letter to a key decision maker.
>
> Note: You are subscribed as emphysema@yahoogroups.com (ID: 61259)
> ==~======================================================================
>
>
>
> [This message contained attachments]
>
>
>
> ________________________________________________________________________
> ________________________________________________________________________
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>