ALTERNET.COM: How should our society deal with nicotine? There are millions of people who use this legal drug. Many people love their cigarettes. Others can’t stand their smoking and wish they could stop the addictive habit. Some people can control their smoking – they’ll have a few cigarettes (over a few drinks) and then don’t smoke for awhile. Others, like me, can’t do this. If I smoke even one, before I know it I am smoking a pack a day. We all know people who smoke. We all know people who have quit. We all know someone who has died prematurely from smoking.
Every week I read about new legislation or policy proposals about how we will limit smoking in our society. Below is my analysis of the good, the bad and the terrifying proposals that are on the table.
The Good
Smoke-Free Workplaces, Restaurants and Bars:
I lived in both California and New York when they passed their laws prohibiting smoking at restaurants and bars. While many smokers and businesses were outraged and complained about the potential loss of business or personal freedom, I think we can now agree that these bans have been a success. Smokers can walk a few feet outside to enjoy their smoke. Nonsmokers can enjoy bars without being exposed to secondhand smoke – and most people, including smokers, enjoy waking up the next morning without their clothes reeking like smoke… (more)
