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SMOKING BANS:  WHAT TO BELIEVE.

Terry Gray

In the last edition of the Jefferson Review, I exposed Stan Glantz and his Helena non-study.  (See Propaganda at a Glantz),  http://www.jeffersonreview.com/articles/2004/041204/notices/terry.htm.  It doesn’t seem to make much difference how many lies we expose, the Niconazis keep coming.

Lexington’s ban was just upheld by the Kentucky Supreme Court.  They find our individual freedoms come second to the health of a society.  This could quite possibly be true from a moralistic standpoint, but what about from a factual accounting of information?  Stan Glantz is not a medical doctor, and his study was not a study.  He did nothing except capitalize on a propaganda wave sweeping the country.  The “non-study” still has yet to be released to the public.

Glantz is only one mouthpiece for oppressive, social engineering groups in this country.  He is on a bandwagon and making money with his “non-study”.  He loves the fame, glory, and bucks.  But there are so many other groups that are well funded and educated in the art of social persuasion and engineering.  The EPA, the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association, the American Cancer Society, the Center for Disease Control, the World Health Organization, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation are standouts in getting their points across, whether or not they are factual.  They do not let the facts get in the way of their agendas.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is a major culprit in all of this.  They are a private organization worth billions.  They are accountable to no one.  Their parent company is Johnson and Johnson of baby shampoo fame, among other things.  They also are biggies in the manufacture and sale of nicotine delivery systems.  They stand to make money every time someone quits smoking and uses one of their products as an aid.

Mike Scanlon, Vice Mayor of Lexington, owns several Applebee’s restaurants.  He allows smoking in his restaurants.  He favors smoking bans.  This is one man using his political pull to make a buck.  He allows smoking in his restaurants because the competition allows smoking; so much for the argument that smoking bans are good for business.  He wants smoking bans, because his franchise can take the immediate financial loss that smoking bans will surely bring.  Local owners of independent restaurants can’t take that loss.  They will go out of business.  When they do, Applebee’s will be there to pick up those folks who want to go out and eat.  There is little loyalty to chain restaurants.  They thrive on sheer numbers.  Locally owned restaurants, especially Mom’s and Pop’s, depend on repeat business from their local clientele.  With a smoking ban, their numbers will drop like Bill Clinton’s pants in the oval office.   Chain restaurants also depend on feeding their customers and getting them out the door for the next diner.  Smokers won’t be able to light up and relax after their meal, so they’ll leave.   Unfortunately, those that still patronize locally owned restaurants will do the same, perhaps forgoing that slice of apple pie.

You see, Scanlon does not care about his community.  He cares about his profits.

Fact:  New York is seriously considering rescinding its state-wide ban.  They cite negative economics associated with their smoking ban.  Over 100 New York bars and restaurants have closed since the ban took effect.  There is major black-market activity in the New York tobacco trade.  Kids are now getting involved with underground sales of tobacco and some are getting killed while doing it.  There are smoking speak-easies and civil disobedience challenging the law and the enforcers to stop them.  This is prohibition, plain and simple.

Fact:  Lexington just raised its property tax 2.8 cents on 100 dollars to support the Health Department while cutting the funding for police and fire.  I guess this makes sense, since the Health Department will be responsible for enforcement of the smoking ban.  They are also installing anonymous hot-lines so that neighbors can report neighbors, Nazi style, for violating the ban.  This is direct violation of our sixth amendment, “…to be confronted with the witnesses against him…”  This is also a slap in the face to American freedom.

Fact:  Very few restaurants and bars are fighting.  They would rather sit back and let someone else fight the fight.  The Metro Hospitality Coalition in Louisville is an exception.  Forces Kentucky and Forces International are also in on the fight.  So why aren’t bars and restaurants fighting?  It is just like I said; they are apathetic and lazy.  They think it won’t happen here.  They are wrong, and they will suffer financially, as will their employees.  Every dollar they lose will be gone forever.  There is no making it back.  And once a ban is passed in Louisville, the chances of rescinding it are bleak, no matter the outcome.  Our “leaders” will never admit they were wrong.

Councilman George Melton is the latest to jump on the ban bandwagon.  He opposed it 3 months ago.  I wonder who got to him and how much money or power he will realize out of his change of heart.  We have a hard time getting to the bottom of the Board of Health’s monetary output, and very little of the Louisville Smoke Free Coalition’s budget is under scrutiny.  I wonder if George might be able to buy a few luxuries this year, luxuries that he wouldn’t be able to afford if he had not pushed for a smoking ban.

Well, OSHA has officially stated that smoking bans are not needed for workers.  GLI has officially stated that smoking bans are bad for business.  Mayor Jerry wants smoking bans, and so do a few more members of the city council, even in light of the citizens of this community not wanting or not caring about bans.  I do believe that some money is changing hands somewhere. 

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