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“Everyone Has A Right To Breathe Clean Air”

By Michael J. McFadden
 

Annysa Johnson's well-written and well-balanced 12/07 article on Franklin's rejection of a restaurant smoking ban quotes Franklin Health Officer Bill Wucherer as saying "Everyone has a right to breathe clean air."
 
In general that is true.  However it is NOT true in the case of private property where the public may choose to go or not go.   For example, every evening at Disney World's Magic Kingdom there is a stupendous fireworks display.  Unfortunately, as a byproduct of that display the air throughout much of the central part of the park is absolutely filled with thick smoke from the fireworks.
 
Do people have the right to breathe clean air?  Yes.  Do they have the right to ban Disney from having its evening fireworks display?  No.   Do they have the right to ban smoking in restaurants rather than simply ask for a standard of decent ventilation?  No.  Do they have the right to ban birthday parties in McDonald's where he candles give off little wisps of smoke when they are blown out?  No.
 
Antismoking advocates and lobbyists like to deal in absolutes when it comes to tobacco smoke, but in the real world there are many levels of "clean" and "risk" and the levels that would normally exist in any decently ventilated smoking-allowed eating or drinking venue are well within normally acceptable OSHA type safety standards. 
 
The real goal of these bans has nothing to do with "protecting workers," but instead is simply to increase the pressures on smokers to quit by a mechanism they call "DeNormalization," a very scary concept in a democracy.
 
Sincerely,
Michael J. McFadden
Author of "Dissecting Antismokers' Brains"

http://www.Antibrains.com

http://www.TheTruthIsALie.com

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