Tobacco.org

HUGHES: Smokers, others get along without laws  

In Harrisburg, state representatives are considering a ban on smoking in public places and are getting lost in a hazy cloud of a public health debate. They're probably not considering that a smoke-free ambiance might not be best for every business or that businesses might take care of their own air quality. . . .

I don't smoke, and at The All-American Rathskeller, the smoke from the tip of Ben Lambert's cigarette made my eyes water.

"I don't mind going outside to smoke, if it's the restaurant's or bar's rules," said Lambert, a State College resident. "But there are happy mediaums that satisfy both smokers and non-smokers." . . .

Even on Capitol Hill, representatives are fuming about rules that eliminated selling tobacco in Capitol buildings. Already, they've been prohibited from enjoying tobacco in the Capitol's hallways, entrances and the ornate Speaker's Lobby, reported the Washington Post.

But Congressional members can still puff cigars and cigarettes in their offices, even though most of Washington, D.C. lost their right to smoke indoors a year ago when the city banned smoking in public places, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

It makes me wonder if, one day, I'll stand at the Washington Monument, look down the National Mall and see the only place in the country that allows indoor smoking.

But more than likely, I'll just see another place where people have to stand outside.

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