[C-U Smokefree] Quality of Life

[Theotskl at aol.com]

FYI from the California ongoing tobacco battles.

Cigarettes and the environmental pollution (including beaches and parks)  
they create both in terms of second hand smoke exposure indoor and outdoors are 
now affecting not only our health (our most precious form of wealth) but also 
our entire quality of life.

Keep up the good work CU Smoke Free Alliance!

Theo Tsoukalas, Ph.D.

Article Follows:

Los Angeles Enacts 13 Miles of Smokefree Beaches
Students collect 13,000 cigarette butts during a recent beach cleanup

Last time I advocated for smokefree beaches, I wound up on the front page of 
the New York Post under the theme "he's gone too far."  Nevertheless, we're 
making progress.  Since that Post attack two years ago, several cities have 
passed smokefree beach legislation, including most recently 13 miles of beach 
connecting Los Angeles, Santa Monica, San Clemente, and Solana Beach in 
California.
 
Smokefree beaches are a quality of life issue, not a health issue (for most). 
 Yes, a person with asthma or acute respiratory problems triggered by smoke 
can be dangerously affected, but the vast majority of us are simply annoyed.  
This week, high school students in California held a press conference at 
Newport Pier and brought with them a bag containing an estimated 13,000 cigarette 
butts collected during a recent beach cleanup.  Cigarette paraphernalia (butts, 
boxes, and wrappers) are the #1 source of beach trash, according to 
organizations which clean up beaches.
 
Until now, government has faced a very easy decision for dealing with tobacco 
smoke pollution when it is an indoor health issue.  Government has decided 
for the most part that no worker should have to breathe something that causes 
cancer to hold a job, and no patron should have to breathe it to see a movie, 
enjoy a meal, or watch a sporting event. 
But now, government must decide what to do about smoking pollution when it is 
primarily a quality of life issue.  Government constantly makes rules to 
prevent one person's pleasure from annoying another person.  For example, 
government bans loud music or pungent odors in a person's apartment when it bothers 
the neighbors.  Government bans food and drink on subways, loud speech in the 
library, pets in a restaurant, noisy nightclubs in a residential neighborhood, 
noisy trucks on streets after certain hours, adult video/book stores in 
residential neighborhoods, and loitering in public places. Parks and beaches have 
lots of rules 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 are pleasures for some that disturb the quality of life for others. 
Personally, I like to listen to loud music, but I understand why I can't do so on 
the beach.  Just for the record, I would much rather have a topless or nude 
sunbather lie down next to me (which is illegal on most beaches) than a 
sunbather whose smoke blows in my face.  And most importantly, I don't want to worry 
about my children or grandchildren (when I have them) picking up cigarette 
butts and putting them in their mouths. The next wave of smokefree legislation 
will address the quality of life issue surrounding smoking.  Already many cities, 
like New York City, have eliminated 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, including Merrill Lynch, 
Chase, CNN, and American Express.Just as I understand why I can't play my loud 
music on the beach, smokers need to understand why they shouldn't be allowed to 
blow smoke and toss their butts there.

Joseph W. Cherner
To win smokefree air where YOU live, go to 
http://www.smokefree.net/alerts.php
 
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the 
world.  Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."    Margaret Mead







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