Ban My Smokes but Leave My Cereal Alone

I'll admit it upfront: I'm a smoker. I burn through maybe a pack to a pack-and-a-half a day, depending on my mood. These days I'm careful and respectful when I light up. For example, I never smoke in someone's home, unless they smoke, and assure me it would be okay if I did.

I don't smoke in restaurants, when I'm with my husband. He doesn't smoke, and so I refrain from smoking while he eats. We usually sit in a no-smoking section. I do smoke if we go out to a bar, or maybe a bowling alley. I don't smoke in stores, but that's been a no-no for a long, long time. Stores, other than tobacco shops, I think are no-smoking due to fire codes. I don't smoke in public buildings because most of them have no smoking signs posted. I do smoke at work - but I work from home.

I wasn't surprised when some 58 percent of the votes cast during the November election in my home state of Ohio went in favor of a smoking ban. The new ban, or law, goes into effect Dec. 7.

The new law puts out the butts so to speak on all smoking inside buildings, unless the building is free-standing, and owned and staffed entirely by a family willing to permit smoking, and admits only members. The new law bans smoking in all restaurants, bars, bowling alleys, bingo halls, and any building where people gather. It does allow smoking in designated hotel rooms, and in some instances, in nursing homes.

I don't know how the state will enforce the new law, and apparently neither does the state, or to be exact, the health department. The state health department is giving itself until next spring to figure out a way to police the new law. State officials are saying enforcement will most likely be complaint driven, with civil fines ranging from $200 to $2500. I guess that means if you walk into a bar and see someone light-up; you can call the health department and complain. A warning letter would be sent out to the business owner, if it's a first offense. I'm not sure how many offenses can occur before the fines kick in.

In addition to enforcement questions, operators of some outdoor amusement parks are asking when and where people will be permitted to light-up. Can someone smoke while standing in line for the roll coaster? How about under a tent? There's some question as to how far away from a building a smoker must walk before lighting up. Apparently stepping outside won't cut it. Smokers may be asked to stand, let's say 50 feet, from the entrance door before they light up.

I don't have a problem with the new smoking law. I've been standing outside to smoke anyway, for a good long while. And I appreciate second-hand smoke may not be healthy. And I appreciate nonsmokers may be offended by the smell.

I've been inside more than a few bars during my lifetime which were so smoky my eyes burned. When that happened, I left to go somewhere else, not so smoky. It's called exercising my right to patronize establishments of my choice.

I get to decide. But it seems to me, more and more people these days want to make my decisions for me.

Take the American Academy of Pediatrics for example. December 4, on the AAP Web site, they issued a press release which is critical of advertising. Seems the doctors and experts at the AAP want congress to step in and control advertising which may be primarily aimed at children.

Advertising for products such as alcohol, sex-related drugs, and food should be legislated, the AAP says.

That's right; food.

Long ago a certain cigarette maker stopped using a certain camel to promote its product. That's fine. But the AAP, according to its press release, wants congress to control advertising because children these days rarely see an advertisement for broccoli. That's just silly. How exciting is broccoli anyway?

The AAP's press release cites many statistics, such as how many commercials children see promoting sugar-coated cereals and junk food. The AAP is critical of fast foods offering toys with meals. Congress should control these toy offerings in junk food, too. All these ads promote illness and obesity, they say.

So there you have it. Today we're banning public smoking, for the well-being of the majority of voters who don't like second-hand smoke.

Tomorrow we'll think about banning junk food, including cookies, cakes, and anything with sugar, and anything advertising such, because the majority of us voting are very health-conscious.

Please, could I just think for myself for a change? I promise I won't do anything radical.