We've been waiting for months since it was passed. My good friend thought it was a gutsy move on the State House and Senate's part. But now it's gone into effect as of today. It will be interesting next week when the 'rents and I make the monthly pilgrimage to Pat McGuire's to see Stephen's Green as my dad is a smoker. You'd think this would make him quit, again.
Yes, my faithful readers, my dad is a smoker but he'd actually quit when I was almost nine, going strong for over ten years. And then he started up again when I was in college and I blame my brother, Dave, for it.
There's been a lot of strong debate over this smoking ban ever since it also went into effect at the beginning of the year in Illinois. Some people think it's infringing on smokers' rights. Like if we ban smoking in public places, what's next? Are we going to tell people what they can eat and where? Or what they can wear and where they can wear it? I seriously doubt that's gonna happen.
Rep. Nathan Reichert and I actually talked about that and he said, "What about our rights to clean air?" He's right. I have a right to go to Pat McGuire's or Bennigan's and not have to deal with secondhand smoke in my face. I have friends who are sensitive to secondhand smoke, and they have a right to come with me to public places and not have to deal with it.
I personally think this ban is a good thing for Iowa. If Illinois can have it with success, so can we.
No comments:
Post a Comment