Pubs and the smoking ban (4)

Revel Barker's rant about the hardship of smokers is nothing but a load of hogwash!

Linking decreased patronage at restaurants and bars to the smoking ban is a no go. It's been proven otherwise in most North American cities.

After all smokers still fly even though smoking on airplanes has been banned for years. Sure smokers have the right to smoke. After all cigarette smoking, although an addiction, is not illegal. What smokers don't have the right to do is make someone else sick because of their addiction.

Parents who smoke in the presence of their children are irresponsible. Children should not be forced to inhale cigarette smoke whether it is in the presence of strangers, relatives or their own parents. This is simply child abuse.

Smoking at the entrance to offices, stores, restaurants or any other public establishment should not be permitted.

Why should anyone have to walk through a fog of disgusting, foul-smelling, cancer-causing, smoke to enter a public place? Smoking in public should be made illegal.

I sympathise with smokers in that smoking is one of the worst addictions there is and it is not easy to beat. However, smokers would be better off in the long run if they focus their energy on quitting rather than ranting and raving about the hardships they have to endure because of anti-smoking laws.