Sent to my state Legislators in part response to yet another piecemeal no smoking bill.

By far the greatest hoax ever pulled on Americans was calling tobacco (nicotien) addiction "smoking" and for the longest time called it a "choice." Ask any addict, it is not a choice. The argument that it is "going to far" is more bull, there is no god given right to smoke dope. Educating parents? Yeah, tell a doper not to smoke around their children, sometimes, but often the nicotine is in control.

But we are going about this wrong. We shouldn't be passing laws that tell smokers where they can't smoke, we don't tell other addicts where they "can't" inject. Tobacco smoke should be declared a PUBLIC NUISANCE. It should be the smokers problem to take their dope where they are not affecting anyone else and this includes parks, public streets, anywhere that is public and there is more than one person there, it should be against the law to smoke, period. As for enclosed places, e.g. inside a car, elevators, etc. tobacco smoke should be declared a A Hazardous Substance and therefore no matter where you are, if you are confined with another person, you cannot smoke. This piecemeal business of you can't smoke here and you can't smoke there is just crap. It is a given, I can't just deposit my bodily waste anywhere I want to, the same should go for second hand smoke. They could boil it (tobacco) down and than inject it but than of course, shock shock, it is considered a drug and therefore illegal. The drug is the same, it is just a different delivery system.

Thanks

XXXXXXXXXX, XXXXXXXXX

Answer, Sen Bates, OR.

That being said, it is a deadly, poisonous drug.  As a family physician, Senator Bates is in favor of limiting exposure to cigarette smoke as much as possible.  This bill is about protecting children, who have no choice about their exposure.  Senator Bates realizes that nicotine addiction is powerful and that there are more effective ways of getting at the smoking issue, but this bill sends a message that it is not okay to smoke in enclosed areas with your children.  It's not perfect, but it does make a point.