Sunday, August 24 2008
This editoral on smoking bans ran recently in
The Kansas City Kansan
As the Unified Government considers a smoking ban, commissioners must remember that outlawing smoking in Wyandotte County is not just a health issue: it's a rights issue.
That's not to say that the health aspect of smoking is not to be considered. After all, everybody knows smoking is bad for the smoker and can also be bad for anyone who comes into contact with secondhand smoke.
Let's take a look at the figures. According to the American Cancer Society, secondhand smoke can cause somewhere between 26,100 and 73,000 heart and lung deaths each year. But if you look at that statistic alone, you'll miss an important element: the vast majority of the people who die from secondhand smoke live under the same roof with a smoker.
Smoking bans are the new Prohibition
