Take a deep breath
Urge to smoke heightened by restrictive measures
By Cassady Clark
Managing Editor
Breathe in. Breathe
out.
Easier said than
done, according to
non-smokers living in the city
of Irving.
To clear the air, the Irving
City Council voted on Dec. 14
to revise the city's smoking ordinance.
Not only do smokers have
to leave the restaurant that they
are spending their hard earned
money at to smoke, but now
smokers have to stand at least
25 feet away from any entrance
into the restaurant (as of Jan.
1).
I fit into this category of
misfits. I smoke cigarettes;
therefore I am evil.
However, I will not be
swayed by the 'gentle' persuasion
from the City of Irving. I
will stand 25 feet or more from
doors, but it will only make
my desire to smoke grow, not
shrink away into
oblivion as council
members have
hoped.
I might also spend
that extra five to ten
minutes driving to
a restaurant that allows
smoking inside.
Ha ha.
I'm being childish, I
know. But aren't smokers
treated like children,
being sent to “time-out”
for our bad behavior?
It's cold outside. The
council members know
this.
That is why I see this
new smoking ordinance
as a sly form of torture
being inflicted on the poor,
nicotine-addicted town folk
who just want a puff of what
we call heaven.
I'd like to propose
an idea.
What about an ordinance
that forces
non-smokers
to go outside every
time a smoker
wants to enjoy
a cigarette.
It's just as inconvenient
as the
current ordinance,
and it makes me
laugh, which is important.
I admit that the
smell of cigarette
smoke can offend
the nostrils of smokers
and non-smokers
alike, but in my
opinion, this new ordinance is
what stinks. |
Cassady Clark
Smoking Stats
In the United States, an estimated 25.1 million men (23.4 percent) and 20.9 million women (18.5 percent)
are smokers. These people are at higher risk of heart attack and stroke. The latest estimates for persons age 18 and older show...*
Among non-Hispanic whites,
24.1 percent of men and 20.4 percent of women smoke (2004).
Among non-Hispanic blacks, 23.9 percent of men and 17.2 percent of women smoke.
Among Hispanics, 18.9 percent of men and 10.9 percent of women smoke.
Among Asians (only), 17.8 percent of men and 4.8 percent of women smoke.
Among American Indians/Alaska Natives, 37.3 percent of men and 28.5 percent of women smoke.
Studies show that smoking prevalence is higher among those who had earned a GED diploma (39.6 percent) and among those with 9-11 years of education (34.0 percent) compared with those with more than 16 years of education (8.0 percent). It's highest among persons living below the poverty level (29.1 percent).
* National Health Interview
Survey (NHIS), 2004, National Center for Health Statistics and NHLBI
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