Smoke Free Lewisville: Answering the Critics

Letters
Posted by Runfellow on 2012/6/20 11:52:48 (920 reads)

Earlier this week, the Lewisville City Council discussed a potential public smoking ordinance at its monthly meeting. Councilman John Gorena, who opposes the ordinance as a “rights” issue, immediately jumped into the fray, but seemed not to understand a number of points made by other members. Critics of the smoking ordinance, including Councilman Gorena and Steve Hill, do not want to acknowledge the problems with these arguments.

The Slippery Slope
Almost inevitably, the slippery slope argument comes into play whenever these kinds of ordinances are discussed. If you can “ban smoking”, they say, what’s next, banning deep V-neck shirts? Oh wait, we already did that. Surely Councilman Gorena knows that comparing a ban on smoking to limit the effects of second-hand smoke on employees and children to restrictions on fatty foods and sodas is not even remotely a legitimate comparison, and yet he still ignored the facetiousness of the Gilmore’s "second-hand carbs" comment. When he tried to use this argument at the council retreat, Councilman Gilmore responded with the same retort. You can watch that entire discussion here:

”It’s my right!”
Quote:

“It’s not because I like smoking. It’s because it’s a rights issue.”
-John Gorena

Councilman Gorena has consistently claimed that this is a “rights” issue, although he has a hard time arguing that smoking is a right in some places, but not in others. Actually, the rights of individuals to smoke or of businesses to allow it is not absolute if that right if it infringes upon the right of employees (or children) to breathe clean air. Various groups have repeatedly determined that there is no Constitutional right to smoke and that smokers are not due special privileges, as Councilman Gorena seems to assert.

Of course, the primary purpose of any governmental body should be to protect the safety of its citizenry, and that includes employees. According to an article in the Journal of Environmental Monitoring, "A substantial reduction of airborne nicotine and total dust was observed after the introduction of a smoking ban in bars and restaurants." The idea that employees can simply get another job is ignorant at best and callous at worst.

”It’s bad for business.”
Quote:

”We’re going to close some businesses in Lewisville; there are some businesses that will not survive.”
-Steve Hill, Lewisville Task Force Candidate Forum

Another argument against the ordinance is that it would negatively affect businesses, especially bars and other places commonly associated with smoking. I could understand this concern, if only it had even a small basis in fact. The fact is, there is no evidence at all that suggests this would happen if Lewisville passed a ban. A study from the Center for Disease Control regarding the effects of El Paso's smoking ban (one of the strongest) found that "No decline in total restaurant or bar revenues occurred in El Paso, Texas, after the city's smoking ban was implemented on January 2, 2002." Study after study comes up with the same results, and a literature review also reached the same conclusion. In fact, our editor recently wrote an excellent response to a similar complaint about Flower Mound’s ordinance, which I highly recommend reading.

I understand that anyone might have initial concerns about a smoking ordinance in Lewisville, but I don’t understand how the same few people can consistently bring up the same points even though they have been proven repeatedly wrong. Don't let anecdotes and ideological fear tactics distract you from making your own decision about this important issue. These are not cherry-picked studies, and anyone can look at the large body of research that has been conducted in this field to see for themselves the effects of this kind of ordinance.

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Anonymous	Posted: 2012/6/23 2:19 Updated: 2012/6/23 11:42
	Re: Smoke Free Lewisville: Answering the Critics Duplicate comment removed by editor

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James	Posted: 2012/6/23 3:14 Updated: 2012/6/23 12:17
Joined: 2012/6/23 From: Posts: 42	Re: Smoke Free Lewisville: Answering the Critics Duplicate comment removed by editor. See original...

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James	Posted: 2012/6/23 3:15 Updated: 2012/6/23 12:18
Joined: 2012/6/23 From: Posts: 42	Re: Smoke Free Lewisville: Answering the Critics Duplicate comment removed by editor. See original...

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James	Posted: 2012/6/23 3:16 Updated: 2012/6/23 12:19
Joined: 2012/6/23 From: Posts: 42	Re: Smoke Free Lewisville: Answering the Critics Duplicate comment removed by editor. See original...

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James	Posted: 2012/6/23 3:17 Updated: 2012/6/23 11:45
Joined: 2012/6/23 From: Posts: 42	Re: Smoke Free Lewisville: Answering the Critics Corrected email address for: LVIL-2, LVIL-4 ----- Original Message ----- From: INTERPOLATOR To: WTSP-2/M. Micheal ; WSJ/Editor; Wall St. Jour. ; WFAA/CH-8 TV NEWS ; WASHPOST-1 ; TV33/Charles Bassett ; TAMPA Bay News ; STUTZ/Dallas Mng News ; STAR2/FW Star Telegram ; NYT-EX/Exec Editor NYT ; LVIL-6/Lville Tourism ; LVIL-5/Lville City Council ; LVIL-4/Lville City Council ; LVIL-3/Lville City Council ; LVIL-2/Lville City Council ; LVIL-1/Lville Mayor ; KAYG/Hq Kay Granger MC Cc: WRVA/Doc at ; UTA-1/Pres. UTA ; UTA/Univ Texas Arlington ; NOFRACKING.COM ; NDE/No Dirty Energy Org ; LEVIN/Mark Levin ; GRTX/Grassroutes Texas ; FWTX-1/Mayor FWTX ; FWCC9/FW CITY COUNCI ; FWCC8/FW CITY COUNCI ; FWCC7/FW CITY COUNCI ; FWCC6/FW CITY COUNCI ; FWCC5/FW CITY COUNCI ; FWCC4/FW CITY COUNCI ; FWCC3/FW CITY COUNCI ; FWCC2/FW CITY COUNCI ; FROS/Frosty Wooldridge ; DWAR/Hq; Downwinders ; ARLTX-9/Code Enforce ; ARLTX-8/Bldg. Inspectors ; ARLTX-7/Parks Dept. ; ARLTX-6/Public Works ; ARLTX-5/Water Dept. ; ARLTX-4/Health Dept. ; ARLTX-3/Env. Services ; ARLTX-11/Planning ; ARLTX-10/Animal Svcs. ; heather@frankiesbar.com Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2012 1:35 AM Subject: LEWISVILLE TEXAS CONSIDERS SMOKING BAN Duplicate comment removed by editor.

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James	Posted: 2012/6/23 3:25 Updated: 2012/6/23 12:10
Joined: 2012/6/23 From: Posts: 42	Re: Smoke Free Lewisville: Answering the Critics http://www.nycclash.com/ [ALSO AVAILABLE ON FACEBOOK] SMOKE-FREE RESTAURANT; Lewisville, Texas.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOpDS3l9cw4

Poster	Thread
James	Posted: 2012/6/24 16:36 Updated: 2012/6/24 16:36
Joined: 2012/6/23 From: Posts: 42	Re: Smoke Free Lewisville: Answering the Critics Greece is a developed country with an advanced,[18][19] high-income economy[20] and very high standards of living (including the 21st highest quality of life as of 2010).[21][22][23] Life expectancy in Greece is 80.3 years, above the OECD average of 79.5.[151] and among the highest in the world. The same OECD report showed that Greece had the largest percentage of adult daily smokers of any of the 34 OECD members.[151] The country's obesity rate is 18.1%, which is above the OECD average of 15.1% but considerably below the American rate of 27.7%.[151] In 2008, Greece had the highest rate of perceived good health in the OECD, at 98.5%.[152] Infant mortality is one of the lowest in the developed world with a rate of 3.1 deaths per 1,000 live births.[151] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greece#Health

Poster	Thread
Anonymous	Posted: 2012/6/24 16:43 Updated: 2012/6/24 18:55
	Re: Smoke Free Lewisville: Answering the Critics BAN JAMES! No one cares about his hijacking, spamming comments.

Poster	Thread
Anonymous	Posted: 2012/6/24 17:37 Updated: 2012/6/24 18:55
	Re: Smoke Free Lewisville: Answering the Critics They also eat the Mediterranean diet which most Americans do not ascribe to. Plus Greek heredity plays a part as to why they might be healthier than Americans. However, you can't justify smoking with the information that you provided. Smoking is bad for your health and second-hand smoking is bad for those around you. Several references showing the effects of smoking on health have been sited on this thread so I won't repeat them. Stop spamming this site with your idiocy and go play somewhere else!

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James	Posted: 2012/6/25 3:18 Updated: 2012/6/25 3:18
Joined: 2012/6/23 From: Posts: 42	Re: Smoke Free Lewisville: Answering the Critics While the Lewisville, Texas and/or Fort Worth, Texas and/or Arlington, Texas "BUREAUCRATS" seem to be so "PRIMARILY CONCERNED" over " smoking bans," or "WHAT IS, or WHAT IS NOT GOOD FOR YOU?" How about for me to "START SPILLING THE BEANS," as to exactly what "NONE OF THEM ARE DOING," or "concerned about," when it might come to the question of drugs! I can promise "anyone [else] interested, in that I have this stuff "ABSOLUTELY DOCUMENTED," it has been going on for years, and neither your local Police Department, nor the Federal Government seems to be able to do anything about it. Illicit drugs have long-since been available, just as close as "listening to your home telephone," even if one of your young children answers the call. Meanwhile, "we" are all caught up in this "JUST ONE MORE SMOKE-SCREEN," all about "SECOND-HAND SMOKE?" Well, how would anyone on here, just like to bet me, that I could show "anyone interested," a "REAL CASE" of "HOW TO ORDER DRUGS?" I currently have more than six years of documentations, more than 100 [tens of thousands] complaints filed with the FED, but to no avail at all. But, when it comes to the question of "SECOND-HAND-SMOKE?" Oh, yeah, "that's a whole different thing," because "IT CAUSES CANCER?" [IT'S A DAMNED SMOKE-SCREEN!] Look, I promise, that if "anyone interested" gives me the permission to post my archives right here, I will be most certainly happy to - will run the [this] website out of space!

Poster	Thread
Anonymous	Posted: 2012/6/25 7:47 Updated: 2012/6/25 7:54
	Re: Smoke Free Lewisville: Answering the Critics Tighten the tin foil hat down brother. Some rays are apparently making it in!

Poster	Thread
WhosPlayin	Posted: 2012/6/25 8:02 Updated: 2012/6/25 8:02
Editor Joined: 2008/12/12 From: Posts: 3556 Online!	Re: Smoke Free Lewisville: Answering the Critics James, your account has been suspended for continuing to spam the comment section. Nevertheless, I'm interested to hear what it is that you think isn't being done about drugs. But it's off-topic to this post, and your account is suspended, so you're not going to post it in this thread. If you can email me a concise summary of what you think is happening, I'll look into it. But I don't want 37 emails all sent between 1 am and 3 am with rambling and incoherent rants on unrelated topics. And I've established that I don't want to read anything further from Guardian A. A******. Editor@LewisvilleTexan.com At such time next week when your account is re-activated, you can try again and post on the topic of your choice in any of the "Open Thread" posts.

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