Diane Cannon – 4/20/05

This page was last updated on April 22, 2005.

An ideal, smoke-free world; Diane Cannon; Beaver County Times; April 20, 2005.

This is my standard disclosure regarding the smoking topic. I’ve never been a smoker. I prefer not to be in places where people are smoking – the smoke irritates my eyes and throat – and I hate the smell of smoke on my clothes. I don’t permit persons to smoke in my car or home. That said, I don’t believe the government should take away property rights to further the anti-smoking crusade.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“It is a shame that there are people who think not being allowed to smoke in a few restaurants qualifies as persecution.”

[RWC] “Persecution” is probably a little strong, but what is it when government denies a property owner the right to allow smoking in his place of business? Nobody forces a non-smoker into a restaurant that permits smoking.

“I agree with letter writer John Lovra (‘Right to breathe clean air,’ Sunday). Stay home or go to another establishment.

“You are not permitted to smoke in any restaurant in New York City, and no one has stopped going out to dine. All the residents and visitors have survived the transition, and business is thriving. Everyone is allowed to enjoy their meal without having their lungs assaulted by someone else’s smoke and, to my knowledge, no one has given up smoking because of the law. They are just encouraged to be thoughtful of others.”

[RWC] I’d like Ms. Cannon to explain why smokers should not be allowed the option of dining in a restaurant that allows smoking.

Ms. Cannon definition of “encourage” differs from mine. NYC smokers are not “encouraged to be thoughtful of others.” They are forbidden by law from smoking in a wide range of places, not just restaurants and bars. Using her definition, Ms. Cannon probably believes we are only “encouraged” to pay taxes.

As most others who debate this issue, Ms. Cannon ignores the rights of the property owner. If I own a restaurant, why should I not be allowed to cater to smokers? No one forces non-smokers to patronize an establishment that permits smoking.

“My fantasy is that some day it will be common practice in all towns - even in Beaver County.”

[RWC] Ms. Cannon contradicts herself in this paragraph. Above, she wrote smokers should “Stay home or go to another restaurant.” In this paragraph she hopes to eliminate the “another restaurant” option because she wants “all towns” to act as NYC did. Ms. Cannon’s “fantasy” is for government to infringe even further on property owner rights.