Simple logic

Dear editor:
There are some who oppose the smoking bylaw and in their arguments, they point out that it should be up to each individual adult to decide whether to smoke or not.
I don’t think anyone is questioning this. But is it their right to force someone else to smoke? Unfortunately, a smoker’s decision to light up can affect a room full of people. Some still don’t seem to understand this.
Forcing others out (i.e., go somewhere else) is not an option. A smoker can smoke in his home, smoke in his car, or smoke outside—it’s their right. They should not force other patrons (some may be children), and the waiters or waitresses, to breathe in their smelly, used, poisonous air.
It really can’t be put more clearly or simply than that.
Some also are arguing that it’s not the health department’s place to pass this law, but our health department has been the only group to take this contentious issue to task.
Whether it’s our federal, provincial, or municipal governments that pass a law to protect us from environmental tobacco smoke, the result is the same. Dr. Sarsfield is putting our health concerns above the jurisdictional issues. He has been given the authority to do so by these governments.
I’m sure it would have been a lot easier for him to sit back like our elected representatives and do nothing.
Signed,
Paul Forget
Fort Frances, Ont.