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| DALLAS SMOKING BAN DEBATE STAYS HOT |
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Page 1 of 2  Plus: British conservatives come out against hiding tobacco and plain packaging!Los Angeles, November 19 – “There’s a group of people seeking their utopia at our expense; they want to eradicate tobacco in our time.” That’s Up in Smoke manager John Barton of Dallas, Texas, who is helping to lead the charge against proposals for expansion of the city’s existing smoking ban. He was among the group of 30 or more opponents of a ban who attended a Monday meeting at City Hall of the ad hoc Dallas City Council committee which is considering exactly what ordinance is to be proposed to the 14-member group later this year. “Everybody had a chance to make their statement,” he said of the hearing, where he estimated that about 30 people showed up to protest any proposed expansion of the ban and about 25 people showed up to support. “I thought the City Council needed to hear from those who will suffer because of this ban. “We’re going to be OK, I think; the cigar shops are going to be OK. But the waiters and waitresses need to be heard from. We like strong and empowered women in Texas, but self-righteousness takes over, people like [pro-ban Council member] Angela Hunt are saying ‘We’re here to help you and you’re ignorant. “City Halls around the country are telling their own people, ‘we think you’re ignorant and uninformed.’ People know what they are getting into in places which allow smoking. You ask them, ‘Did you know you’re inhaling smoke from the customers?’ and the answer comes back, ‘Yes, the risks are minimal if any.’ They’re the ones applying for the jobs there, they know what they’re doing.” Barton was especially exercised about the use of statistics that “show” the impact of secondhand smoke. “Where are the death certificates [that show secondhand smoke as the cause of death]? If an 85-year-old guy dies who had been around a smoker, did he die of secondhand smoke . . . or does age have a lot [more] to do with it? I’d like to know how that guy is going to be counted.” Barton singled out high-profile, anti-tobacco “do-gooders” such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who have pledged funds to battle tobacco in foreign countries. “These are elitists who want to take over the world. Whatever happened to free enterprise? As one Councilman [Sheffie Kadane] said, it’s called socialism and social engineering and that’s wrong.” Barton thinks the issue is about “a 50/50 split right now” with the City Council. Texas Governor Rick Perry tabled the last smoking ban bill, citing business impacts and some of the Dallas City Council members would prefer to pass the issue off to the state. “Some of the restaurant guys talk about having a level playing field,” said Barton, who noted that some restaurant owners actually want an outdoor dining area smoking ban because they don’t have a patio to accommodate smokers. “If they want a level playing field, let’s require everyone to serve only pepperoni pizza and mushroom burgers. Then you have a level playing field.” |
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Did you know?
“At the time of nationalization of the cigar trade in Cuba, there were reported to be as many as 960 brand trademarks!
