Smoking ban

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This week: Giving to high quality charities; Raleigh gets more electric car charging stations; drive-thru marital aids; and redesigning the traffic light. Come on in, the egg nog's fine!

The North Carolina General Assembly has voted to ban smoking in all restaurants and bars. I know there will be much wailing and gnashing of teeth from smokers and some of my dear friends won't be happy with me, but I can't help but gloat.

I have a very strong reaction to cigarette smoke. My eyes tear and swell, I start wheezing (I'm asthmatic) and I will be congested for days after a brief exposure. I am so sick and tired of smokers telling we non-smokers that we can just choose to work somewhere/shop somewhere/drink somewhere or eat somewhere that doesn't allow smoking. Not long ago it was next to impossible to find a restaurant in North Carolina that didn't allow smoking, so my family stayed home.

Today, I get to say, "right backatcha." If you want to work somewhere/shop somewhere/drink somewhere or eat somewhere that allows smoking, now it is your turn to stay home.

< /gloating >

The smoking battle in the Senate generated some nominations for Quote of the Week. First, a good one from Mark Binker, reacting to pro-smoking lunacy from a market extremist who's dumber than a stump.

Says Binker:

Right. Because if you smoke and get a disease and it kills you, you're not a strain in the entitlement system. (Coming next week, a bill to require all those with chronic diseases to take up bear wrestling, sky diving and live porcupine swallowing.)

Senator Rand moved to vote on the smoking ban at end of business today and Senator Berger opposed. Rand withdrew the motion. Berger said they shouldn't be in a rush. It's a popular bill and there should be further discussion and debate.

Why haven't I listened to this before? It's almost as much fun as squishing squash bugs.

[update 1]
Now, I love southern accents. I really do. Some of these men need to spit the marbles out, though. They also need to speed things along. Good Lohwood, Senator Rayand....just how many syllables are you going to give that word?

Love this 5 second voting thing.

[update 2]
Rand just removed HB88 Healthy Youth Act from today's calendar and sent it to committee on Mental Health....didn't get full name of committee.

[update 3]
It appears we're going in order and we're at SB514, so hopefully the Preventing School Violence Act is next.

[update 4]

This is cross-posted from Bloviations.

The text of an email I sent to North Carolina House of Representatives members George Cleveland, Robert Grady and Russell Tucker in support of House Bill 2 (Prohibit Smoking in Public & Work Places).

I strongly urge you, dear readers that live in NC, to write your House representatives and support this legislation. Feel free to use my own email as a starting point.

The hospital that tobacco built bans smoking, with some odd consequences.

Mark Binker reports tonight that bill banning smoking hasn't gained enough support to satisfy its proponents.

House leaders say they will postpone consideration of a bill that would ban smoking from almost all workplaces that was tentatively scheduled for a vote Tuesday. "We've got 35-to-40 people undecided," said Rep. Hugh Holliman, a Davidson County Democrat and the House majority leader. There are 120 members of the House.

::

The bill would ban smoking in bars and restaurants as well as workplaces ranging from factory floors to office settings. Proponents say it will protect the health of workers. Opponents say it infringes on property owners rights.