Yesterday, Halifax Regional Council unanimously passed a vote to ban smoking in hundreds of outdoor areas within HRM last night. My husband, being a libertarian (think, almost anarchist but not quite), believes that this is a BAD idea that infringes on civil liberties.
My thoughts: Thank Goodness! As someone who has never smoked a cigarette, I get very angry that I am forced to inhale the disgusting second (and third) hand smoke of those around me who choose not to butt out. Civil liberties? What about my right to clean air? What about my freedom to choose to NOT inhale those nasty chemicals? And, as a pregnant woman, what about my freedom to choose to NOT smoke around my unborn child? What about MY civil liberties?
There are studies that are showing that second hand smoke is still a serious concern, even outdoors. Because smokers no longer have indoor smoking areas, they are forced outside and tend to congregate (outside work places, at bus stops, etc), increasing the amount of pollutants in the air. So, every time I walk by someone (or some people) who are smoking outside, I am still breathing in the second hand smoke, even if we are in the open air outside.
And what about the physical cigarette butts. Is it an infringement of our civil liberties to ask us to not litter? Then why is it okay for cigarette butts to be littered all over our public places? One of the problems here in HRM is that even with butt receptacles, our beaches are still being littered with hundreds of cigarette butts. Many children play at these beaches. Children put lots of things in their mouths. Why should the smoker’s civil liberties take priority over the safety of our children.
As a fuming (but not smoking) pregnant woman, I sincerely believe that Halifax Regional Council made the right decision. Civil liberties? Give me a break. I think keeping the children and non-smokers of our society safe trumps the “civil liberties” of our smoker friends. My unborn baby thanks you, HRM!
