Tobacco ban considered for Napa recreation spaces

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Tuesday, November 11, 2008

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By KEVIN COURTNEY
Register Staff Writer

A proposal to ban tobacco products from all Napa recreational spaces will be considered by city’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission Wednesday night.

State law prohibits smoking around tot lots and children’s play areas. The county’s Tobacco Education Program and city recreation staff are asking for a more comprehensive ban affecting parks, trails and other city open spaces.

The ban would not include city sidewalks, where smoking would still be OK.

Smoking is a “major health hazard,” said Peggy Klick, director of the Tobacco Education and Quit Smoking Program run by Community Action of the Napa Valley.

Second-hand smoke remains a carcinogen whether breathed indoors or out, Klick said. Further, tossed cigarette butts collect the harmful chemicals in tobacco, presenting a danger to animals and children, she said.

In September, representatives of the Tobacco Education Program appeared before the parks commission to ask for a tobacco products ban in parks.

Commissioners were strongly supportive, directing staff to come back with a draft policy for public discussion, Chairperson Nadine Wade-Gravett said Monday.

Commissioners want to keep parks “a clean and healthy place to be,” Wade-Gravett, a health instructor at Napa Valley College, said.

There is a growing movement to keep tobacco out of public spaces, Wade-Gravett said. The college has formed a committee to consider whether the campus should be tobacco free, she said.

In April, the state-funded anti-tobacco group surveyed 350 Napa area residents about smoking in parks. Seventy-seven percent said they would support a smoke-free policy, program representatives said.

“It’s a very easy sell compared to 10 years ago,” Greg Coleman, the city’s recreation superintendent, said Friday. “The war in the trenches occurred ... when they removed cigarettes from bars and restaurants.”

More than 100 California cities have banned tobacco in parks, relying on no smoking signs to encourage self-enforcement, Coleman said. While cities often adopt financial penalties for violations, it’s rare that law enforcement gets involved, he said.

“This is more of an awareness issue than a criminal issue,” Klick said.

The commission will consider whether parks should have designated areas where smoking would be permitted. Sixty-eight percent of surveyed residents supported designated smoking areas, Klick said.

The vast majority of park users are not smokers, Coleman said. Given today’s attitudes toward tobacco, smokers often show restraint when attending sports events, he said.

“You’re not going to light up when you’re watching your 4-year-old play T-ball. It just doesn’t happen,” Coleman said.

The only cost for creating tobacco-free parks would be signage, Coleman said. The Community Resources Department has enough money for signs, he said.

The commission will take up a tobacco ban at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the City Hall Council Chambers, 955 School St.

Any action by the commission would be advisory to the City Council,* which would hold its own public hearing.

69 comment(s)

db76 wrote on Nov 10, 2008 3:56 PM:

" YES!!! I hope this ban happens. "

commenter wrote on Nov 10, 2008 4:20 PM:

" I am for it - but the rule about no dogs on school property is not enforced, and this clearly will not be enforced either so why bother? No enforcement = peer pressure which can be done now.

(Before walking or playing with your dog on school property, consider if you want your child or any child playing in your dog's droppings.) "

smogone77 wrote on Nov 10, 2008 4:37 PM:

" I cant wait for the red meat ban. "

PercussionQueen7 wrote on Nov 10, 2008 5:08 PM:

" I thought NVC was already a smoke-free campus... currently the only places you can smoke are designated areas and in parking lots. You'll have the smokers up in arms if you take that away... I won't mind as I'm allergic! "

jonb3333 wrote on Nov 10, 2008 5:09 PM:

" I don't know what world coleman lives in, but I see people lite up at childrens sporting events all the time. Self enforcing??? Like when we all drive...
Good luck on stopping smokers this way. Most are too selfish to not smoke around theirs and others children. "

lsw1969 wrote on Nov 10, 2008 5:24 PM:

" We have all been educated about the dangers of second hand smoke. It would be great for smokers to choose non public places to smoke. It would also be great for those who stamp them out on the ground to realize they are in fact littering. Smokers have become a much frowned upon group and that must be frustrating. They do have the right to smoke, but it would be nice if they could keep their smoke away from others. "

Napa_Native wrote on Nov 10, 2008 5:25 PM:

" You have my support just as soon as you remove all of the other carcinogens in the air. Cars emit far more pollutants in the air than any pack of smokers (no pun intended). Smoking has been banned at all indoor venues so you don't have to be exposed. If their smoking bothers you outside then you are standing too close. Did you ever think they might be lighting up to cover up your stench?

Instead of blaming smokers I suggest reading Science Daily Aug 18, 2008. "

Two Cents wrote on Nov 10, 2008 5:50 PM:

" Yes! Yes! Yes! I am all for this!
People who foolishly choose to smoke and pollute and destroy their own bodies should not be able to affect the rest of us. "

Dwayne wrote on Nov 10, 2008 5:51 PM:

" Yes, we need more laws...

I think that donuts cause more health problems then tobacco, so let's ban those too... There are always people sneaking around in the open spaces eating donuts and getting fat... They need to be stopped in the interest of public health...

Then there's those old people that move so slow... They are such a nuisance...

Someone was wearing Old Spice after shave in the park the other day... I became so nauseous I had to leave... Old Spice should be banned from being sold... It just isn't fair to foist odors like that on others.... I almost lost my lunch, so it's a health hazard too... "

kevin wrote on Nov 10, 2008 6:06 PM:

" Yeah, by all means, pass more laws that won't be enforced... "

jeeper16 wrote on Nov 10, 2008 6:09 PM:

" Tobacco should be eliminated altogether. There is absolutely NO redeeming factor in the use of tobacco products. Think of how much money could be saved in health care costs if tobacco use was banned! "

14obama wrote on Nov 10, 2008 6:15 PM:

" Living is a major health hazard Peggy Klick. What else can you find to kick around ? Greasy foods is as bad or worse. Don't forget those big cigars,too.
Maybe I don't like the way you sneeze or cough. Should we legislate everything and create more jobs for the 'snoops' ? You know what you can do with your "big brother" attitude,don't ya ? No,I don't smoke or drink. Drinking wine is a hazard to your health. Tasting rooms should be banned. Innocent people get killed by the visitors to them. SO ! "

SouthNapa wrote on Nov 10, 2008 6:50 PM:

" Tobacco will never be banned. Think of all the tax revenue that will be lost!

I'm all for smoking bans in indoor areas, but outdoor bans are a bit excessive. I'm not worried about getting lung cancer should I walk past a smoker in a park.

Frankly I'm far more concerned about the flocks of tourists who consume alcohol and then drive our roads than I am an occasional smoker walking past me in an outdoor area. The drunk driver is far more likely to kill innocent people than the five seconds I may be exposed to somebody's smoke as I pass by them.

Indoor smoking bans are reasonable, this is just ridiculous. "

noblindershere wrote on Nov 10, 2008 6:59 PM:

" Yes, I hope this passes...I can not stand jogging in the park and someone is smoking while walking beside me-its gross. Why don't smokers ever get ticketed for dropping their butts? ITs trash, ticket them. Cut down on healthcare cost and make smokers the outcast, its not ok to smoke, I don't care if it is your choice, you are affecting my healthcare cost. "

Annabella wrote on Nov 10, 2008 7:20 PM:

" Yeah! Lets have more laws, lots of them. I move we ban all screaming spoiled rotten children immediately from all public places as they hurt my delicate ears; all persons over the age of 70 banned from driving cuz they drive too slow and cause traffic jams at all intersections; ban all cell phone use in all moving vehicles cuz it is a distraction from operator focus; ban all farting in public as methane gas is a killer much like second hand smoke; ban high top tennis shoes with those baggy cutoffs as they tend to distract motorist who can't stop laughing; ban all persons leaving wineries from driving for a minimum of two hours post a sandwich to soak up the booze in their system; ban all driving on pot holed streets as it only makes them worse; hire more Tobacco Police to catch would be sellers to the underaged at the local convenience stores and causing them such punitive damage that they go out of business; ban all the slaving migrants from the vineyards as you know they are illegal anyway and they probably have lice in their hair...a minor but aggravating and highly contagious health problem. May I suggest heavy fines for persons who don't obey the bans imposed as a way to raise revenue for the town. Budget problem solved. Paris Hilton could tell you that. "

MarshaMarsha wrote on Nov 10, 2008 7:24 PM:

" I hope all the smokers who supported Proposition 8 now know just a little about how it feels to have rights taken away.

This country was born from the fight to have rights.

Its demise could be from the fight to take them away. "

tiredofcomplainingnapkins wrote on Nov 10, 2008 7:46 PM:

" I hope this ban doesn't go through, people smoke for a long time and don't always get cancer or other ailments. Breathing in second hand smoke every now and then isn't going to hurt you. Think of people who smoke a pack a day for 30 years. Now think of how often you might be exposed to second hand smoke outside. Maybe once in a week. Its not going to hurt you or cause any damage. Leave smokers alone. "

napacabdriver wrote on Nov 10, 2008 8:04 PM:

" Have you ever walked into a public bathroom after someone has been smokingthat is second, third, and fourth hand smoke. It is time to stop this nasty habit. WHAT EVER IT TAKES "

db76 wrote on Nov 10, 2008 8:23 PM:

" yes, there are people who smoke for 30 years and don't get cancer, such as my grandmother who lived till age 80. And walking through a cloud of 2nd hand smoke will kill you. But then there are the millions of deaths each year are directly caused by tobacco, and billions of dollars spent on treating a PREVENTABLE disease. This has nothing to do with adding more laws, which is just an excuse. The same people commenting above who voted FOR prop 8 are against this law. What happened to fewer laws? "

elb wrote on Nov 10, 2008 8:45 PM:

" I'm all for the ban. I can't stand it that someone can force me to have to inhale that garbage while I'm out and about.

Here's the deal... I can't help it that I have to breathe, people, but you smokers sure can help it that you are smoking in public. So stop subjecting the rest of us to your filthy habits.

I also don't think people should be able to smoke in their cars. When I get behind a smoker, their smoke comes in through my intake vent and I choking! Gross!

In any case... If someone was to strap me down and pump all those nasty chemicals into my vein then they would be arrested for assault and attempted murder, why is it okay to force that garbage into my lungs? I declare it is NOT! "

Baraki wrote on Nov 10, 2008 9:05 PM:

" I support private organizations that ban smoking from their premises, but I see a major issue with government banning it from more and more places. I agreed with no smoking at restaurants but beyond that, I can't do it. "

kdbk wrote on Nov 10, 2008 9:33 PM:

" Smoking is pretty gross, especially when people carelessly dicard their butts around town. But, let's get real for a moment, shall we? Cigarettes are not the scourge of civilized society. How many of you people allow your kids to listen to all that filth music out there 'till their little heart's content? How many of you let them go to movies that depict things far, far worse than smoking? How many of you let your kids play those absolutely dispicable video games portraying human slaughter as such a fun time? And how many of you protest at all the awful t.v. commercials during sporting events and other family viewing times?

You're just fine with the total degradation of our morals as long as those awful cigarettes are whiped out. It is just plain dangerous when people lose their perspective and thus their ability to see real dangers in our culture.

A lot of you think that "gangy", "hip-hop" style and behavior displayed by your kids is just dandy if not downright cute. "They've got to express themselves" you say. The kid wants to get several piercings and a couple tatoos, no problem. It's their body, right?

Yeah, we know, smoking is bad for the body. But it is a joke how people have gone hog-wild to pretty much ban it nation wide in order to make our society more obediant and dignified. A pathetic joke considering the myriad other things that you'll just let pass right on by without so much as a whimper. "

db76 wrote on Nov 10, 2008 9:53 PM:

" Well said, elb. As someone whose had to go through chemotherapy twice (i'm not even 33 years old), I can't understand why anyone would use tobacco and increase their chances of ruining their health and voluntarily subject themselves to the nauseating experience of cancer treatment. "

chunk wrote on Nov 10, 2008 10:36 PM:

" Nothing in there about chewing. Hope I can still have my copenhagen at my softball game. "

Alta Heitzer wrote on Nov 10, 2008 10:46 PM:

" The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only legitimate object of good government.

--Thomas Jefferson "

asahigo wrote on Nov 11, 2008 12:00 AM:

" Oh come on folks get over yourselves. Banning smoking at outside public venues is petty and selfish. Outside you have the ability to move away from a smoker if they bother you. Hell you could even ask them politely to stop or move. Nine times out of ten they will move. No I do not smoke, but I am completely against this ridiculous attempt to squash the civil liberties of man (and woman for you pc folks). It is almost pointless and the P.R.A.C. know this, they know it won't be enforced. Forcing a ban on smoking in public places limits the smokers right to pursue liberty and happiness. Yes the same can be said for non smokers being subjected to smokers. It's a no win situation. Bottom line, if smoking bothers you, move away from it. "

ROSETHEB17 wrote on Nov 11, 2008 4:53 AM:

" OK THIS IS CRAZY. WAKE UP.. SMOKE RISES.. AND I AM TIRED OF MY CIVIL RIGHTS BEING TAKEN AWAY... I RESPECT NON SMOKERS BUT WHERE IS MY RESPECT?? THE DAY I AM TOLD I CANNOT SMOKE OUT IN THE OPEN AIR I WILL BE HIGHERING A LAWYER AND THAT IS A CIVIL RIGHTS LAWYER.. NAPA HAS MORE IMPORTANT ISSUES TO DEAL WITH .LIKE GANGS , MURDERS,, AND ILLEGALS DISRUPPTING QUIET AREAS UNTIL THEY MOVED IN .... DOES NAPA HAVE NOTHING ELSE TO DO BUT COMPLAIN AND DESTROY OUR TOWN . LIKE NAPACOMPLAIN SAID.. FOCUS ON MORE IMPORTANT ISSUES.. "

Annabella wrote on Nov 11, 2008 6:18 AM:

" Well, lets just ban Everything!

"If everyone was exactly like you, you would end up getting on your nerves."
~Homero Bayarena

You have absolutely no idea how silly some you all sound and behave.... you believe everything and follow anyone.
Find another bandwagon and soapbox. "

Dirty Napkin wrote on Nov 11, 2008 6:38 AM:

" (singing)If you smoke it might take your life, but if you dont you might beat your wife..

I love those commercials! "

jfz wrote on Nov 11, 2008 7:02 AM:

" The care of human life and happiness, by government = Socialism. "

ambonizay wrote on Nov 11, 2008 8:13 AM:

" And next week why not ban sex on Saturdays? "

bloodagar wrote on Nov 11, 2008 8:29 AM:

" NVC's policy is good enough, for all of those people who smoke, they can go to their designated area...if you don't like it: don't walk by them.
"I am allergic", whatever...sounds more like delusional. "

Dirty Napkin wrote on Nov 11, 2008 8:30 AM:

" copenhagen = butt lip "

Sandra wrote on Nov 11, 2008 8:55 AM:

" I do not understand why people smoke....but then I do not understand why people ride motorcycles, or bicycles on busy city streets....I do not understand why people skydive, hike along cliffs in increment weather....And surfers..what are they Thinking?..there's sharks in the ocean, you know.
In fact, I think a smoking ban just isn't enough...we need to regulate everything any body does that could be considered the least bit dangerous. No running with scissors, no drinking city water when it looks murky, no driving under 21, or over 65, all furniture with sharp edges needs to be outlawed...City streets and sidewalks need to be made of foam, just in case some one trips.
And just think what we can achieve by taking care of every idiot so they do themselves no harm....No more natural selection for us. We can dumb everyone down so much faster that way. We can keep the dummies alive longer so they can pass those more of those genes on to the next generation.

Somehow I do not think this is what Thomas Jefferson had in mind..... "

MarkMiwords wrote on Nov 11, 2008 9:29 AM:

" jonb3333: I agree with you! So nice to "see"/"hear" you out in the blog-o-sphere. I am an old friend of yours and your family's from the "class" we all took together. Lot of good thoughts...
s.l.t. "

BigRod wrote on Nov 11, 2008 10:31 AM:

" Come -on are we going to have a Police Man at every park and when someone lights a cig he going to jump out of his car and write a tiket and fine them?
Thats wrong ! What if the person forgets to pay fine do we put them in Jail and on Probation / what if they Quit
Smoking do they get off Probation ?????
Here we go again How about the ROADS IN NAPA !!! "

Napamama wrote on Nov 11, 2008 10:47 AM:

" Your rights end where mine begin. I don't care a bit if you smoke, drink or listen to loud music. When your carcinogens are floating in the public air being breathed in by babies, children and nonsmoking adults, I have a problem.

Smokers need to realize that when they smoke, everyone in their vicinity is forced to smoke whether they like it or not.

People should be free to smoke where it isn't foisted upon anyone else. "

bob wrote on Nov 11, 2008 10:58 AM:

" What about the butts that litter the roads and public areas. How about the person in front of you tossing there lighted butts out the window of there auto. I don't mind if you smoke just don't exhail. "

noblindershere wrote on Nov 11, 2008 11:00 AM:

" Sandra...many of the examples you gave do not have any effect on the people around them. Smoking effects me, if I'm in the area around the smoker, I inhale the smoke too. Surfing-doesn't affect me, bicycles and motorcycles don't affect me. A smoker walking in the park while I'm pushing one kid in the stroller while my son is riding his bike effects all of us! We don't need police ticketing people, I will have the power to say, "excuse me, but could you not smoke in the park, its illegal" and effects my health. If walking dogs without a leash isn't legal, than smoking in a park should not be legal. You do not have a right to effect my health or that of my childrens. "

kevin wrote on Nov 11, 2008 11:17 AM:

" I thought Halloween was over? There are some SCARY people running around out there!

elb can't even DRIVE behind someone smoking? LOL. God forbid you're ever behind me after I have eaten mexican food. And that doesn't even come close to that one gallon economy size bottle of cologne my kids gave me when they were little; I could fumigate the entire town with it.

You can't regulate EVERYTHING we do folks. It's called common sense and seems to be NOT very common anymore. If my smoking bothers someone, I'm not going to light up. How difficult is that?

But if I am walking down the street, on the other hand, realize you are not going instantly keel over dead from the passing odor of my cigar either... "

reason-ator wrote on Nov 11, 2008 12:15 PM:

" Since cars kill more people than cigarrettes, they should ban cars first.

Why so the lawmakers in control of everything that's falling apart feel the need to ignore that and try to screw up something else instead of fixing the important stuff ? "

Oldschoolnapan wrote on Nov 11, 2008 12:39 PM:

" Fascists! Second hand smoke indeed. Outdoor smoking results in so little second hand smoke inhillation as to be irrelevant! This is about control of people. I happen to smoke, but show restraint and make an effort to be sure I do not annoy others with my habit. If we pass this, next it will be within city limits, then in your car, then in your home....

Do we really need to regulate everything we do not like? I do not like fat people who show off their pierced belly button, should we ban this too?

Really people, we tax the heck out of tobacco, because there are more non-smokers that vote to tax one class of people. How would you like it if we taxed your starbuck's coffee with luxury tax and raised the price of a mocachino to $8? that is what we did to smokers.

Fascists all. Nothing but control and taxes, criminalizing and taxing everything in our free country.

If you really care about second hand smoke YOU SHOULD REALLY ban fireplace smoke, I choke on that and have irritated eyes from my neighbors fireplaces. Much more harmful than a smoker upwind with a cigarette outdoors! "

fedupinnapa wrote on Nov 11, 2008 1:14 PM:

" I am not a fan of second hand smoke or butts and pack wrappers everywhere but this is too much. Stop clogging our legislative bodies with issues such as this. I have a problem with the quality of street cleaning in Napa but i am not going to make it a legislative issue. Resouces are finite lets put them to use on greater issues. And if you really think second hand smoke is a problem lets talk Diabetes. "

dre83 wrote on Nov 11, 2008 3:26 PM:

" Personally, I find it really sad that people are now so into taking other people's rights away! This world is really sad, let alone Napa. We are becoming so close to being banned from smoking in public parks...and I smoke, and I have 2 babies...and the fact is how come they don't buck down on the ones who smoke in their homes or cars or anywhere inside with their babies and children!?!? That makes absolutly no sense to me. I never smoke around my children, but on the other hand does that make me a horrible person who smokes being that I do have kids?? Why should you take my rights away when I don't mess with yours. No one is perfect, nor will they ever be, so why push it and make everyone hacked off cause you're banning us from smoking. You know they're...and ME...will go against it just because people are so tired of being pushed around and having their rights stolen from them!!!!!!!! "

leavintown wrote on Nov 11, 2008 3:29 PM:

" I wouldn't worry about the cigarette smoke at the parks. I would worry more about all the drug deals that go down at the parks. I think it is stupid to ban cigarette smoking at parks. And I don't even smoke. It is illegal to smoke OUTSIDE at a park, but it is not illegal to sneak into America, work without paying taxes, and collect food stamps and welfare. What a great place this is to live. "

db76 wrote on Nov 11, 2008 3:48 PM:

" The reason we have to have so many stupid laws is because people can't control their own behavior. If people wore seatbelts, refrained from drinking and driving, controlled their urge to smoke, or locked up their guns so their kids couldn't get to them, then we wouldnt need laws that micromanage our lives. Instead, Americans have a mentality that we can do whatever we want because of the Constitution. The end result are more laws that impose externalized behavioral control. "

Cadence wrote on Nov 11, 2008 4:05 PM:

" These types of seldom enforced laws are great for one specific purpose - they breed contempt for the law, and unfortunately, the contempt soon encompasses other laws -speed laws, tax laws, etc.
Go for it. It will make the pious pleased, and smokers will continue to smoke unless there's an officer in sight. "

Joe wrote on Nov 11, 2008 4:27 PM:

" Stereo's in cars should be illegal. Think about how many people are distracted and get in accidents while messing with their stereos.
Marijuana should be legal too. "

manxkat wrote on Nov 11, 2008 4:56 PM:

" I don't smoke, but I have a problem with gas. I don't emit gas in my house or in my car or in my office, but I do look forward to a walk in the park. "

Raven wrote on Nov 11, 2008 6:18 PM:

" can't even be behind a car which has people smoking? If you are getting smoke thru your vent system it isn't from the cigarettes....or you are following them much too closely for safety....

why stop with just the parks...why not ban smoking in your backyards, or inside your house if you share a wall with another dwelling...I think we could be much more productive if we focused our efforts on keeping cigarettes and tobacco out of the hands of minors....

and why just stop with tobacco....why not ban alcohol, look at the damage it does, first-hand and second-hand when a drunk plows into an innocent victim...oh wait,...we tried that.....prohibition didn't quite work the way we wanted it to did it? "

fedupinnapa wrote on Nov 11, 2008 7:10 PM:

" DB76- You have not have noticed but people still drink and drive, leave guns unlocked and do not use seat belts. Regulation does not solve the problem. The issue is rooted deeper in our culture, until we can turn around the continued degredation of humanity we are simply sticking our finger in the dam. "

B-Side wrote on Nov 11, 2008 8:55 PM:

" First they ban smoking in hospitals - now this. "

verum wrote on Nov 11, 2008 10:41 PM:

" How about limiting the time for smoking and see if it works. Say, between the hours of 10 pm and 6am? "

Ratfqur wrote on Nov 12, 2008 7:05 AM:

" On the subject of air quality-I sure would like to see a ban on leaf blowers as well. The people who are too lazy to use a rake, a broom, and a way of picking up their debris blow all kinds of junk into the air that we aren't supposed to breathe. I've even experienced this near outside dining areas. Sorry if I've gotten off the subject but I encounter this type of pollution even more than smokers. It's called consideration people. "

smogone77 wrote on Nov 12, 2008 7:45 AM:

" I am a smoker and i never smoke near people who are non smokers. I dont get it, how far away do you want me to be from you when i smoke? I cant be at a park and smoke if im 30 feet away from everyone else? no way you're gonna get second hand smoke from that distance. And i throw away my butts. "

glenroy wrote on Nov 12, 2008 8:31 AM:

" There are lifestyles far more dangerous and deadly than tobacco products...that kill after a single experience.....I don't smoke but I also don't see the sense in banning legal acts in open spaces.....maybe we should ban lifestyles now that this ban is up for consideration.

Look around all you do gooders........the high paying jobs continue to abandon this state like rats off a sinking tug boat and the first clue is it has nothing to do with the weather. "

smackers wrote on Nov 12, 2008 8:48 AM:

" I'm against!! We don't need another law. How about a sign saying "THANK YOU FOR NOT SMOKING IN THE PLAY GROUND AREAS." "

db76 wrote on Nov 12, 2008 11:35 AM:

" smackers, maybe we could put that sign next to the sign that says "Clean up after your dog." You know, the one that everyone ignores. "

smogone77 wrote on Nov 12, 2008 11:57 AM:

" db76,
I also clean up after my dog and most of us do, you seem to be a perfect person. "

make napa better wrote on Nov 12, 2008 12:54 PM:

" I think this is a good law. Kids don't need to be exposed to OUR bad habits.

I also agree about the designated areas for big parks (ex. Kennedy) where you can't get outside of the park to smoke. "

antipc wrote on Nov 12, 2008 8:00 PM:

" Welcome to America , land of the not-so-free. What next, fashion police.... "Hey Chunk, lose the spandex."

Geeeeeez. "

db76 wrote on Nov 12, 2008 10:20 PM:

" A spandex ban would be welcome in Napa, actually. "

ROSETHEB17 wrote on Nov 13, 2008 4:35 AM:

" I AM SO GLAD TO FINALLY SEE SMOKERS STANDING UP FOR OUR RIGHTS.. NOW THE NEXT STEP IS SACRAMENTO.. "

14obama wrote on Nov 13, 2008 9:28 AM:

" Sure are a bunch of wimps out there. One even said that cigarette smoke goes into her vent while waiting at a stop light. She didn't mention the gas and diesel fumes from the other cars n trucks that are idling nearby. It's another judgmental thing. We're supposed to legislate this kind of BS ? Will I be able to fart in public ? "

14obama wrote on Nov 13, 2008 9:38 AM:

" I have a vision of the not too distant future. I'm arrested for farting in a public area. I tell the judge,"Your honor,it wasn't me". The prosecuter gets up and shows how it must be me by the evidence collected in his fart-o-lator. With this convincing evidence,I'm convicted and led off to the gallows.
Is this scenario what the wimps want ? "

14obama wrote on Nov 13, 2008 10:06 AM:

" Well said,"annabelle" but who is Paris Hilton ? "

shareathought wrote on Nov 14, 2008 10:05 AM:

" Interesting that many don't acknowledge that much of our country's early economy was based on tobacco.

For many years our government promoted smoking in the military (at least some 50 plus years ago).

Smoking was the norm and a habit that went hand in hand with those fighting to protect our country.

During those times, the habit was most often shared by friends and between couples; it was learned by the children.

The children were adults with children of their own before science knew or the government and industry admitted there might be a little problem.

More then likely, the use of tobacco will continue to decline over the next generation without more rules and regulations.

As others have mentioned, smoking is not the only cause of lung cancer or asthma for that matter (which, by the way, has increased while smoking has decreased).

Rather then using a ban as a venue for altercations (or to shout words of anger or hatred), use the energy to promote education of healthier daily habits. "

freeport56 wrote on Nov 20, 2008 3:44 PM:

" If anyone is paying attention, there goes another freedom.

Where is the left ????? I hear only silence...... "

greenridgedoug wrote on Nov 24, 2008 11:04 PM:

" the smoke in the vent person probably drives a volkswagon beetle{most notorius polluter}and smokes weed, of course that doesnt irritate the lungs. "

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