Letter: Smoking: Suicide on the installment plan

Monday, Feb. 13, 2006 | 12:31 p.m.

Billy Jean Kassel's Feb. 1 letter regarding a smoker's right to smoke, which carried the headline "Keep to your area if smoke bothers you," was interesting but not entirely correct. In principle, who would deny people the right to smoke?

Smokers make a conscious decision to inhale toxic chemical substances for whatever reason and are in effect committing suicide on the installment plan. Smokers disregard the warnings printed on packs of cigarettes and they or their families sue tobacco companies without compunction when death or disease results. I agree with Ms. Kassell that if nonsmokers encounter discomfort from secondhand smoke at a facility that has a smoking section, they should simply leave and not harass the smokers.

As far as smoking while driving, smoking is a distraction and does contribute to accidents. Smoking with children or nonsmokers in the car exposes these passengers to the same poisons the smoker chooses to use. Flicking cigarette butts out a car window is littering and also a cause of wildfires.

Yes, the purchase and use of cigarettes is legal and smokers have a right to smoke. However, please forgive the nonsmokers for their curiosity in questioning why anyone would find the practice appealing. Also understand there is a large segment of the population that chooses not to frequent businesses that are not smoke-free.

Jim Panik, Laughlin