4 days until Minnesota goes smoke-free in all indoor public places and workplaces, including restaurants and bars. Minnesota's new smoke-free law is called the Freedom to Breathe Act.
To me, Freedom to Breathe means:
- Freedom from the over 4,000 chemicals in secondhand smoke
- Freedom from the 69 known carcinogens in secondhand smoke
- Freedom to work and socialize in environments that aren't harmful to my health
The Freedom to Breathe Implementation Coalition has launched a campaign to help Minnesotans get ready for their new smoke-free law and ensure a smooth transition. To learn more about Minnesota's smoke-free law, visit their website (www.freshairmn.org).
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4 comments:
Freedom to Breathe to me means not having to call ahead to the establishment to make sure its safe for my family. My husband was just recently diagnosed with asthma at age 33 and we have a 3 year old at home. It also means freedom to enjoy more! I love being able to go on a date and enjoy the fresh air when we are at the bar. Freedom to breathe is a fundamental right when you think about it. Why is it so difficult for others to understand?
I completely understand and sorry to hear about the asthma. My nephew took me to Applebees after we moved here from SF. Asked for non-smoking, yup we got it..but the bar was right in the middle of the restaurant and the non smoking tables were surrounding it! Who thought of this layout didn't have his/her thinking cap on. So I told my nephew, never will we come here again..
It seems to me that WI is very conservative, correct me if I"m wrong. But we did visit Madison, and the ppl there seems a lot more liberal.
Freedom to Breathe means to smokers is an ostrization of smokers in the name of socialization. What it means to this smoker is the increase of the quanity of life at the cost of the quality of life. If I was to look at the reason a person goes to the bar it is to drink alchehol and be social. Alchol is just as dangerous to the body as smoking in my opinion. If people don't want to hurt there body, but want to go to a place to socialize I would recomend a coffee house. If a smoker friend demands on a bar, the non-smoker should either just put up with it or leave. This in itself just hurts the bar as a private buisness.
I think Anonymous has summed it up without realizing it: "If I was to look at the reason a person goes to the bar, it is to drink alcohol and be social."
I couldn't have said it better myself. People don't go to bars to smoke, they go to have a good time with friends.
No one should have to "just put up" with secondhand smoke. It causes serious health problems in otherwise healthy non-smokers. It's especially harmful to the bartenders and servers who have to work in smoky environments for hours at a time.
Coffee houses used to be as smoky as bars, but times have changed. It's time for another change - it's time to protect ALL workers from secondhand smoke.
And finally, there are no credible economic studies showing a negative effect on the hospitality industry after smoke-free policies have been enacted.
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