Here are your responses to this week’s Q-Line question: “Is the smoking ban in parks a good law, a bad law or a waste of time and money?” ■ “I personally think the smoking ban is a ridiculous law. As a smoker for seven years I find it almost offensive that I can’t enjoy a good cigarette in the park because parents are not watching their children long enough to see if they are going to eat my discarded butts. As far as second hand smoke goes, do you forget we live in Southern California, people?” ■ “No I don’t think the smoking ban is necessary. I think it’s a waste of time and money. It’s not going to be enforced. I don’t know why they made a law. Take a look at the feeding in the parks and sleeping on the sidewalks. The police department does not enforce the laws in Santa Monica.” ■ “I think the people on the City Council who voted to ban smoking in parks must have an IQ of 15. I don’t smoke, but I don’t think they should take away the privilege of those who do. The park is a place to relax. If you can’t relax there then why go. This is a very stupid idea.” ■ “How dare they! What’s next? A crack down on us homeless people using public bathrooms instead of the carefully manicured park grounds. The city better watch it or me and my buddies are going to pack up and move to another city where our presence is wanted.” ■ “I’m a smoker. I take my kids to the beach every week. If I can’t smoke on the beach, I’m not going to go. It belongs to the people, not the persons on the City Council.” ■ “The manufacturers of tobacco related products certainly derive more benefits from the production of those products than the user. Former President James Earl Carter, and Surgeon General Coop stated that 500,000 people in the United States die each year from the residual effects of smoking. The cigarette package states it can cause cancer. Still those with a death wish continue to smoke. Those who do not smoke should be protected from those who do and do not care where they blow their smoke and discard their cigarette butts that are often thrown on the ground. They are cigarette drug addicts and are hooked, really hooked.” ■ “Just when are the police going to be able to enforce this law? Don’t they have enough to do besides hiding behind trees waiting for someone to light a cigarette and then give them a ticket? Remember, we get a lot of Japanese tourists. The first thing they do when they get out of the bus is light a cigarette. That’s if we get any tourists. You know there are lots of other things that could be done in this town rather than raising parking rates and purchase taxes. Come on! Let’s try and clean up downtown.” ■ “The smoking ban law is certainly a very bad law as well as being very stupid and should not be enacted.” ■ “Smoking outside is not the same as smoking inside. The wind blows the smoke around. When you smoke inside it’s more concentrated. As far as kids picking up cigarette butts and eating them... the city should supply ashtrays. We have enough bans as it is.” ■ “A smoking ban in the parks is a step in the right direction. It never killed anyone to quit smoking.” ■ “I think the new law is an example of do-gooding gone berserk. I notice that the people on the left want to ban tobacco smoking and the people on the right want to ban pot smoking. Can’t any one ever have any fun any-more?” ■ “I think the smoking ban in parks is a good law. I’m not quite sure how it’s going to be enforced. I hope it is enforced. I would like to see smoking banned in public for the entire planet if it was possible. Perhaps people would just be smoking in a little room somewhere. That could be provided throughout the land.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 4, 2003. Read the original PDF.