Hookah justice
Submitted by cjmalone on Fri, 08/13/2010 - 11:15pm
The NC General Assembly was right this year to ban smoking in public places, including restaurants. I would have supported that bill in the interests of public health, while my opponent,incumbent Sen. Neal Hunt, voted against the ban in the interests of private property.
Yet, the powers that be were able to exempt country clubs and cigar bars from that ban, while shutting down the poor old hookah lounges. That is not fair.
Charles Malone
What is your position?
Would they still be "poor old hookah lounges" if you successfully banned this voluntary action on ALL private property (including hookah bars), instead of just most?
It is the hypocrisy of
It is the hypocrisy of allowing this action in affluent enclaves for smokers, but not allowing it for the regular folks--generally speaking--who tend to go to hookah bars. In no way do I want smoking to go on in areas that attract a mixed crowd: rich, poor or otherwise. It would be more consistent to ban it everywhere private, but I prefer a little more thought for fair play in who is included in the exceptions to the rule.
Charles Malone
While I completely disagree with your view...
I appreciate your response, and share your sentiment. Last year (I believe), there was a bill that passed through congress (and is now law) which banned all flavored cigarettes in the US (with the idea that less kids would smoke)...except for one. Menthol. Wow, what a shocker...the flavor that gets smoked the absolute most, and makes up almost a majority of the entire cigarette market (rather than the 2% that they actually banned). Nope, no corporate influences in that bill.