Smoke Outdoors? Banned Now in Many Places
It's a weird thing but I'm almost starting to feel sorry for smokers. The AP reports today that more and more cities are moving to ban smoking outside, in parks and at beaches, even college campuses. "Outdoor smoking bans have nearly doubled in the last five years, with the tally now at nearly 2,600 and more are in the works," according to the AP. But some experts say there's not good medical evidence that cigarette smoke outdoors can harm the health of children and other passers-by. I must admit, I absolutely hate it when I must walk through a fog of smoke leaving office buildings but now, at the same time, I feel some sympathy for these beleaguered souls, who, granted, should not be smoking for their own health, but who should have the freedom to do so if they choose. This is America, after all, is it not? And how about this? "The evidence of a risk to people in open-air settings is flimsy," Ronald Bayer, a Columbia University professor, tol...