Letters to the editor

Smoke on the horizon

Fire up the people with initiative to quit on their own

Editor, The Times:

It is an enormous travesty for the people of Pierce County to once again have to deal with the health hazards of secondhand smoke now that the state Supreme Court has overturned the ban ("Smokers celebrating victories on 2 fronts," Times page one, Feb. 11).

What the health-conscious people of Washington need to do is build up an initiative campaign and put it on the ballot.

As a new resident of San Diego, I must say that in no way has anybody's business been harmed as a result of a statewide smoking ban here. The entertainment industry would love to have you believe otherwise in Washington state.

— Craig Marker (former Seattleite), San Diego, Calif.

Pack mentality

It only bothers people in the habit of controlling everything

I see that Gov. Christine Gregoire is in favor of bills being discussed in the Legislature about banning smoking in public places ("Gregoire supports statewide ban on smoking," Local News, Feb. 9). I also see that there wasn't enough support last year for an initiative to be put on the ballot so that the public could vote on this issue.

So now we have people/politicians again sidestepping the Washington citizen by putting a bill through the Legislature not wanted by the citizens of Washington.

— Robert Travaille, Prosser

There are worse things you can do

Before you (enact a statewide smoking ban), may I suggest you actually go to the states that already have a smoking ban and talk with the owners of restaurants, instead of listening to what the anti-smokers and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation have to say about it.

My in-laws own and run a restaurant/bar in smoke-free New York and last month they were trying to figure out how they are going to pay their taxes. Sure would be nice if some of the tobacco-settlement money went to help these business owners with their taxes and livelihoods.

My in-laws give several employees a paycheck. They are 82 and 83 years old, both smoke and have lived and worked with smokers all their lives. They each put in a 12-hour shift each day and now it looks like the stress of paying their bills will end their lives earlier than what you say a cigarette ever would do.

— Diane Wrobel, Keller, Texas

Feel better immediately

All the drivel and canned outrage regarding business hardships, loss of jobs, etc., if a smoking ban is enacted is either an uninformed opinion or just plain lies.

As a partner in a restaurant when the smoking ban was enacted here in California, I too was concerned, but I can tell you from firsthand experience the ban has been good for business. We never saw a moment's drop-off in business. But patrons were happier, workers were happier and the wait staff told us tips increased! After several years of (the ban), I cannot find a single owner who says it hurt business.

When the rule is everywhere, it's fair and even. People won't stop going out to movies, dinner, ballgames. After all, people didn't quit flying when a smoking ban was enacted on domestic flights.

If you want a smoke-free environment, if you're tired of stinking clothes after a simple dinner, if you're tired of 20 percent of the people running everyone's lives, then contact your legislator and let them know how you feel.

— Stephen Tomacelli, San Marcos, Calif.

A patch of green

It is not surprising that our governor, state legislators and state health hegemony are against secondhand cigarette smoke, but uncertain about how to approach it. The uncertainty would go away if any of them would bother to read the scientific literature on the subject. Perhaps the following will help them understand:

Tobacco companies sell nicotine delivery devices.

Pharmaceutical companies sell nicotine delivery devices.

Pharmaceutical companies have funded the anti-secondhand smoke studies.

Pharmaceutical companies have increased sales in states which have banned indoor cigarette use.

Pharmaceutical companies, through EMILY's List, contributed lots of money to Gov. Gregoire's campaign.

Tobacco companies can sell nicotine to pharmaceutical companies.

Small businesses are going broke and closing up in states and provinces that have banned indoor cigarette use.

Small businesses employ the majority of workers.

Smokers stay home (if) cigarette use is banned.

Washington does not have the same climate as Southern California.

New York state legislators are reconsidering their ban on indoor cigarette use.

There is no scientific evidence connecting secondhand cigarette smoke with disease.

I hope these simple sentences will help our state's leaders understand this issue.

— Gustav Hellthaler, owner, The Blue Moon Tavern, Seattle

A slow burn

Tell me one good thing that smoking has contributed to society. It is just one more drug addiction that we just happen to be willing to allow. Must we put up with smokers out of pity and just have to continue putting up with their idiocy, which severely affects the rights of the greater majority?

That 20 percent (who smoke) represents approximately five hours a day. They can smoke anywhere they want to as long as it is between 12 midnight and six in the morning. The other 18 hours we have gained back from tobacco products.

— Jim Horn, Redmond

Nicotine fits

Supporters of smoking bans ignore the free-market system which is the best judge of whether nonsmoking policies are desired. Businesses that can't or won't meet consumer demand usually fail, while businesses that satisfy consumer demands are rewarded.

Any smoking ban will still allow all tribal businesses the freedom to cater to their smoking customers, while all other business owners would be considered criminals if they allowed their smoking customers to light up. Business owners must satisfy their customers' wishes or the customer will simply go to a business that will. <

The Emerald Queen tribal casino in Fife didn't adhere to the smoking ban when it was imposed in Pierce County while all other surrounding businesses had to ban smoking. While the Emerald Queen had every legal right to not adhere to the smoking ban, everyone should note that they didn't because they knew they would lose customers and profits.

Consumers are the ones who ultimately decide whether any business strategy, including a no-smoking policy, is successful.

— Dave Wilkinson, Renton

Addicted to love

Nicotine is an addiction so powerful that even someone recovering from congestive heart failure cannot break the habit ("Nursing-home residents fuming over smoking rules," Local News, Feb 4).

This addiction is hard to give up, but many people do it. Only last year, the Washington state Department of Health announced that our state had 115,000 fewer people smoking, compared with four years ago since the launch of the state tobacco-prevention and control program.

There are many immediate and long-term benefits to your health, if you can quit smoking. After only 20 minutes, your blood pressure decreases, pulse rate drops and body temperature of hands and feet increases. Within a year, excess risk of coronary heart disease is decreased to half that of a smoker.

Tomorrow we celebrate Valentine's Day. As a testament of your love for family and friends who smoke, consider directing them to the state tobacco quitline and other smoking-cessation resources, so you can enjoy more quality times with your loved ones.

More than 44,000 people have contacted the state quitline over the past four years.

— David F. Dreis, M.D., member, Board of Directors, American Lung Association of Washington, Seattle

Svengali mentality

Women over the influence

As a woman, I find Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers' questioning of women's aptitude for math and science far from provocative (I've heard it for close to 50 years). But I hope his illustration of gender-bias will be a springboard to a lively debate, resulting in solutions to eradicate it ("The sex of science," guest commentary, Feb. 6).

From our first breath, all of us are socialized to believe that women and men have differing roles with expected behaviors, and for most women, excelling in science and math are not expected behaviors. Even when women do show an interest, it is swiftly extinguished by the time they finish middle school, by parents, teachers and our society, and there is scientific data to support this fact.

Behavior that is not positively reinforced will not increase in frequency, duration or intensity — Psychology 101, it's that simple.

What isn't simple is exposing gender bias with its roots embedded in our cultural values, beliefs and identity, or finding solutions to socialize and resocialize men and women at home, in schools and in the workplace, to recognize the human necessity for men and women to reach their highest potential, not to assume expected roles. It's a two-way street.

— Diane Arnold, Bellevue

Office mentality

Closing the deal

The Republicans did not demand "perfection in the process" when their candidate Dino Rossi was in the lead in the governor's race ("GOP lawsuit makes vote observer famous," page one, Feb. 4).

If Rossi had been sworn in as governor instead of Christine Gregoire, would the Republicans have ever bothered to dig up every error in the election process? Or would they even now be telling the Democrats to stop whining and investigating and just accept a done deal?

I think it is good for our state that the Republicans lost the governor's race, because their investigation and uproar will ensure changes. But the most sensible thing to do about the problems they have publicized is not to hold another election now, which will have its own problems and start its own round of wrangling.

What we need to do is make the changes in our election process that will make it work better next time. It will never work perfectly.

But if we're lucky, the Republicans will lose again, and force some more improvements.

— Anitra Freeman, Seattle

The boss is always right

During the week of the presidential inauguration, Bob Woodward interviewed Vice President Dick Cheney, who commented on the 2000 Florida election debacle. He admitted that it was a mess but, "a win is a win is a win," and they had no choice but to accept the results and march forward.

May I make the same suggestion to Dino Rossi? He would do well to heed this advice from the fearless leader of his party and accept the results of the governor's race so that we may all march forward.

— Bill Fisher, Seattle

Just take a message

Governor Rossi should say hello to President Gore.

— Bryan Weinstein, Issaquah