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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!floyd!vax135!ariel!hou5f!jrt
From: jrt@hou5f.UUCP (Jaime Tormos)
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Laws on smoking and noise
Message-ID: <360@hou5f.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 17-Aug-83 12:52:12 EDT
Article-I.D.: hou5f.360
Posted: Wed Aug 17 12:52:12 1983
Date-Received: Wed, 17-Aug-83 23:50:18 EDT
Organization: American Bell ED&D, Holmdel, NJ
Lines: 50


	There are laws on the books concerning noise, and
disturbing the peace.  Obviously some people like noise, and
some people like quiet.  In order to protect the rights of
those that appreciate quiet, restrictions had to be placed
on the creation of noise, because there were always those that
disregarded the feelings of others.  In particular, noise could
not be generated in places (public) where it bothered others
that wanted quiet.  No restrictions(that I know of) have ever
been placed on someone that resricted the amount of noise
created where there was no one else around, or where those that
were gathered together agreed to the noise.  It is my understanding
that those laws are there because once the noise has been generated,
it affects many people around it, most of whom do not desire the noise.

	I have never asked for restricting the rights of anyone
to smoke.  I am for restricting smoking (as noise) to those places
where it does not offend people.  Since there continues to be a
large number of smokers that continue to smoke, even when asked
not to do so, there are no others recourses available.  All that 
I am asking for is my right to clean air.

	Those people that smoke in public inject their smoke and
byproducts into the air.  Once it is there, it can only be
dissipated with time and wind/ventilation into the larger area
of the open air.  However, smoke, even in open places, does drift
in many directions.  It does not just 'disappear' outside of a
one foot radius of the smoker.  It may drift as a concentrated
(concentrated enough) mass for as much as thirty or more feet.   That
means that one smoker every sixty feet, can effectively 'blanket' an
open area in smoke.

	As I have stated repeatedly, I am only asking for my right
to clean air.  Cigarette smoke DOES contain products that have been
shown to be damaging to the physical health of humans and animals.  I
do not need known carcinogens and other chemicals added to the air I
breathe.  There are laws (in my opinion very wise laws) that restrict
the amount of pollutants that factories, cars and etc. can place in the
air.  These laws are there because a minority of 'polluters' acted in
total disregard to the public.

	The laws I support are due to a minority(?) of smokers that
also act with total disregard to the public.

			(** FRODO **) alias hou5f!jrt

P.S.  Better ventilation doesn't do it.  Ask me about the *&#$%'s who
	lit up cigars and cigarettes at a recent football game, and the
	ensuing fight that broke out because of it (no I wasn't involved).