Learn from our efforts. Four

years ago in Peachtree City we tried a conservative approach. We did not

ban smoking; we did not require smoke-free air. We only required the truth.

We left it up to the informed consumer and the responsible business to

do the rest and what it has shown is important to you.

Four years later, the only

change has been in those restaurants who have gone smoke-free. We showed

our businesses how to easily and cost effectively accommodate smoking

while still protecting their smoke-free air but because it is not required,

they cannot justify the effort or the expense to make the change.

The only smoke-protected separately

ventilated signs are found in our industrial park in the businesses with

previous computer or flammability concerns. Businesses seem to be able

to justify protecting their machines and buildings but not people.

With one vote you can create

and protect smoke-free air and put the responsibility for the next step

where it belongs ­ on the smokers and the businesses that want to

encourage smoking. Until this first step happens however, our efforts

show that the next step that requires some time, money and effort is not

going to happen.

Consider and pass a smoking

ban and see how quickly your businesses will make happen the changes needed

to protect you. Or you can also continue to do nothing.

The right to smoke does not

require anyone else to sit in the smoker's waste but until you start making

change happen, that is where you are stuck. Your responsibility is to

require change! It is their risk, not yours, quit sharing it. Require

smoke-free air!

For 30 years people have fallen

for the illusion of safety in "no smoking" sections and "no

smoking" signs. After years of the tobacco industry successfully

hiding the truth of the risk (just like Enron and WorldCom), we have had

the documented truth of the danger of secondhand smoke for over 10 years.

If it was their toilets overflowing, would you still be sitting ankle

deep in that waste without complaining? It is time to fix the problem!

With my throat cancer from

secondhand smoke, this is an important concern for me. Every day I see

the price my family pays for my ignoring my own common sense that warned

me of the risk. There is so much in life we cannot protect ourselves from;

this one is so simple.

Take the first step! Consider

a smoking ban! Require and protect smoke-free air!

Kathleen Sprowl Cheney

Peachtree City

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