Posted on 02/20/2020 8:37:24 PM PST by DoodleBob
RIVERHEAD, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) — Is one suburban county going too far trying to legislate what residents can and cannot do in the privacy of their own homes?
Hoping to be the most progressive county in the state, Suffolk County is proposing a law that would snuff out secondhand smoke in apartment complexes, condominiums, and multi-family dwellings, CBS2’s Jennifer McLogan reported Wednesday.
Smoking is already banned in many public places, and near schools and office buildings, but there are no smoke-free laws for apartment buildings, condos, and two-family homes.
“Let me be clear, any legislation that there is a vote required that would have an impact on preventing the public or innocent people who have made a choice not to smoke, from being exposed to smoke, I will support that legislation,” Suffolk Legislator Dr. William Spencer said.
Spencer, who is also a medical doctor, said secondhand smoke can permeate through cracks in walls, electrical lines, plumbing, and ventilation systems.
Statistics show more than 3,000 non-smokers in New York die each year from heart disease and lung cancer caused by secondhand smoke.
There are two proposed laws to reduce secondhand smoke in Suffolk County.
Legislator Sam Gonzalez is sponsoring the bill banning all smoking in apartments, condos, and multi-family homes.
When asked if the proposed legislation is going to far, Gonzalez said, “It’s not going too far. We’re heading in that direction anyway. We can’t smoke in restaurants. We can’t smoke in buildings. We can’t smoke inside the theaters. There are parks, there are beaches that you can’t smoke in. We are headed there.”
The proposed legislation has Suffolk residents buzzing.
(Excerpt) Read more at newyork.cbslocal.com ...
"When I get the push-back from individuals that say, ‘No, you can’t stop me from smoking,’ I say ‘Why not?'” Gonzalez said.
Personally, cigarettes should be completely banned. Anywhere and everywhere. As a product, there is no upside to them. Any effort to get more people to stop using them, to stop using them around people, even their own kids, is a good thing. It makes my blood boil to see people make excuses for cigarettes, ignoring the dangers (such as my father’s death several years ago).
How about sex-normal or the sodomite variety? Can they ban that too? That is just the logical consequence of the proposed law.
Next up “No cooking stinky food” law.
I could see this coming some 15 years ago. The slow encroachment of conformity. It continued because smokers have very few public defenders. It’s easy to get a round of applause from other do-gooders by saying Smoking is EVIL.
Long ago, I got myself used to smoking outside or only in certain areas. You can’t fight every City Hall.
Of course, we are talking about tobacco here.
If any ‘Smoking Ban’ is to include marijuana, that may be tougher to do. MJ Smokers often feel that they are exempt from such laws because ‘it’s prescribed by my doctor, or it’s healthier than tobacco!’
“Statistics show more than 3,000 non-smokers in New York die each year from heart disease and lung cancer caused by secondhand smoke.”
I am skeptical.
They need to focus on growing, eating and fermenting more potatoes.
The older I get, the more libertarian I become. It’s so damned easy to lose freedom these days.
if the walls are being shared...I understand.
Nonetheless, we are a nation of laws. Can you please identify where in the Constitution is the federal government empowered to ban the sale of tobacco?
The “in” crowd says:
Tobacco, no.
Marahoochee, yeah!
Naked power play here. And I suspect they cooked the data on secondhand smoke.
That said, I live by myself in a house. I can enjoy my daily cigar in peace — except on those days when I smoke two cigars.
These people better get used to hanging off lampposts.
We kicked the british out for less.
we need to start thinking that way again.
If you can ban smoking in the privacy of a home, why can’t they ban Homo sex too? It would help to reduce HIV and AIDS
Good, you got that off your chest.
Wish you would have addressed the issue though.
Perhaps you will later?
Next up “No cooking stinky food” law.
.....
NO MORE WIRE HANGERS
MJ Smokers often feel that they are exempt from such laws because ‘it’s prescribed by my doctor, or it’s healthier than tobacco!’
.......
Hey now you stop right there. ...you’re making too much sense.
This is sheer insanity and IF it gets passed, next they will be telling everyone what they may and may NOT eat.
At 13 bones a pack in NYC, smoking is not a poor mans’ vice anymore.
“Second hand smoke through electric wiring? “
It didn’t say that!
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