I came across CNN story that indicated NYC plans to ban public smoking in parks, beaches and pedestrian areas.
New York City officials announced a plan to ban smoking from city parks and beaches, that will also include the pedestrian areas that are blooming all over town, including the world famous one in Times Square.
The city's mayor, Michael Bloomberg, said the measure will help insure that "when New Yorkers and visitors go to the parks and beaches for fresh air, there will actually be fresh air for them to breathe".
If only Gilly was still alive, I'd love to hear his take on this.
Is it just me, or does this seem like some misguided health department idea that will not really accomplish much in the way of air quality improvement yet starts to really trample on individual freedoms.
If I wanted to improve air quality in NYC, I'd want regulate vehicle emissions in the city and industrial emissions, especially those to the immediate west of NYC, like in NJ.
I'm guessing that this would be nearly impossible to enforce and I doubt the police want to have to start being the cigarette police. I totally understand the laws against smoking in public buildings and workplaces but IMO, if this proposal is approved the next step would move us closer to Singapore where people have been jailed for chewing gum in public places (that law was finally repealed in 2002, now you only need a doctors prescription to chew it).
What is going on? We are fighting 2 wars, have a financial crisis still playing out and this is what people are thinking is good governance?