Dr. Harris glibly ignores that the "right to choose" in the current smoking ban extends only to anti-smokers and is denied to business owners and those who choose to smoke. To my knowledge, no non-smoker had yet been forced to eat at a restaurant or drink at a bar that allows smoking. If someone doesn't like the atmosphere in any particular establishment, they can go elsewhere. In no way is this a denial of their rights. They can enter or refuse to enter a business as their pleasure dictates. Restaurants in Decatur are like churches in Decatur - there are lots of them. So if you don't like the hymns being sung at one church, go to a different church.

Yes, it's true that not smoking is probably much healthier than smoking, but many of us have progressed beyond that stage in life in which mom made us do something because, "It's good for you." I certainly don't want a city council, and especially the current Decatur City Council, playing such a maternalistic role in my life. What's next? Will Decatur become like Belmont, CA, where the city council passed a resoultion banning smoking in all apartment units within the city limits? That's all apartments, not just city owned apartments, but all apartments.

Hey William, you're free to smoke in the sewers, they need your help to indentify leaks.

William glibly ignores that when a business is a smoking establishment, those that work there have no "right to choose" about the air they breath when they are trying to make ends meet.

What you're asking is a person to choose between their health and employment. In this current economy, a job is a commodity, and in most cases you have to take what you can get to support your family, support yourself and keep a roof over your head. If a person can only find and secure a job at a place that allows their employees or patrons to smoke (restaurant, factory, office building, etc) and that person has made the choice NOT to smoke, they are required to breath second-hand smoke as a means of making a living. Talk about taking away a person's "right to choose!"

why don,t all the non smokers bite us , you know where

Thomas - Thank you for extending the invitation to visit your residence, but I'll have to decline for now. I don't think I coud put up with your sanctimonious attitude.

I understand everyone has rights, and yes I am a smoker BUT I do NOT smoke in public places such as school functions, eating establishments etc.,or around anyone that doesnt smoke, I feel it is only respectful that if someone doesnt smoke that I not smoke around them as my smoking is not THEIR choice. If a smoker cannot wait long enough to eat and leave the resturaunt then that smokers has bigger issues than smoking. Yes I have the right to smoke, no I dont have the right to blow it in someone else's face.I was raised being taught respect others around you and treat others as you want to be treated. smokers that get on here and raise cane over not being to sit in a resturaunt for at the most two hours without a smoke then you need to stay at home and smoke. everyone smokers and non smokers need to respect others around you. non smokers if you go into a resturant or bar that allows smoking you really have no business fussing you willingly when into the place, smokers if you went into a place that doesnt allow smoking you have no right to complain because you willingly when in business as well. No one has taken away anyone's right to smoke, what they have done is taken away the right to smoke in public around others that do not smoke or are to young to smoke or make the choice to smoke, if you have a problem with that then that is on you and just shows how little respect you have for others.

Well if we are going to ban smoking for work place safety lets talk about chemical and nuclear plants.There are thousands of people that walk into these plants every day surrounded by carcinogens.Are you worried about these people too or are you just wanting them to keep on providing you with electricity and products you can buy and not worry about the risk to their health.

There are things at BP Amoco,Monsanto,3M and Browns Ferry that will kill you graveyard dead.I have seen people that retire and six months later your at their funeral.Where does the good doctor stand on that?

People want to ban smoking because THEY don't like it.You probably couldn't care less about the people that work in these establishments.

There are risks in every form of employment.It's pretty simple.You don't like the risk,DON'T TAKE THE JOB.I have quit jobs because I felt my safety was at risk.

I'm not an unreasonable person.I'm a smoker and if I go into Red Lobster or anywhere else and pay what they charge for a meal,I understand that people don't want to smell my smoke.I'm fine with that.Ban smoking in restaurants.But a barroom?Come on.People that don't smoke,smoke when they go to a bar.

I can tell you the tips are down for the bar staff and revenue is down for the bar owners.

You are playing with peoples livelihood.And don't tell me business is off because of the economy.Florence and Huntsville are doing fine.It's a fact that liquor sales are the last thing to drop in a tough economy.Go figure.

lets see, gasoline is very toxic, natural or butane gas is also, dont forget exhaust fumes from vehicles, an overdose of perfume or aftershave can set of an asthma attack, a lot of people can not stand the smell of sented candles. should all these fumes be banned also, or the businesses that sell them be forced to stop. you take away anyones choice to go where they want to eat because of the ban. before the ban you and your nonsmoking buds had the choice of going into ANY place to eat, smoking or non smoking, now you have taken away the right of a smoker to choose, they are FORCED to eat where YOU like to eat. passing a law which takes a business owers right to manage their business in the way they want to is wrong. the city goverment is trying to control how much money a person makes from their business. ianyone who thinks you can get seafood in decatur, has never eaten seafood before. there are just not enough places to get good food in your city to worry about. the city will let them go out of business, an another bunch of law makes will repeal the ilegal ban, and new eating places will appear. take the next step and ban tobacco products period. im not a doctor, but i stayed in a holiday inn express once, and this is my opinion.

This type of thing will continue. I personally buckle up in my car and have always made my son. I think everyone should buckle up but making it a law was absurd also.

Do you folks realize that even "Sin City", Las Vegas", has a smoking ordinance? So, if a place like that has enough sense to have a law that does not allow smoking where food is served, then how backwards does Decatur look to allow smoking in businesses where food is being served?

As a non-smoker with a family, I have a right for my kids and I not to breathe in second hand smoke. Smokers have rights to smoke their death sticks, just as long as they are not forcing it upon me. If Decatur goes "all or nothing", any restaurant that allows smoking will not be able to separate smokers from non-smokers. That if they choose to allow smoking, it will be in all areas of the restaurant and that restaurant will lose much more business than if they would have stayed non-smoking. Families eat at restaurants and most families do not want their kids exposed to secondhand smoke.

However, families do not patronize clubs and bars that do not serve food. So, if somebody is going to a club or bar to get their drink on, I really don't see where they can complain too much about the smoking going on at the bar also. The people at a club or bar are all at least 21 and making their own choice to go into a business where smoking has always been a part of the atmosphere. A club or bar does not have to worry about a child being involuntarily exposed to secondhand smoke as they do at a restaurant.

but your great leaders did not write the ban that way.....it covers EVERY business...if there is a non smoking casino i have never seen it. if you are so against tobacco, make them ban the product, not the users, then ban the sale and possession of alcohol AGAIN, just get rid of all the sin taxes, then you can live in your very own city of nothing. by the way decatur does not have to TRY being backward, it has always been that way. if you ask the places where they serve food and drinks in your city they will tell you how much business is down, and how the staff is suffering because of the lost tips. i dont know why, but non smokers, and non drinkers do not tip very well, but demand great service. not to mention former smokers and drinkers. you can be the next carry nation fighting john barleycorn, and tobacco.

Dear mythbuster I do not smoke or drink I tip 30% I am generous and you are stupid.

im afraid you are in a small crowd b j...... i have been in the food service....i know what im talking about....ten people at a table, and leave a six dollar tip......please.....wish i had had you as a customer....then i could have bought health insurance.............

go ahead and be strong, make them ban the possession of and sale of tobacco.

stupid is as stupid does.......winston groom

apparantly according to most folks here and the letter to the editor writer are unable to make the decision whether to go or not go into a smoking establishment. hey need a government entity to make that decision for them. how very sad. i am a nonsmoker, but i have the sense to make my own decision unlike a lot of folks here. as far as someone working in a smoking establishment, no one is taking away their right to choose. they either choose to work there or not to work there. economy has nothing to do with it. exactly at what point did the worker loose their right to choose? and one other thing, it is not the employee's job, the job belongs to the employer. who interns allows the emplyee to do it for a fee.

i love you folks (like BJ, thomas and wanda) who really don't really have anything intelligent to say about the matter and throw out infantlle insults instead.. jerry

if government is the answer, it must have been a really stupid question.

Wanda is known for her insults and disparaging remarks. Oh and Wanda look it up in the dictionary because I know you do not know what disparaging means.

Listener: You are wrong. Nobody ever forced someone to work in an establishment that allows smoking.

Johnson: You are correct to a point. Those of us who smoke have been inconsiderate of others. But where you go wrong is when you say non-smokers cannot fuss if they go into a bar that allows smoking. You see, there are no such bars under the current law.

Bottom line: If the owners are allowed to choose whether to allow smoking, some (few) will allow it, others (most) will not. The market will dictate their business model. The decision will be posted on the door. Those who enter do so of their own free will. This will give smokers and non-smokers alike a choice in whether they want to breathe toxic fumes. As it stands now, non-smokers are the only ones with rights. It is too bad the nanny city has to crush the rights of the few. This is my opinion. I vote. But I am among the minority. So I usually go to Huntsville if I want to drink and smoke without having to stand in the rain or freezing cold.