| The smoking ban in many of our cities is all about clean air. The issue isnt just second hand smoke from cigarette smoke. When statistics are compiled they never tell us what the air quality from inhalation of smog or forest and home fires, disel and exhaust fumes while sitting in traffic contribute to the cancer and heart disease statistics stated by the anti smoking groups. The valley I live in was under a 45 day bad air quality this past summer. Warnings to the old and young or anyone who had breathing problems to stay indoors. This warning means to me that every person who works outside or every child who played in our parks and school yards was breathing foul air with every breath they took for 45 days. What effect does this have on the statistics? It is my understanding that if you build a camp fire or BBQ in your back yard that the smoke from these seemingly harmless activities are just as harmful as any smoke filled bar or restaurant. You must think about our fire fighters when you think about smoke inhalation. What are the cancer and heart disease statistics for this group of workers directly involved in weekly or daily smoke from fires? If their statistics are included in the smoking statistics does it reflect a true picture of cigarette smoke in relation to clean air? My personal feeling is that any death or recorded illness where the person is or has been a smoker is lumped into the smoking statistics. Irregardless of the persons occupation, or other health issues they might have. |