California-Picking On The Smoking Public Again

THE DOCTOR IS IN
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LAS VEGAS - Hello America, and how is the world treating you?

The nanny-state operatives are at work again. California is attempting to pass legislation against the smoking public once again using the lamest excuses they can muster. The state wants to eliminate smoking on all California beaches.

Their excuse this time is that cigarettes butts are such a pollutant on the beaches they are trying to claim that cigarette butts are the biggest offender of debris littering the beaches which in turn kill all the birds and wildlife that gather at the beach areas. Further these groups try to insinuate that cigarette butts kill more wildlife than any other product out there. Boy! That's reaching. How wrong can they be? True, a bird may accidentally swallow a cigarette butt occasionally but believe me when I say that birds and wildlife know the difference between actual food and a cigarette butt. And I can assure you that birds and wildlife do not fly and prowl around looking at cigarette butts for nourishment.

There have been numerous reports over the years that the debris left lying on the beach that is killing birds and wildlife in not cigarette butts but instead, soda can "pop-tops". Why? Because those pop-tops exude the aroma and taste of the sugary blend from the drink and that does attract the birds and wildlife.

So, is California going to ban people from enjoying sodas and soft drinks on the beach? Keep in mind it's not only soda pop-tops but now most can foods like chili, stew, soups, tuna cans, and many others have the pop-top on their lid and these foods are carried onto the beaches every day by families while they enjoy a day at the beach. So much for pop-tops.
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Lets talk about debris left on the beaches that birds and wildlife may try to pick up and/or eat. Some gigantic problems: Plastic diapers, plastic bags, plastic bottles (there have been a number of videos and news segments where birds, squirrels, cats, raccoons and other wild life have had their head caught in those items and couldn't get free). They were attracted by the aromas left in the containers. These items mentioned are just a small part of the debris scattered on beaches all around the country.

Lets not forget about all of the debris that washes up on all of our beaches around the country from the ocean each and every day. Medical waste is a very large contributor. In addition to the birds and wildlife many people are stuck every year by needles and syringes that have washed ashore? To many to count. So, cigarette butts? Get out of here. Worth mentioning also is the debris from all of the cruise ships and other ships that sail the world. They use the ocean like a dumpster and there is actually one part of the ocean that the scientists call the worlds garbage bin. The ocean currents in this one particular spot suck tons and tons of garbage and debris into its area and it piles up year after year. Where's the outcry there? God! Quit picking on the smoking public and using them as a whipping boy. Get real!

It's no secret that these nanny states and their groups always have an agenda to promote their own view as the only one. The biggest nanny states that continually try to alter and control a person behavior, freedoms and rights are: California, New York and New Jersey.

New York is such a whiny, nanny state that just recently New York City officials banned people from wearing perfume or any type of cologne in some of its buildings because "one person" said they couldn't stand the smell of perfume and filed a disability claim. Also the nanny mayor of New York City (nonsmoker) years ago took his personal prejudice against smoking out on the entire city and banned smoking most everywhere in the city. This nanny mayor also passed controls on trans fats and wants all restaurants to list contents and calories on all food menus.His reasoning is that these bans are a health issue and he is looking out for your well being.Are you kidding me?

First, most everything in life is a health issue. From the time a person starts their day breathing polluted air, drinking city and county water that may contain polluted contaminates, eating food that by the way is approved and certified by the government cause health problems, medications that doctors prescribe every day for people that actually have detrimental and fatal side effects. Yes Virginia, the states and government know what is best for you. They will take care of you. Do you think?

New Jersey followed in New York City's footsteps.They wanted to be your nanny also. Again, their Governor (nonsmoker) pushed his personal beliefs on the state. His attitude was "I don't smoke so I don't want anyone to smoke." He and groups with an agenda for themselves forced casinos in Atlantic City to stop cigarette smoking in the majority of the casino facilities. The disastrous result was that the casinos lost close to fifty percent of their gaming income. When Nevada followed suit and initiated smoking bans in bars and taverns and restricted smoking in casinos thousands of food service people were fired or lost their jobs because the business had to close their kitchens and worse, close their doors.I guess you can say "with power comes privilege."

My thought is that if these nanny do-goodies would let the individual business owners make their own decisions as to who they want to serve and what they want to serve and let the individual person make their own decision as to whom they want to spend their money with, the world would be a better place.

If these states mentioned herein would let one restaurant, casino hotel, business, etc., offer food, service, drinks and smoking, and/or gaming and then a few blocks away have another business like the first offer the same thing with the exception of smoking they would find that the business offering all the same items plus smoking would do more business. But people, that's what the states are afraid of. They know that if there were choices for the customer/consumer one establishment would do much more business than the other. My money is on the business that offers more choices. Rather than let the "free market" operate the nanny-state people say it knows what is best for you and the result is a broad, vague ban. Prohibition never works. The logical way to go is to allow the individual to choose: a totally smoking or nonsmoking establishment; a trans fat restaurant or not; a gaming or non gaming establishment, etc.

Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? Day by day special groups with agendas and political connections chip away another freedom of choice.

Imagine, if a place had a sign reading: " A totally smoking establishment", a nonsmoker would know not to patronize that spot. The same applies for a smoker who saw a sign that read: "A totally nonsmoking establishment." The same could apply to fast food places, trans fat establishments, etc.

If the people had a choice where to eat, drink, and gamble without being told by the state or city I predict that everything would work out very well, for everyone. It seems though that even though some people know there is, for example, a place offering a smoking and a nonsmoking area the non smoker still insists on going into the smoking area and then they complain that the smoke bothers them. I do know that most smokers refuse to go into nonsmoking areas just because they want to smoke while eating, drinking, gambling, etc.---


Now, back to the beginning: I'm sure that if there are smokers on the California beaches they can use ash trays to dispose of their cigarette butts. I'm sure there are ash trays in and around the areas of the beach. Rather than another blanket ban why not enforce any and all existing California litter laws and fine the offender(s). I have no doubt that litter laws can cost upwards of a few hundred dollars. Those fines would help the city, county and state coffers and that's really what these lawmakers want - Money!

Our country was founded on freedom of choice so lets not stomp our freedoms in the dust.- And, that's my opinion.

Bradley W. Kuhns,Ph.D., O.M.D.
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Dr. Kuhns can be reached by e-mail at:
bradleykuhns@gmail.com