No-Smoking Law in Beverly Hills

The Beverly Hills no-smoking ordinance has shown what smokers are really like: spoiled and selfish. If the majority of the population behaved as smokers are behaving, they would have had nonsmoking ordinances a long time ago. Instead, to their own harm, nonsmokers behaved like patient parents to unruly children. Who, but children and addicts, insist on feeding themselves whatever they want regardless of how it hurts themselves and others?

Restaurateurs are also to blame for the disillusionment that struck the smoking population. Although smokers comprise about 30% of the population, they were given an overwhelming portion of restaurants. When nonsmokers were asked if they wished to dine in a smoking or nonsmoking section, most said “It doesn’t matter.” Consequently they were put into a smoking section, which gave the exaggerated appearance that most people were smokers.

Unfortunately, nonsmokers didn’t realize that it does matter. People who are sensitive to smoke had no recourse. The tiny area they were consigned to was polluted with smoke anyway. Sometimes lines were drawn, and people in a “no-smoking” area were as close as six inches from smokers.

JERALD L. BROWN

Glendale