Published: June 06, 2009 02:54 pm      

Go smoke free

Editor:

As someone who knows all too well the dangers of exposure to smoke from cigarettes, I would like to challenge the city of McAlester to go smoke-free.

The dangers of smoking are well documented and too numerous to list, as are the dangers from exposure to secondhand smoke. Many cities in this country, and even some states, have gone smoke- free in public places.

Nothing turns off a potential customer more than employees outside the front door of a business smoking, unless maybe it is smelling it on their hair and clothes while they wait on you. So I challenge all businesses in McAlester to not allow their employees to stand in front of any business entrances and take their smoke break.

I believe every person has the right to smoke, if that is their choice, but, they should be required to do so in a private place without the chance of exposure to anyone else. This is a multi-billion dollar health issue that cannot wait to be dealt with.

Please, McAlester, go smoke-free in all public places now. And is you know of a workplace this is not complying with the law to be smoke-free, let the city know.

V Jean Jones

McAlester