Smoke-Filled Entry

The state smoking ban went into effect at midnight last night. The Seattle Times and The Seattle P.I. both cover the story.

I'm still of two minds about the ban, as I don't think it's really fair to make it impossible for smokers to go out and enjoy themselves at all, but as a non-smoker who gets really sick with just a bit of cigarette smoke I'm glad I won't have to worry about it much longer. Even when I went out of my way to avoid places that allowed smoking, there were always a few exceptions that made it a problem.

I've known a lot of smokers who were great about keeping their smoke away from non-smokers... in fact, considerate smokers make up the vast majority of smokers I've known. It was always the few that didn't care, the ones who had the "it's legal, so just deal with it" attitude, that caused all the problems. Like the dopes who decided that smoking outside my dorm room, the one that had vents in the door that couldn't be closed all the way, was a great idea even after I told them it was a problem (my roommate reportedly solved the problem with a bucket of water, but I wasn't there). Or the complete morons who sucked in a big cloud of smoke just before they got on the city bus, then exhaled it as soon as they sat down, making sure that all the other riders had to endure the stink for most of the trip. Of course, if you could get rid of the inconsiderate portion of the population, not just the smokers, the world would be a much nicer place. But since smoking creates serious health problems, I guess I support laws to keep the handful of morons from harming the rest of us. I just wish it didn't punish all the smart folks too.

In another story, The Westin has gone smoke-free in all hotels in its chain. I'll keep that in mind, because I'd rather spend a night in a smoke-free room anytime, and if the whole hotel is smoke-free, then the chances are much better of getting a room that doesn't have that distinctive stench.