I’m sure you have probably heard that within the coming months all restaurants and the majority of public places are going to be ‘Smoke Free’ zones.  Being that I have mild asthma, chronic bronchitis, and COPD this regulation comes as a welcome respite to myself and other sufferers of these respiratory maladies.  Yet even though I’m in favor of the restaurants being smoke free, I am not totally against the needs of the smokers, not to mention the restaurant owners because in a lot of ways the ban encompasses too wide an area.

I have read about restaurants in the news that can no longer use wood ovens for cooking traditional items on their menus because the smoke from the wood fits the criteria for the ban.  I personally think that is ludicrous.  Everyone knows that ‘wood’ smoke cannot harm you, but ‘tobacco’ smoke can.  I believe stoves need to be exempted from the smoking ban, which is unless they cook with tobacco.

Also, in the old days the restaurants and trains and other places had rooms sealed off from the rest of the populace.  These were called ‘smoking rooms’. People would go to these little lounges and smoke whenever they wanted a puff.  Some places still have these, but not many.  I know of even one ‘hospital’ that has one so that doctors, nurses, and staff can have a butt – but ‘patients’ too.  At this hospital a doctor took from his own funds and had the room built.  It is next to the cafeteria.  It is airtight so that no smoke goes to the eating area for non-smokers.  It also has a special ventilation system to keep excess smoke from building up. 

When my Aunt was in the hospital I had the misfortune of being in that room several times with my Mom because she didn’t want to be in there alone.  That place always had so many smokers in it you couldn’t see inside the glass windows because of the nicotine and the haze. It smelled so bad in there
that is what I liken Hell to smelling like if you have the misfortune of going there.

In closing I say watch for my future installment… ‘Is It OK To Open Up A Six Pack of Whoopin’s On A Doctor For Building A Smoking Room In the First Place?’