Unnecessary ordinance

Proponents of a smoking ban contend that smoking in area restaurants is offensive. More than 50 restaurants in Cape Girardeau offer completely smoke-free dining. Yet people can't find a place to eat in our community that's smoke-free? Really?

Smoking ban advocates tell us smoke in the workplace is a crucial health issue. Can anyone name a retail shopping establishment in Cape Girardeau that allows customer or employee smoking inside the premises, except the tobacco shops? Is smoking allowed in any city, county, state or federal office buildings? Is it allowed inside any public or private school building or medical office? Is it allowed in any bank, grocery or department store, pharmacy, furniture, shoe or carpet store? How about any lumberyard or building material supplier? Both hospitals are smoke-free campuses, indoors and out. I'd like to know where all this harmful workplace smoking occurs in Cape Girardeau.

This is a bogus issue. There is no real secondhand smoke problem in our community. This boils down to a small group of activists trying to force a handful of restaurants, private clubs and all the local bars to restrict their smoking clientele from engaging in a legal activity because the Breathe Easy folks don't like smoking. Vote no on this unnecessary ordinance.

CHRIS MOORE, Cape Girardeau