Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, June 3, 1990                   TAG: 9006040193
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: D-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

SMOKING RIGHT IS THREATENED

I try to stand for my rights but still respect the rights of others. When you are told you have no rights, to me it seems realistic to rebel.

Most of us would prefer to smoke with other smokers and not bother those who are offended. We resent the right to smoke being threatened, however, particularly in the name of health.

A lot of us drive unnecessary miles busily polluting the atmosphere. We use air conditioning, which is harmful to the ozone layer. We have electric everything. Our conveniences of water heaters, mixers, blenders, vacuums, washers, dryers, televisions and hi-fis take a great toll on our energy. Almost all of our energy pollutes as it is generated.

There are some 51 million smokers in the United States. This compares to 27 million members of the American Association of Retired Persons and 14 million members of the AFL-CIO. I think that the few rights we have left should not be taken away.

Cigarettes are addictive, if you call habit an addiction. So are gum-chewing, chocolate consumption, growing plants, reading books, watching television, golfing, fishing, hunting, etc. All of us would be better off without our addictions, but this is what we choose to do.

Most of us smokers would prefer to be left alone to our vices and really resent being told we are inferior because someone else wants to deny us this freedom of choice.

That we are endangering the health of others has yet to be proven. This seems irrelevant anyway, since our society condones the sale of alcohol when non-drinkers are killed by these addicts. Nothing is done about this, but we smokers are continually harassed and degraded. I. WARREN SIMPSON TROUTVILLE