THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, April 17, 1995 TAG: 9504150007
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A6 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 30 lines
I say lighten up on smokers.
If what your nonsmoking letter writers say about second-hand smoke or smoking in general were as bad as you report, there wouldn't be but a handful of people over 50 years of age, because we senior citizens grew up when practically everyone smoked.
Even the oldest woman (120 years) in the world was a smoker.
As far as the smell of cigarettes ruining nonsmokers' meals at restaurants, it's no different from when my meal is ruined by the odor of perfumes, after-shave lotion and screaming kids.
And talk about health costs. What about the people who go out in public with bad colds and spread viruses?
In 1969 we lost hundreds of middle-age people in my state from the spread of a virus. My healthy 35-year-old husband and two classmates died from it.
People should think before they complain about others.
S. A. LAMBERT
Chesapeake, April 7, 1995 by CNB