Editors Note: The views expressed within this article do not necessarily reflect the view of Fire Society, firesociety.com, it's staff, or it's affiliates.

Recently, Ohio passed an ammendment to the law of Ohio which bans smoking in public places. This includes restaurants, hotels, private clubs, etc. A lot of people when they voted for this did not realize it included private clubs as well. I personally feel if the non-smokers want to go to a bar that permits smoking than either don't go or build bars that are non-smoking which would allow the smokers to do the same; either not frequent that bar or simply not smoke there. I have gone to restaurant's that I knew ahead of time were non-smoking restaurants such as Ryan's and it did not bother me to not smoke there. So what is the big deal here? If you go to a smoking facility, expect smoke, otherwise go to a non-smoking facility where you will not have smoking.

Just because the non-smokers do not smoke, it does not give them the right to create a law that tells me I am not allowed to smoke in public. You can drink in public. Take Jamboree in the Hills in Ohio, I will not go to it because it is a big alcoholic party. Maybe I would like to hear a country jamboree without having to put up with the drunks, some place I could take my children to and go as a family unit; so I simply do not go to Jamboree in the Hills because I do not like to be around drunks.

Ohio raised the taxes on cigarettes and sure likes using my tax dollars for non-smoking as well as smoking individuals in regards to Ohio's roads, etc. I refuse to give Ohio anymore tax dollars for purchases of cigarettes. If I am a second class citizen because I smoke, why should I give Ohio my tax dollars for smoking? The citizens didn't ban drinking in Ohio which causes more wrecks, deaths, and incarcerations in Ohio then my cigarette's have caused. Teenagers are at higher risk for alcohol consumption and fatality. If they try to buy cigarettes they are carded and asked for I.D. How do teenagers get alcohol if they are carded and asked for I.D.? As you can see it's not just cigarettes. Cigarettes may cause cancer, alcohol can cause liver damage and Cirohsis of the liver, it can cause kidney damage and brain cells are destroyed that are irreplacable. Brain cells do not renew themselves like other cells in our body. I personally know a man that drank so much that his brain shrank in size and now has Organic Brain Syndrome, which is similar to Alzheimers or Dementia. But our society advertises alcohol on television so it is quite acceptable to promote.

I personally have bad nerves and smoking eases my tension. Give me a cup of coffee and a cigaarette and I am just fine. I feel my constitutional rights have been violated by the non-smokers and if I have freedom in this country and I am not living under dictatorship then I do not feel that non-smokers have the right to take my right to smoke away from me. And not to especially have an amendment in our law that I do not have a right to smoke in public places anywhere in Ohio is apalling while they use smokers cigarette taxes for their benefit. If I violate the law I will be turned in and fined or incarcerated?

Where are my constitutional rights? The cigarette companies in 1963 darn sure did not tell me then it would be addicting to smoke or that there would be heath risks. Don't people know that the smokers will continue smoking? They are just losing our business because we are treated as second class citizens. I personally will not frequent any place that is going to treat me as a second class citizen. You made the law you did not want my smoking at the establishments rather then building your non-smoking establishments; therefore I will not give you my money andI will not visit any restaurant, motel, bar, or private club that will not treat me also with respect.

I do not blow cigarette smoke in your face. I do not smoke around children, even in my own home when my grandchildren come. I go outside. I respect non-smokers and do not purposefully blow smoke at them. I do not smoke when a non-smoker is present or I go outside. In the same respect non-smokers need to respect me and simply build non-smoking places as I know several places already are non-smoking before the law came into affect. Do not violate my rights either. I do not appreciate being dictated to by the non-smokers. I am a citizen with rights the same as you!!!! My constitutional rights have been vilolated by the government and by non-smokers!