Smoke Free Texas?

Texas lawmakers are introducing a bill designed to make Texas a smoke free state. As it is many communities have already banned smoking in all public places. Now there is a Texas senator, Sen. Rodney Ellis, (D-Houston) that wants to introduce a bill that will outlaw smoking through the state of Texas.

I am an ex smoker, and as such I agree that smoking is bad for your health. When I was a Navy Corpsman, I used to chuckle at the Chief of Cardiology ( my boss when I was an EKG Tech) sit there telling a patient who had just suffered a heart attack, to quit smoking. All while he was puffing away.

At the same time, I get irritated with laws aimed at telling people what they can do with their bodies. If some moron wants to pollute his lungs fine. I know all about second hand smoke, but when you go to a bar, you expect people to be smoking. I can understand not wanting to breath the second hand smoke, but I can remember when I had to go outside to smoke a cigarette. It makes you feel like a second class citizen.

Back to the idea of regulating someone's health. If we were paying for everyone's health care in America, then we would have the right to tell them they can't smoke. This to me is akin to telling a woman she can't get an abortion. I know there are many who will think I am nuts for this opinion.

The next thing I am expecting to see, is a ban on tobacco products in every way. O wait they already tried to do something like that it was called: Prohibition!