The Vancouver Park Board has decreed that, come September 1st, smoking will be banned at the city's 200 parks and beaches.
Pity the poor Vancouver puffer. He/she can't smoke in pubs or restaurants, in workplaces, near building entrances and soon even in the park or at the beach.
Me? I think it's a good move. Having gone through my own tortured odyssey to quit, I'm convinced that quitting is the result of cumulative factors - expense, inconvenience, health, family and even public attitude. Everybody has a number and, when you finally reach it, you quit. Quitting isn't a matter of wanting to quit as much as wanting enough to quit. It's still not easy but it is worthwhile, sufficiently worthwhile to see it through.
4 comments:
Welcome news. I walk downtown 20 minutes to work and I inhale more second-hand smoke than at any time in my life. Vancouverites are huge tobacco smokers (as well as the usual suspect). One in three pedestrians smokes while they walk. BC has done a terrible job of educating its youth about the dangers of smoking. Everywhere you go here people - mostly younger people - are smoking. Even at the beach.
Do you really think Vancouverites are 'huge tobacco smokers'? When I worked in the city, 70's to 90's there were a lot of smokers but almost all of us eventually quit. Maybe, as you point out, it's mainly younger people today.
Smoking on the street - you probably see so many people smoking on the streets because smoking has been banned in all indoor public spaces and many private places as well.
There was probably a higher portion of smokers amongst the general population 25 years ago, but as smoking was allowed everywhere, many people did not smoke on the street.
IN THE OLDEN DAYS - Women were told that proper ladies (if they were smokers) never smoked outside or while standing .... things sure have changed.
That makes sense. Cut down the spots where puffers can smoke and you're bound to find more of them in those remaining spots.
In the olden days women were told a great many things that no longer apply - some for the good, some less so.
I understand that there's a real problem with the numbers of young girls smoking today.
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