THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, March 22, 1995 TAG: 9503210013
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 28 lines
After the congressional hearings in which the tobacco processors (pushers) waved their hands in the air and swore that ``nicotine is not an addictive drug,'' I find it had to believe anyone can still honestly defend the idea of ``smokers' rights.''
Well-documented facts gathered by objective sources clearly show secondhand smoke as the third leading cause of preventable death in this country.
Nonsmokers are exposed to nicotine in secondhand smoke. It takes two weeks for nicotine to clear from the air in a room where smoking has occurred. Do those places that have ``smoking sections'' think tobacco smoke will restrict itself to that designated section of an otherwise open area?
Smokers have no right to harm the well-being of others. Neither does an individual with active TB have the right to cough on my table or in my direction.
RON PRITCHARD
Virginia Beach, March 6, 1995 by CNB