New Smoking Bans

If anyone you know dismisses the "slippery slope" argument as paranoia, point to smoking. First, it was no smoking in enclosed areas or places where people with poor health concentrate: e.g. airplanes and hospitals. Then came the public buildings. Then offices. Then the restaurants. Then the bars. Now John Stossel reports Mayor Bloomberg is taking on the outdoors. Yes, the outdoors.

To protect the public from the health effects of tobacco smoke, the new law will go a step further and not allow smoking in parks, beaches, marinas, boardwalks and pedestrian plazas.

That this measure has 65% approval underlines that smokers have become New York's second class citizens.