To ban smoking is the right thing to do

The city of Calabasas is proposing to curb smoking in the city.

Exposure to secondhand smoke is the third leading cause of preventable death in this country and is estimated to kill 52,000 nonsmokers every year.

As a nation, we long ago accepted the use of tobacco in our society. We also, at various times, have accepted slavery, DDT and other things we've eventually done away with. As our collective consciousness is educated, we strive to right our mistakes.

This mistake ignores the disease and death tobacco causes. 52,000 nonsmokers will die this year from exposure to secondhand smoke. That’s 52,000 people who did not choose to smoke, but were forced to by society's ignorance.

If you smoke, do not do so in public areas, even outdoors. The secondhand smoke you create is harmful to those around you.

The ordinance that Calabasas has proposed does not telpeople to stop smoking. It simply insists that smoking be done where it cannot inflict harm on others. Fifty-two thousand people will die this year from the effects of secondhand smoke. It's time to stop it. Julie Shy Calabasas