Ellis and Crownover on the smoking ban

State Sen. Rodney Ellis and State Rep. Myra Crownover have an op-ed arguing in favor of the statewide smoking ban legislation they're sponsoring. I don't know how persuasive their case may be to anyone who isn't already in favor of it - I get the impression this is more a matter of faith these days than anything else - but there you have it in case you were curious. What I'm curious about is how much actual effect this legislation will have. Maybe it's just my urban elitism speaking, but it strikes me that with the extension of Houston's ban, I can't remember the last time I encountered a lit cigarette inside a public building. Maybe if I visited a bar in unincorporated Harris County I would, but as far as my normal habits go, it's just not an issue for me.

So help me out here: Where, if at all, do you encounter smokers? I'm only talking about places that would be affected by this proposal, which includes bars, restaurants and all indoor public places across Texas, including offices, convention centers and bus stations. It would also ban smoking in the bleachers of outdoor sporting or music events, and anywhere within 15 feet of a doorway to a public building. Putting it that way, the latter is probably where I'm most likely to run into smokers, though not at my own office building - they're restricted to a rooftop area near the cafeteria, which I can easily avoid. What about you? Leave a comment and let me know.

One thing from the op-ed:

As Lance Armstrong recently stated, in 10 years we will look back at this debate and wonder, "What were we debating, and why did it take Texas so long?"

I have to say I agree with this. When I came to Houston in 1988, smoke was everywhere - restaurants, hotel lobbies, office buildings (at my first job, my smoking coworkers lit up in the building's atrium; the place had a permanent haze), you name it. Now, it's all gone, and it's totally normal this way. I fully expect that this will be one of those stories I'll some day tell my kids about how things used to be that will make them roll their eyes in disbelief.

Posted by Charles Kuffner on February 22, 2009 to That's our Lege