Pubdate: Mon, 21 Jan 2002
Source: Herald-Dispatch, The (WV)
Copyright: 2002 The Herald-Dispatch
Contact: http://www.herald-dispatch.com/hdinfo/letters.html
Website: http://www.hdonline.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1454
Author: Walter Hamilton

BEST TACTIC IS TO MAKE TOBACCO ITEMS ILLEGAL

Smoking is a hot issue today, and it is good to see people doing their 
smoking outside hospitals, schools and other public buildings. But who is 
protecting our helpless children in the home from the harmful effects of 
secondhand tobacco smoke?

Our children want to grow up and have healthy bodies; but who is concerned 
for that, except outside the home, where we become hostile toward anyone 
who pollutes our right to breathe fresh clean air.

The heart of the problem is not in trying to enforce smoke-free homes for 
children, but rather making it illegal to sell or possess this harmful 
substance, along with other substances that are on the law books.

And while we are at it America, let's do the same for alcohol. It was the 
damnable alcoholic drink industry, the law legalizing it and a drunken 
driver that instantly killed my son 15 years ago here in Huntington.

I am glad my home is tobacco-, smoke- and alcohol-free. Also, I am glad 
that I was raised in a church 70 years ago, which had enough of God in it 
to proclaim that smoking, drinking alcohol, swearing and stealing were 
sinful. Repent, oh America, and God will bless us. Pastors, proclaim the truth!

Walter Hamilton
Barboursville
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart