LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Council has clouded logic in voting against smoking ban

By: Dear Editor: | SCNOW
Published: November 15, 2009

I was extremely disappointed that the Florence City Council voted against the smoking ban this past Monday afternoon. I believe that the Council and the residents of Florence would benefit from some additional perspective on the issue. As a psychologist and college professor, I routinely educate students about the complexities of substance abuse and dependence. Years of research have shown that nicotine is one of the most addictive substances in existence, and about one in four people in our population are addicted to nicotine. The relapse rate for cigarettes is about the same as that for heroin. Thus, it is an extremely difficult addiction to overcome, and — sadly — nicotine addiction is associated with nearly 20 percent of all deaths in the U.S., making it the leading preventable cause of death. I should also mention that men who smoke have twice the risk of developed erectile dysfunction when compared to men who do not smoke. Overall, I am confused and disappointed th at the council failed to seize an opportunity to help protect Florence citizens from this terribly addictive substance. Not only do cigarettes harm the health of those who are addicted, but it also affects adults and children around them.

I would like to believe that our elected leadership has the best interests of Florence citizens at heart, but I am not convinced. Instead, they claim to be protecting business owners’ “right to choose.” Which is more important: the health and safety of our friends and neighbors, or business owners’ prerogative? Having once lived near a town that passed a similar smoking ban, I witnessed firsthand the increase in business that resulted from the ban, as residents drove into that town to dine and shop in smoke-free environments. I truly think that the Council’s logic is clouded on this issue (pun intended), and I hope that Mayor Wukela, Councilman Brand, and Councilwoman Williams-Blake do not give up their fight for the health and safety of Florence citizens.

Farrah Hughes
Florence