The smoking ban interests me because I know quite a few people who smoke, and I absolutely hate secondhand smoke.

I understand the smoker's point of view on this topic; however, I don't understand why most smokers don't respect non-smokers' opinions.

True, smokers aren't allowed to smoke in a whole lot of places anymore. However, almost all non-smokers enjoy the lack of smoke in their environment. Smokers should think about what non-smokers may think about secondhand smoke and other annoying side effects of smoking.

Perhaps a good compromise for the smoking ban would be to construct and/or convert specific restaurants, bars, etc., into specific smoking venues.

I think that this debate over a smoking ban can and will continue for a long time, and anyone who smokes will probably always complain about not being able to go into places where smokers aren't allowed.

Alex Chavez, Normal