Calabasas California Bans Public Smoking

On thursday, January 26, 2006 California became the first state to state secondhand smoking as an air pollutant. The reason California made secondhandsmoking an air pollutant, is because of its links to certain diseases, such as asthma, heart disease, some forms of cancer and premature births. On March 19, 2006, in Calabasas California, Smoking in public places was banned. The law prohibits smoking in indoor businesses, parks, restaurants, and apartments. The law was passed do to the harm secondhand smoking has on the public. This ban, was considered one of the strictest smoking laws passed. The law also states if a nonsmoker asks a smoker to put out his cigarette, the smoker must comply or face the consequences of a fine or a lawsuit. Scientific assesments have shown that by this law passing, many nonsmokers will lower their risks of getting disseases caused by secondhand smoking, also smoking is not completely illegal, there will be certain areas were smoking will be promitted. Many residents of the Calabasas area who are smokers are already complaining about this law saying it is unfair and violates their rights of freedom to smoke if they want to, some even go as far as to say that smokers are being discriminated by the city. I think this law is good and that now innocent citizens will not be put in harms way by the choices of others who choose to damage their bodies by smoking.