I cannot WAIT for the smoking ban to take effect - less than a month and counting. I'll be able to go to a restaurant, bar, or club and not get a headache! (I don't know why smoke has been affecting me so adversely lately, but I am excited to sit in a non-smoking section and not have smoke wafting over from three tables away. The whole place will be a non-smoking section!)
I understand the argument from those who oppose the ban: it's limiting their personal choices and freedoms, etc. But isn't it also my choice to breathe clean air? I know it's tricky, but if my rights end where another's begin, then the smoking should probably be banned.
I know that the ban will force smokers outside and it may not be pleasant - especially in crazy nightlife areas like Adams Morgan. Will "smoke gardens" replace beer gardens so that their smoking patrons don't have to leave the bar completely when they need a fix? Will dining outside at a restaurant mean choosing the smoking section, or will smoking be banned there as well? It's going to be an interesting transition.
I feel bad for those who are addicted, but someone who cannot wait five seconds to get to street level from the metro and sparks up as he's stepping onto the escalators? Needs help. Outside, I can walk away from a smoker. In a poorly ventilated bar, I only have the choice to leave. I will definitely frequent DC's smoke-free bars rather than the smoking-permitted bars in Virginia. Who knows? Maybe Northern Virginia bars will follow suit. Here's hoping.
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