This is in response to the Editorial "Smoke ban limits diners" on April 28. I'm sorry, but I must disagree. SMOKING limits EVERYONE! I have to wonder if you know about the laws in California. The state has a ban on smoking in restaurants AND bars. I congratulate the California lawmakers. They are doing something to protect people who don't smoke, wish not to, don't want to be around the smoke and those who are allergic to it from those ignorant, selfish, and oblivious people who smoke and don't care about other people's rights. Obviously, you are one of them.

I am not saying everyone who smokes is like this. Some smokers do care about other people's rights. They realize smoking is not good for them or those around them, but they just cannot quit. They know smoking stains their teeth and everything around them. They recognize smoking smells and makes their clothing and everything around them smell. They understand others do not want to breathe in the smoke. They comprehend that it bothers other people and invades on their rights. These are the few but kind and considerate smokers.

No I do not want to be around smoke; however there are very few, if any restaurants that do not allow it. Why must I not eat in my favorite restaurant because you cannot stand to be without a stupid cigarette for one little meal? If the smoke ban limits you, then fine. I don't mind. It does not limit me and I've been limited by smokers, like you, for long enough. It's your turn now.

Because of you, I've had to wait longer than I should have to in order to get a restaurant table as far away from smoking as possible. I've had to go someplace different than where I wanted to go because of you. I've had to sit there with my eyes burning, my lungs gasping for oxygen, and all those toxins contaminating my clothes and my entire body, while my mother is in the restroom getting sick from the smoke, literally sick, because of you. You have taken away my right to breath clean air and, really, to breathe at all. You have taken away my right to eat whatever, whenever, and wherever I want to. You have made me smell like you. You are staining the walls, your teeth, your lungs, my lungs, and everything around us. You have invaded MY right to keep MY body free from toxins.

Allowing people to smoke in restaurants hurts the owners' business, dwindles their profits and is a fire hazard. Thousands of people have died from fires that were started from a simple little burning cigarette that someone just couldn't live without. Smoking also hurts businesses by coating the walls and everything in the building with a sticky, dirty, brown film, which in turn makes everything harder to clean and in need of more frequent replacement and renovation. This eats away at the profit of the business.

There also are those people who do not return to, or even stay in, the restaurant to eat because of the smoke and smell that they cannot stand. These people will not spend as much money or time in the restaurant, and they will tell their friends of their experiences, perhaps influencing others to not even try the restaurant. All of this hurts the business' sales and profits.

So smoking does hurt everyone. It hurts the businesses, those people around the smoker, the environment and the smokers themselves. This, I believe, is self-explanatory, except of course to those smokers who care only about their own rights and don't care about their own body, the rights of others, or about killing themselves and trying to kill all of those around them. Please, think about others for a change.

Woodyard can be reached at mw874194

Turnstiles are written by OU staff, students and Athens community members. They should be about 700 words, typed and double spaced. You may submit them to Sarah Wigdalski at The Post or send them by email to post@oak.cats.ohiou.edu.