JuJu Carpenter’s letter (“Proposed smoking ban in Northampton is extreme”) resonated with me. The issue of exclusion and discrimination against working people in Northampton is a problem, part of the deeply rooted inequality in our country.
As a person with a chronic pulmonary illness, I must disagree with her conclusion about banning smoking downtown. This is indeed a very serious health issue. I walk though downtown constantly avoiding cigarette smoke, avoiding doorways, pacing myself to be as far away from smokers as possible. It is a great challenge.
I am grateful that the Board of Health is considering a ban on smoking downtown. There are to be designated areas for smokers that will accommodate those who smoke. The air we breathe and the water we drink is increasingly compromised by the irresponsible and dangerous policies of this government. We have a responsibility, in whatever small way we can manage it, to protect our environment. And those that live in our community.
Lisa Baskin
Leeds