California City Bans Smoking – Even In Your Own Home

By KRISTIN TATE

California is known to be ridden with nanny state regulations, but this new ban still comes as a shock.

In the town of San Rafael, a suburb of San Francisco, smoking is now banned throughout the city — even in the privacy of citizens’ own homes.

As reported by the Huffington Post, “The ordinance specifically bans smoking in dwellings that share a wall with another unit, including apartments, duplexes and condominiums. The hope is to eliminate second-hand smoke from creeping through doors and windows, ventilation systems, floorboards and other susceptible openings.”

Rebecca Woodbury, a spokeswoman for the San Rafeal City Manager’s office, defends the new ban. She said, “I’m not aware of any ordinance that’s stronger. It doesn’t matter if it’s owner-occupied or renter-occupied. We didn’t want to discriminate. The distinguishing feature is the shared wall.”

Jane Warner, the CEO of the American Lung Association, said, “This legislation will improve the health of all Californians by reducing exposure to smoke that drifts into housing units from balconies, patios, and other units.”

But many citizens are not as happy with the new ban. One resident said it feels like “tyranny.” Others feel that the ban targets those who make less income, and may be more likely to live in apartment or condo buildings.

My thoughts?

America is supposed to be the Land of the Free. If people want to make poor, they should be allowed to. Of course, it is unfair to make the rest of us pay for their lung cancer. This is why ObamaCare (the biggest government power-grab in a generation) must be overturned immediately. In a free country, government cannot dictate lifestyle choices, nor can it become the overprotective Mommy and Daddy of its citizens. Freedom means having the right to make bad choices and then deal with the consequences ourselves.

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