‘Anti-Smoker’ a Misused Label

Thanks for your front page article on the anti-tobacco bills in the state Legislature.

The lone vote against the Friedman bill (AB 13), cast in committee by freshman Assembly member Nao Takasugi (former Oxnard mayor), underscores what local officials know: State legislation is no substitute for local ordinances, local commitment and local enforcement.

Even in the event the Friedman bill should be passed into law unscathed (hardly likely given the fact that all but eight state legislators have taken tobacco industry money), local employers will rightly wonder how 200 CAL/OSHA inspectors will monitor every workplace in the state for smoking violations.

Local no-smoking ordinances have proved to be largely self-enforcing.

The smoking public responds to “No Smoking” signs because they know it’s their neighbors who mind if they smoke and their elected officials who have put the local will into law.

NAN WALTMAN

Ventura