Editor,
In response to your article on the Laguna Beach City Council expanding the prohibition of tobacco products and e-cigarettes, I found it a little ironic given City Hall broadly endorses outside dining on Coast Highway. Apparently, no one on Council or within the city has thought to review or complain about gas-powered cars that drive up and down Coast Highway, which cause far more health problems.
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) indicates more than 9,000 resident are killed each year from lung cancer and cardiovascular disease attributed to auto and truck pollution (i.e., carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and carbon dioxide).
If “smoking is a bad thing” let’s ban drinking too. One hurts the user, the other hurts those around them. Only then can Laguna Beach have fully legislated morality and demonstrate to other communities how to behave in an erstwhile “free society.”
Duff Owens Wilmoth, Costa Mesa
Outstanding point, Mr. Owens. Thank you for that. It must also be pointed out that particulate carbon, from diesel engines, is almost certainly more hazardous than either carbon monoxide or hydrocarbons. As for carbon dioxide, that is utterly innocuous. Sailors in submarines have no deleterious effects even when breathing carbon dioxide in concentrations ten or fifteen times as high as surface air. But Laguna Beach is all about posture, not reality. If the citizens and leaders cared about health as much as they pretend, school children would have been getting their vaccinations. Unfortunately they have not. How utterly deplorable.
Cigarette smoke any smoke for that matter is socially invasive once released into the atmosphere it can not be controlled by the user. While the ignition systems on intercombustion vehicles are contained, and recently devised tobacco or vapor ignited devices can be also there is not enough legislation that controls the amount of hydrocarbons or gases they emit nor that can they protect the general public from harm when these ignition system malfunction. While the jurisdiction of vehicle operation can be controlled somewhat by our local government. Their emissions control is not in the city’s final authority. Tobbaco and tobacco like products sales do not generate enough revenue to be heard and insurance companies have their own responsibilities that need to be met.