WA SMOKING BAN: Unintended Consequences, Part 1

January 25, 2006

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Fuggedabout the tavern, pool, bar owners whose businesses have suffered mightily due to the smoking ban in the state of Washington brought to you by the ‘we hate smokers’ and ‘we know better than you crowd.’ Now, according to the Seattle Weekly, they’re worried about the impact of a smoking ban at the HOMELESS SHELTERS. Well at least they’re upset on behalf of one group of people whose rights have been trampled by this ridiculous law. But, check it out, the best piece of info in this story is the revelation that homeless shelters, well, at least this one, have a “specially constructed smoking room” that homeless people cannot now use to smoke.

When Washington’s smoking ban went into effect last month, the worry in the social services community was that police might use it to hassle homeless people in Seattle for violating the 25-foot rule. As it turns out, it wasn’t the police they needed to be concerned about. Public Health– Seattle & King County is now going after the state’s largest homeless shelter for not stopping clients from smoking inside a specially constructed smoking room.


Tell ’em where you saw it. Http://www.victoriataft.com