Smoking

The battle of the smokers vs. the non-smokers. Leading us to wonder if the smokers would live long enough to see who wins the battle of smoking in their local restaurants, bars, and other public places.

I do not know about you, but I hate having the smell of smoke around me. Especially if I am enjoying a nice dinner out.( I would suggest revising)One particular evening that comes to mind is when my parents and I met in Columbus to eat in a favorite restaurant in Easton. We, of course, expected a wait, but that Saturday night was especially longer than usual. The hostess told us it would be about a 30 minute wait. We sat down around the bar waiting for our table when a waitress came up to tell us if we could tolerate sitting among the smokers, we could be seated in 10 minutes rather than 30. The smoking section was definitely not an option. My parents would rather wait 30 minutes and enjoy a smoke-free dinner.

Sadly, I feel that this situation always seems to be the case when I go out to dinner. If you are hungry and in a hurry, be prepared to sit amongst the smoking section.(I would consider revising this sentence) I have also found that many restaurants and bars that have smoking and non-smoking sections are not well-planned out facilities. Sometimes only a wall separates the two groups. I have even been to a restaurant and have had to ask if they seated me in non-smoking because the smell of smoke was so unbelievably strong. When their ventilation systems are poorly setup, it can be difficult to tell the difference between the two sections.

There is nothing worse than coming home from a bar or a club after an evening out and find that your clothes smell disgusting because they have been saturated with the stench of smoke. I just wish that I had a choice of whether or not I came home from the bars or clubs smelling like a dirty ashtray. I am not trying to say that all smokers are bad and should not be allowed into public places, but I do feel that there should be areas for just non-smoking and smoking in bars. Being 21, I find myself going out more and hating the fact that when I get in the car my hair, my clothes, and my purse reek of smoke. Many of my friends will sit and blow smoke right into my face and my throat will literally burn the next day.

Another thing that I really hate is walking down the street behind someone smoking a cigarette. Every time they exhale, out comes that cloud of stale smoke, and bang, you walk straight into it. I do not find it a pleasant experience, and it is one that I could live quite happily without. I know there are a lot of people in this country that smoke and I would be willing to bet that some who would read this would be fed up with people who do not smoke always harping on them about their "bad habit" and telling them what to do. The simple fact of the matter is that smokers are affecting