From The Past: December 8, 2008

As you can read, Winchester will be smoke free in January. This means smoking will be prohibited in bars, restaurants, Bingo halls, stores, and theatres, just to name a few areas. I agree with my Mom though; this decision should have been put on the ballot in our November election. We should have let all residents of Clark County make this decision and not only a handful.

I don’t smoke and don’t want to be around people while they are smoking, however I do not eat out in this town anyway. If I go anywhere in Winchester, it is the drive-thru of Taco Bell; otherwise when I eat out it is in Lexington.

In years past, I was surprised when I entered several different restaurants here in town and the first thing I smelled was not the food, but cigarettes. To someone who does not smoke, this is not appetizing. And let me add right here; a half-wall barrier between booths does not keep the smoke on one side or the other of the booth. I have heard it said and have said it myself: having a non-smoking section in a restaurant is like having a non-peeing section in a swimming pool.

The last time I had lunch downtown with a friend (at the end of October), a person could smoke anywhere in the entire diner. This caught me off my guard. My friend and I sat at one table, but quickly moved to another table when several patrons at the next table lit up. My lungs felt as though they were inhaling all of the smoke from their cigarettes. I am not being dramatic. The inside of my nose literally began to burn. I would say this is what happens when most non-smokers are in very close proximity to people who are smoking.

That being said, I still believe the people should have had the opportunity to vote on this subject; maybe then, there wouldn’t be so many bitter smokers.