Editor, The News:
Re: Smoking bylaw defeated (The News, March 28).
Yes, I am a smoker and have been for the past 50 years. I am 78 now.
The proposed bylaw will be about as effective as the required helmets for bike riders.
Unfortunately, I am a frequent patient at Ridge Meadows Hospital for unrelated surgery. There are signs posted that it is a no-smoking zone on the property. I respect that. However, look around the main entrance and the emergency entrance and all you see is a load of cigarette butts all over the sidewalk. There is even a smoking area in the court yard.
Fraser Health and the B.C. government would like to dictate how we should live our lives, but they were probably not born in the 1930s, when it was fashionable to smoke. Have you ever seen the movies from that era? We copied the actors and got hooked. It was the cool thing to partake in.
I have cut down, but not quit. I think it is time we put the paranoia to rest and let people live their lives and remaining years in peace.
Bob Kerfoot
Maple Ridge
