05-30-2008, 06:20 PM
It was either Justice Brandeis or Justice Holmes who enunciated the limits of personal freedom this way: "Your rights stop at the end of my nose." Smoking is the best example of the abuse of personal freedom at others' expense I can think of.
Just got back from a trip to Greece -- Europeans do smoke more than we do, but almost every European country is moving to ban smoking in public places. Why? They are tired of the health care costs. Greece will go smoke-free in 2010, France and Italy are both moving this way -- 2009, I think, and so are others. Good trend for all of us, but especially those of us who are allergic.
Just got back from a trip to Greece -- Europeans do smoke more than we do, but almost every European country is moving to ban smoking in public places. Why? They are tired of the health care costs. Greece will go smoke-free in 2010, France and Italy are both moving this way -- 2009, I think, and so are others. Good trend for all of us, but especially those of us who are allergic.