I can't breathe

The provincial government of Ontario is legislating the living fuck right out of the public smoking issue. Meanwhile, government at the federal level (environment), provincial level (health, highways), and municipal level (public health, transit, parking) stand around doing nothing as we breathe disgustingly polluted and filthy air for the third day in a row.

I can always choose not to enter a restaurant or bar where I'll be faced with second-hand cigarette smoke. I can't always choose to flee my city when the air becomes a toxic soup of chemicals.

NOW Magazine published a great article last summer with 10 ideas on what we can do to fight smog. Give it a read. If you need me, I'll be sucking on a tailpipe trying to breathe.

Comments

lilmammal said…
Ugh. Sorry about your clouds of death!
Anonymous said…
great ideas in that NOW article... too bad there's about zero chance of any of them being taken seriously. sigh. cough. choke.
ok, well I'm off to hibernate in my office now until I can go home via subway and then hibernate in my condo. SOOO glad summer's here so I can enjoy the nice weather...

take it ease, flmoyd.
jooles.
you have a choice...you could move out of the city, no?
Now cheer up!
tornwordo said…
There should be emissions restrictions in place during certain climatic conditions.

I come from a place of terrible, terrible smog. When I was young I remember playing all afternoon and then having a chemical burn on my lungs from the smog level. Apparently I am among those at higher risk of lung cancer (recent findings)because of that. Whoopee!
Anonymous said…
tornwordo,
Yes there should. It's one of those situations where the private and public good are totally at odds. Staying in your home or car and cranking up the A/C only adds to the smog.
I'm not at all optomistic about this getting better soon.
Timmy said…
i'll give you something to suck on :::grin:::
Anonymous said…
Phronk,
It's because these office buildings are so COLD.
teh l4m3 said…
I think I'm going to light up a rich, satisfying Pall Mall.

Enjoy your legislation, Canadian heathen!!!
mistipurple said…
sorry you're suffering up there. reminds me of the days when we had the indonesian forest fires. my kitchen was covered in white haze then.
Jason said…
The smog made me fat.

I saw your "cousin" Brad last night. Remind me to tell you about that.
Anonymous said…
I hate to be the one to say it, but there is a benefit to banning smoking in bars, restaurants, etc. The effects of secondhand smoke are terrible. It's not fair to those who do not wish to smoke, to be affected. Having said that, I do appreciate your wish to smoke. However, your wish and the lungs of non smokers are in direct conflict.

I agree smog is equally challenging. I am a fan of cleaner, less expensive public transportation. The need to drive everwhere with the AC on also hurts my non car polluting lungs.

Can we just the world of corporations that pollute and start over? It would make a great deal of sense.
Anonymous said…
Sorry, it's supposed to say,RID the world of corporations...
AG I agree with you...however in Toronto smoking was only allowed in bars (not restaurants)with a separate room(s) with separate ventilation systems and the room was only allowed to be a certain percentage of the bar's floor space (I think something like 15%). Smoking was also permitted on open air patios. Now the separate rooms are illegal. They tried to make open air patios restricted but that didn't go over well so open air patios that are not actually part of the buildings structure are allowed. There's a bar in Toronto with a Patio that has 2.5 walls and a ceiling (lots of open air), and doors/wall separating it from the rest of the bar but it doesn't meet the "open air patio requirement" so no smoking is allowed there.

The main reason for this is to cut down on medical costs paid for by the government. Even though the get about $25.00 for every carton of cigs sold. What's next? Tax breaks for the fit and a fat tax (Jason would be upset about that one).
madamerouge said…
I actually don't smoke. As a non-smoker, I appreciate having smoke-free public places. (My November trip to Madrid reminded me of this!) This post was intended to point out the cowardice of public officials to do anything substantive about air pollution.

I think that the long-term health implications for breathing polluted city air (particulate matter, carbon monoxide, ground-level ozone, etc.) deserve to be taken just as seriously as the dangers of second-hand tobacco smoke. AG, I agree: polluting corporations should be targeted.

__________


weather update: the smog has broken, but it's still bloody humid. Current relative humidity: 94% (translation: fucking GROSS/STICKY/CLAMMY)
sirbarrett said…
Chances are I'll die of a heart-attack running away from smog rather than from second hand smoke.
car@ said…
HA! do you remember when you told me if Spanish people could stand without smoking in bars, discos, restaurants? well, they changed the law. And now it says that anyone can smoke on a place bigger than 40 m2....say what? THAT is a fucking law and i feel fucking hurt as a non smoker. *sigh*
J Maus said…
I just went to a bar this evening... my husband and I brought our 8-month-old with us and sat on the patio. People were smoking all around, but we didn't say anything. Then some smoker at the next table started judging us, talking about why someone would bring a baby to a bar, it's too bad if there's smoke...he obivously felt defensive even though none of us said anything. I would have totally complained and shot him dirty looks if I'd known he was going to take out his defensiveness on me. What a waste of a good confrontation.

Popular posts from this blog

the drum beats out of time

rich Corinthian leather

Sex Talk with Phyllis Levy