I am an asthmatic, non-smoker who completely disagrees with the proposed anti-smoking bylaw that municipal council is attempting to introduce into Halton Hills.

Let me state right up front again that I am not a smoker, nor have I ever been.

Why should anyone but the business owner dictate how a business should be run? The owner of an establishment decides on his or her business model. If that model includes allowing smoking within the establishment, then that was a choice made by the owner, and the effects of that choice will be felt by the owner. If their business model fails, then it was of their own doing. The financial hardship felt from the effects of their mistake will be their fault. They then will have the choice of altering the model to suit the wants of the public or risk closing their doors.

As a patron, I have the choice of which establishments I choose to frequent. If I don't like a particular bar or restaurant then I don't have to frequent it. I do not have the right to tell an owner how to conduct his or her business. I am free to give my opinion on the matter in hopes of possibly one day convincing the owner to change, but that is all. Why due to the incessant whining of a few anti-smoking advocates should countless peoples financial lives be ruined? If you do not approve of adult entertainment do you still go into those places of business? No. You choose not to frequent those places. Why is this any different than smoking? It is not. If you don't like country music would you walk into a country bar and tell them that they have to change the type of music played there?

Restaurants will not be as affected by this as bars & pubs due simply to their inherent nature. Restaurants generally turn over tables at a high rate throughout the day, with people seldom staying for more than an hour at a time. While in bars & pubs on the other hand, people tend to stay for extended periods of time, frequently exceeding 3 hours or more. People go to restaurants to eat. They go to bars & pubs to socialize. Go into a bar or pub and take a look at the clientele. 80% if not more are smokers. These people are not going to change what they have been doing for years. They will either not frequent their favorite establishment any more, or cut their time short when they do visit. What business out there can take a potential 80% cut in patronage? I say not many. Employees will loose shifts if not their jobs entirely. The owners will have to scale back their purchasing.

An argument that I constantly hear is that it is unfair to the employees of the business to be subjected to second hand smoke. So quit. Get a different job. It's their choice. If you paint houses for a living, you run the risk of brain damage due to inhaling paint fumes over time. If you pump gas you can inhale fumes over the course of a day enough to make you sick to your stomach. If you work as a police officer you risk getting injured in a confrontation. If you work in a bakery you risk getting burned. These are risks that you are made aware of when you take the position. They are part of the job. You work to minimize the risks, but in the end they are still there. If you don't like it, get another job.

Again I must stress that we are talking here about businesses. Owners dictating what happens within the confines of their buildings located on private property. What happens in public places is a different matter entirely and a subject that will not be dealt with here.

People are not going to quit smoking because of a bylaw. It is just going to hurt the bars and restaurants financially.

Smoking is still legal. Until that changes, I say butt out!

I feel that this proposed bylaw will cause extreme financial difficulties for those businesses directly affected, which may eventually lead to their demise. I myself and the other patrons who visit the local bars, pubs, and pool halls, feel that the current bylaw is more than acceptable. Why is it that when a few people go crying to their elected officials that they are bothered by other people's cigarette smoke the the Municipality feels that they have to respond?

It is because these anti-smoking advocates GET IN THEIR FACES! They make themselves heard.