Rotten Smokers

Jim Quinette, a member of the board that oversees a low-income apartment complex for the elderly in De Pere, Wisconsin, explains the reasoning behind a proposed smoking ban there:

There's not that many that smoke. It's like a rotten apple in the bushel, one spoils it for the rest of them….I'm sorry they have to put a cigarette out. But at that age, what do you need a cigarette for?

Given how long it takes for smoking-related illnesses to develop, you might think that old age would be the ideal time to take up the habit–or to continue it if you've beaten the odds so far. Apparently not.

Nor is smoking for the young: "Tobacco is wacko if you're a teen," as Lorillard used to remind us.

Maybe it's OK if you're middle-aged, provided you don't work indoors, go home to an apartment building or townhouse, or live with anyone.

That includes pets, by the way. The CDC says if you give up smoking, "Even your pets will be happier. For example, secondhand smoke increases the risk of lung cancer in dogs."

How long before PETA latches onto this issue? Surely a dachshund with lung cancer is more sympathetic than your average beaver.

[Thanks to Linda Stewart for the link.]