What You Can Do Now (as of 8/15/08)

As of Friday, August 15, the Motion to ban smoking throughout all public areas in the City of Los Angeles and the Resolution to urge the County of Los Angeles to do the same has only been referred to Council committees and neither has been placed on an agenda.

What can you do right now?

At this point, expressing your outrage over these items directly to Councilman Bernard Parks is the most appropriate. The e-mail address of his office is:

CouncilmemberParks@lacity.org

or you can register your displeasure by telephone at (213) 473-7008. Please be respectful! Nasty messages do not register well with City Council members; they only make them more determined.

Tell Councilman Parks - in your own words - to withdraw his second-hand smoke Motion and Resolution because - pick your reasons:

• Because secondhand smoke is NOT as dangerous as direct smoking.
• Because Los Angeles police should be arresting drug dealers, not smokers.
• Because tobacco products are legal and Prohibition never-ever-ever works.
• Because civil liberty is more important than momentary displeasure.
• Because smokers are not criminals!
• If you want to reduce smoking, education and enforcement vs. underage sales are what works.

Please give your name and where you live, especially if you live, do business or have friends or relatives in Southern California, where this legislation will have impact. Tell your friends.

Further action will be needed, but as of August 15, it’s the first step.

Comments

[Anonymous]

Councilman Parks. Of all the possible good you could be doing with your time, it is difficult to fathom why you would pick an agenda such as this criminalization of smoking to dedicate your resources. My wife and I were seriously considering visiting L.A. on our next vacation, but have decided that it is out of the question. I am an avid cigar smoker and enjoy smoking a nice cigar after an expensive meal. Well, you can now tell your consituents that you have succeeded in reducing the amount of income into your fine city with just the mention of this farce. I congratulate you on your arrogance and ignorance. Good luck. You are going to need it.