Dark ages, New Albany smoking ban back in the news.

In today's C-J, an article revives the smoking debate in NA:

New Albany businesses' air polluted, study finds; Anti-smoking group checks New Albany, by Rick Rojas.

New Albany restaurants and bars checked in a study released yesterday have air pollution that is 10 times higher than at similar Louisville businesses.

Unless the C-J's reporters have been boning up on irony, the last sentence is unintentionally hilarious in the context of New Albany as the enduringly quaint open air museum of superstition and ignorance. Local smoking cessation coordinator Felicia Essing notes that she believes "the health danger outweighs the economic arguments for allowing smoking, and ... New Albany could handle a ban."

"I think with education, the city would be ready," she said.

Whoa ... is that a campaign slogan, or an epitaph? Education?

Here?

Meanwhile, the Tribune published a letter from a local activist that reached much the same conclusion:

New Albany needs strict smoking ban ... by Greg Sanders, New Albany

My wife and I had a garage sale this past weekend and she had posted a sign asking folks to not smoke as our son has chronic asthma. You would not believe the rude comments and people who chose to ignore our request.

This is just further evidence of why our four year fight to make New Albany smoke free is a failure. New Albany will always remain in the dark ages unless, and until, our elected officials wake up and enact a comprehensive smoking ban.

I have spoken with my city councilman and have been told that there will never be a comprehensive ban in New Albany because of the social clubs and bar owners. However, it has been proven in numerous cities that revenue increases when smoking bans are enacted.

But the important issue to me is the health of my son. At the Harvest Homecoming last year, we had to put up a fight to have the ride operators and food handlers not smoke around the children and then, by Friday, they were back at it. There are Kid Safe Zones in parks but Harvest Homecoming is excluded.

Why can't the people of New Albany realize the health dangers that smoke causes children?

My son did not choose to have asthma. We are in the process of moving to Wisconsin which has a statewide ban on the agenda for this year.

New Albany, it's time to wake up and realize the danger you are creating with second hand smoke. Get out of the dark ages!

Dark ages?

Aren't they the reason why Barack Obama was defeated so handily here?