The City of Santa Barbara passed its smoking ordinance, and for health's sake, I am sincerely grateful. I was born with asthma that has developed into COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). In 2007, I attended the Solstice Parade and ended up in the emergency room because someone was puffing on his deathstick next to me and my friends. It cost me hundreds of dollars, and I have not been to a Solstice Parade since.
Since I work by Shoreline and rarely use a car, which I used to do before I wised up and started walking to get to either my next client or home, I soon found State Street barely tolerable. I only use State nowadays to bank or shop, and when I do, I must carefully watch at least a block ahead to ensure someone isn't puffing on a deathstick, waiting to put me in the hospital. If someone does suddenly light up, as happened near the bank two days ago, I must hold my breath until I get past that person. That exertion leaves me practically breathless as I continue my duties and jobs.
As a taxpaying, hardworking, and longtime citizen of Santa Barbara, it is absolutely appalling to me that my right to breathe is somehow less important that other people's disgusting, selfish habits. I say 90 percent of them are just lounging on State Street doing nothing!