Hopkinsville newspaper endorses smoking ban

The Kentucky New Era newspaper in Hopkinsville said in a recent editorial that if the state legislature doesn't enact a smoking ban, the city should.

The General Assembly "should not squander the opportunity or delay action on a law that could protect everyone against the health risks associated with exposure to secondhand smoke," the editorial said. "Legislators should not disregard the overwhelming scientific evidence of the effects of secondhand smoke. . . . Opponents of a smoking ban argue that they want to protect the rights of smokers. We believe those rights to not extend to smoking in places where non-smokers work, shop and eat." (Read more)