The Iowa State Daily’s May 28 editorial concerning the Ames Tobacco Task Force’s stance on tobacco sales at the Memorial Union runs short on logic and long on misunderstandings. Please allow me to put a few overblown accusations to rest.

Although the Task Force supports eliminating tobacco products from the union, we won’t lead the effort. Instead, we will support an ISU student health group which will recommend the change to the Memorial Union Board and Student Union Board. We trust that these boards will do the right thing as they have already proven their leadership by banning smoking at the union.

Your editorial claims the task force “was almost single-handedly responsible for pushing the city council to ban smoking in restaurants and bars.” Those who attended the meetings when this was debated know this isn’t true. If the council was “pushed” into anything, it certainly wasn’t reflected in their unanimous vote to accept the new ordinance.

You wrote “Yes, smoking kills, just like thousands of other chemicals. It kills just like alcohol.” Not true. Since smoke is airborne, it can also kill persons who do not smoke. This makes it a public health issue and very different from alcohol and most other harmful chemicals.

You say that, “This is just another attempt by the task force to chip away at the rights of people to indulge in a legal substance.” There is no right to indulge in anything, regardless of its legal status, when it endangers the health of others. The task force works to affirm the rights of individuals to protect their health. Smokers shouldn’t be allowed to smoke where it will hurt other people. It’s just that simple.

In a final misunderstanding you conclude that this is an example of the task force’s “radical agenda.” If advocating for a healthier environment is radical, then call us radical, but I consider beyond radical your statement that, “the age of 18 seems like a reasonable time to let people start slowly killing themselves if they want to.”

Wouldn’t you rather join us in helping people protect their health?

George Belitsos

Co-Chair,

Ames Tobacco Task Force