Monday, July 13, 1998 Speaks Out
What influence do you think the government should have over
tobacco companies? Do you think that the government has exceeded
their powers in regulating cigarettes?
"I am a smoker, and it’s really weird here, it’s not even legal
here to smoke a cigarette in a bar. I think the government is too
strict; the government should teach people not to use drugs,
instead of prohibiting it. The government should teach the people
to be intelligent enough to not use them."
Iris Grabmueller
Austrian Foreign Exchange Student
Business Management
"I think the government is taking the right measures. Since
smoking is bad for us and bad for the public, I think they’re doing
a good job in protecting the rights of non-smokers from second-hand
smoke."
Ann Ma
Second Year,
Biology
"I believe that the government is doing the correct thing in
regards to smokers. For the most part, people who smoke haven’t had
regard before there were laws for other people who were
non-smokers. I do believe the government is restricting the rights
of smokers, but I don’t believe these people would otherwise
restrict themselves, and smokers do affect the lives of those
around them."
Shawn Rettig
Fifth Year,
Japanese
"I think the government should destroy all smokers, all tobacco
industries because I don’t want to smell other people’s filth and
vomit. I have my lungs to take care of, you see, because I am a
singer. I want to be a pop star, and when someone smokes, that is
damaging my career."
Phillip Kresge
Alumni,
Theater
"I don’t think the government should play any role. I think tax
hikes are OK, but don’t think taxing cigarettes is going to make a
difference in regulating them. As a non-smoker, I am for the law
banning smoking in bars, since I’m allergic to smoke."
Kelly Lambert
Third Year,
Economics
"I think the government has overstepped their boundaries. I
think that if someone wants to smoke a cigarette, they should be
allowed to do that. I also think that it’s important that there is
some kind of regulation because we have to take into consideration
our community as a whole. Smoking might not bother one person, or
it might kill another person, and so its important that we take
note of that."
Val Zamudio
Fourth Year
Study of Religion