Letters to the Editor 2-27-14

Not the answer
Editor: I’ve never smoked.
I don’t like the smell.
We all know that smoking is obviously bad for you.
But I can’t help but think that the efforts being made by Healdsburg’s City Council are ill-advised and will likely be ineffective.
We learned nearly a century ago how pointless it was to attempt to prohibit the use of alcoholic beverages. Bootlegging and organized crime took the place of legitimate distributors.
I’m not suggesting that organized crime will take over the selling of cigarettes, but I am quite confident that 18 to 21 year olds will have absolutely no trouble obtaining smokes and chew beyond our city limits.
In fact, I suspect that Healdsburg’s prohibition might actually increase the attractiveness or temptation to our youth.
Let’s tackle some problems that we can actually cure (or mitigate). Let’s not create more taxes and regulations in the name of public relations.
Eric Ziedrich
Healdsburg