The more things change,the more they stay the same.

Exactly 100 years ago this week,New York City banned women from smoking in public-yes you read that right-women only.Men were still free to smoke on the street without persecution.The only reason I bring this up is because back then they would have never imagined that smoking would be banned from virtually EVERYWHERE in the next century,men and women alike!I am not knocking it,but the new public smoking bans in Maryland are a little authoritarian.What if it is a small business,say with 3 or 4 employees who ALL smoke?Private businesses are no longer able to reserve exclusive indoor areas for their smoking patrons,even if they want to.I know it is not a healthy habit but people smoked everywhere when I was kid and most of my generation survived somehow.I am not saying smoking should be permitted in all public places,but they should have seperate areas to smoke if they wish to and the law should only be enforced if there are multiple complaints.So,as the cigarette ads used to say(remember those?banned also!)"We've come along way baby!" .Woman are just as equal as men now 100 years later but the public acceptance of any smoking is just not there anymore.Then again,they could afford cigarettes back then before the big tobacco lawsuits started!Less people are smoking now,not just to save money,but because they know it is bad for them-we all know it's bad but some of us still do it anyway.Thankfully some of us who haven't quit yet live close to border states with lower tobacco prices!