FOCUS ON DRUGS NOT SMOKING

This letter is in reference to the bill that's been introduced by State
Rep. Hugh Holliman, D-Davidson. Although I support his right not to smoke,
I also support the rights of the many people who do smoke, of which I am one.

The last time I checked, this was America, land of the free.

What it comes down to is you have a choice. If I go to a restaurant, and
they have that little "No Smoking" sign on their door, I simply turn and
walk away. I do not patronize establishments that don't allow smoking. You
have that same right - if you go to a restaurant, and they don't have that
little "No Smoking" sign on their door, you could turn and walk away.

I'm getting tired of so called politicians taking our rights away one by
one. It seems to me that your time could be much better spent doing
something constructive like introducing a bill to start a drug abuse program.

We read about all these people going through our court system for drugs,
and being put on probation, but it stops there because there are really no
programs in place for these people, so they end up violating probation and
coming back through the court system again. Then their probation is
extended or they're sent to prison.

At some point and time we're going to have to deal with the root of the
problem and try to put some kind of program in place to educate and
aggressively treat these people. Note: Tobacco is not an illegal drug.

I smoke and I vote.

DON SWINK

Thomasville