Letter: Secondhand smoke is a hazard

In response to Robert Finck’s Feb. 25 letter, “What’s left to enjoy outdoors?” I believe he is writing tongue-in-cheek about how people should move away from him when he is smoking in parks.

I can’t believe he thinks the way he writes. I get that he chooses to smoke and pollute his lungs. That is definitely his choice. But what about the people around him who choose not to do that? When they go to the park with their children, should they have to breathe cigarette smoke because they are standing next to a smoker?

I have never smoked a day in my life, but both my parents did. All of us kids smelled like cigarette smoke, had sore throats and lots of respiratory infections.

We lived in a small house and we could not move away from the smoke. Back then, no one knew the results of secondhand smoke like they do now.

I have asthma and cannot breathe if my lungs get irritated.

So if I am at the park enjoying myself and a person lights up a cigarette and I inhale the smoke, too bad for me?

So when they passed a law that smoking in city parks should stop, I said “Yeah.”

Cora Wohlsein

Vancouver