I have never ever heard a smoker say make anything tobacco free. I would like to see a list of names whom I can call to confirm that statement. If 53 students in a school have asthma then they need to look at what is in that school thats causing that. All the anti-virial cleaning goods, teh toxic you use to wash your kids clothes with? What chemicals are you spraying around your home?

A "confessed smoker"? Is that like a confessed liar, thief, murder?. I find it an absolutely retarded joke that anyone would say it's one thing causing health issues, not the auto, not the posion they spread on the potato fields, not the b-b-q's, smoke, not the toxic chemicals people call perfume, not soda, not the frozen or prepared foods, that if you looked up just one of the chemicals on them you'd be accused of posioning your child. Yes people if you buy a food item that has ingrediants on it and you don't know what it means, it's posion. What about that fluroide, it's filled with posions and barbitutes. Feed your child fructose? Then you should arrested for feeding your child cancer causing posion. If your child is having learning problems you might want to start by looking there first.

When I stopped buying soaps, you know, dial, irish spring, all the liquid soaps , cleaning goods like tide, woolite, , fabric softners etc . mr clean, janitor in a drum and so on and started making my own, no more sinus and breathing problems.. I don't allow people who wear perfumed things in my home, which includes, colognes, and dedorants and shampoo's, laundry detergents. The minute I step into work,a store or a bank I can't breathe and I cough and get migraine headaches. Even the eco-green products have unsafe chemicals that cause resperitory problems. A 5 year old child said to me that my health issues were from all the things I used to keep a germ free home. I asked why they thought that and they said all they can smell is chemicals. Since the child was related I agreed to stop using the stuff since it bothered them too and now we only get sick when we have to put up with people who use these posions, when I work, when we go shopping (we hate that cause we always end up sick) we hate going to the Dr. cause we end up sick from peoples perfumed everything they wear and the chemicals they use to clean with. If a 5 year old can figure it out shame on adults who can't I think it should be illegal to wear all this perfumed chemical stuff in public. Especially parks, Dr. offices, hospitals, work, banks, stores and schools.

I'm not a smoker, and I can't imagine why anyone would be (including my wife and two of my kids), however, as long as it is LEGAL, I support their right to destroy themselves. Plus the government needs the money, and when they can't tax the smokers any higher, who's next?

All that being said, if all smokers were more considerate of those that aren't, much of this stuff wouldn't be an issue. The consideration includes the butts. Stop throwing them out the car window! Stop stomping them into the ground wherever you finish one. Stop throwing them into the lake when you are fishing or boating. Your lack of concern about your own laziness to responsibly take care of your own waste, is part of the reason many of these rules and laws come about. You bought them and lugged them with you.........take the dam butts back home and throw them away there, or at least throw them into your own yard.

i am a person who has smokers in my family but not one family member smokes around anybody that doesn't smoke, they take a walk up the street or whatever but it is never around the kids or adults. i think designated smoking areas are a good idea. i don't like sitting on bleachers and having the person in front of me smoking. as far as asthma my kids have asthma and we don't smoke so i think the smoking and asthma connections needs to be put to rest. my daughter had r.s.v. as a child and that's what caused her asthma. as long as the drs know somebody in your house smokes then that is the reason for everything but if there are no smokers in the house then they look to see what is causing the problem and that just isn't rght. but as far as smoking in the parks i think if you wish to go for a walk or to your vehicle than go but don't smoke near other people that might not smoke. out of those 53 kids how many parents actually smoke or are they like my family and have non smoking parents and still have asthma due to allergies or athletic induced asthma.

If you don't like my smoking in the park,stay out of the park

It's usually more of a littering issue than a smoke issue.

Hysterical fanatics are on the loose again! Is there no end to such lunacy? Fifteen years ago, cervical cancer was suposedly caused by second hand smoke; now they have a vacine for the HPV virus. If you realy want to help prevent respiratory problems, park your d*** cars. Quit running the roads sticking your noses in everybody elses business and poluting the air.

Why don't they take up the issue of people wearing to much perfume and aftershave. That is just as bad to people that it effects thier breathing. But god no wouldn't want to stop all these people from pouring this crap all over themselves instead of actually solving why they stink without useing so much.

I just switched to electronic cigarettes. No tobacco, just nicotine and water vapor. There's no second-hand smoke - it's just clean water vapor (so you can tell the health freaks to go screw themselves). There's no littering because it's made of hard plasti and is reused. There's no smell and no staining. There's also no tobacco which means no tar and other pollutants. And perhaps the best news, it's 20% of the cost of cigarettes and no tax. Suck on that.

:)

I have a child with asthma that attends Houlton Elementary. We are not smokers and he is not around any smokers. How does the school nurse know what his particular triggers are and how can she make such a blanket statement? I support the initiative to ban smoking in the parks but I don't appreciate my child being used as a reason.

Although, I personally am so far to the left that even the democrats appear to me to be "right-wing," I consider myself to be a strict constitutionalist. It is my opinion that since its inception there has been an organized and systematic assault by the conservatives in the United States on the civil liberties written into the US Constitution. The “War on Drugs”; “War on Terror”; “War on Communism” and a host of other wars waged by the right wing are really nothing more than a War on People--an excuse to erode civil rights to the point of non-existence. I invite you to my website devoted to raising awareness on this puritan attack on freedom: http://pltcldscsn.blogspot.com/

This is out of hand .Where are adult smokers supposed to smoke. before they say don't smoke at all should make tobacco illegal and stop collecting the tax money from it. I don't believe for a minute they heard from smokers supporting this they always say that and never produce the so called smokers.No smoking in restaurants,bars,in cars and now outside. Why dosen't the 'Healthy Maine Partnership" Help the many meth addicts in the County

http://www.antibrains.com/

www.smokersclubinc.com

smokeing causes every illness there is did'nt you all know that, if u smoke your kids will get ear infections asthma you can even get tooth decay from it,(bunch of BS) my brother and his wife don't smoke and no one smaokes around them they get ear infections all the time, my kid use to get ear infections alot doc said it was caused by my smokeing, i had my kids tongsils removed he never got another ear infection it's been 11 years now...smokeing vs alcahol---how many car accidents do hear of from smokeing and driving,alcahol will kill you and other's faster the a cigarette will- so they go up on the price to smoke but keep the price to drink low.

First, as a physician, I must tell anyone and everyone that smoking is bad for you. However, I grew up when Community Park was just that, something open to anyone and everyone. If you start banning those who smoke from entry into the park, then what next!??! I understand the concept, however, people like Martha Bell are misguided. Designated smoking areas for those who must prematurely kill themselves are the answer. Come on folks, its bad enough you have the religious right running Houlton as it is...I implore you, please have the common sense to allow one of the few good decisions your council has made to stand.

In response to countymd, first, thank you for reinforcing the health hazards of tobacco use. Also, I'd like to clarify a few misinterpretations that are possible results of reading an article that only touches on a few points that several people made at the meeting on June 22nd. The overall call to action presented by several at the meeting was to reconsider adding the topic as a future agenda item so that a compromise could be met. Also, you mention banning people from the park - this has never been anyone's intent - in fact, all messaging has been toward the smoke, not the smoker. It would be great if everyone could enjoy the park while breathing clean air! Thank you also for suggesting designating smoking areas - this is a possible resolution that could be considered, if the town council would consider the discussion as a future agenda item.