It's not smokers, it's just their smoke

I hate no one! But I do hate tobacco smoke!

Spencer Hendron (Fence Post, Jan. 19) stated there is a "patent hatred of people who smoke." He seems to ignore that tobacco use prematurely kills over 500,000 Americans each year and 50,000 die due to secondhand smoke.

Let's not forget the billions of dollars we all pay for health and medical costs, lost job productivity, long-term care and death benefits.

The surgeon general, over 40 years ago, told Americans that tobacco use is deadly. So, in 2008, if you still decide to smoke, that is sad.

Why do I have to inhale secondhand smoke just because you choose to ignore all the health warnings?

My husband and I like to go out for dinner every week. In Illinois before Jan. 1, we might as well have stayed home because most places had a smoking and nonsmoking section, which was really misleading because the ventilation system re circulated the tobacco emissions everywhere. Both the employees and the patrons involuntarily breathed the harmful tobacco smoke.

Yes, this is America and finally, after scores of years of inhaling unwanted smoke in workplaces, airplanes, restaurants, hospitals and stores, I and tens of millions of other people don't have to involuntarily breathe secondhand tobacco smoke anymore.

I was raised in a home with both parents who smoked. I loved them dearly.

I didn't hate them, but I was forced to inhale their smoke all the time I lived with them. Was I supposed to run away from home to escape it?

They both died terrible deaths because of lung problems. I hope you will not have to suffer in that way.

Rosemary Glaubitz

Elk Grove Village