Activists push for Buffalo to set tough anti-tobacco legislation

[WNYresident]

Activists push for Buffalo to set tough anti-tobacco legislation

Updated: August 12, 2011, 8:04 AM
Anti-tobacco activists last summer began a push for Buffalo to impose one of the nation's toughest laws regulating the sale and marketing of tobacco products.
Fourteen months later, a final draft of the legislation has yet to be written.
Advocates are waiting for city attorneys to make the next move, and some are convinced the sticking point involves fears that Buffalo would become embroiled in a costly court fight with the well-financed tobacco industry.
"The threat of a lawsuit is what's holding this up," said Anthony Billoni, coordinator of the Erie-Niagara Tobacco-Free Coalition.

Read the full Article in the Buffalo News

[WNYresident]

I think it's good to keep kids from smoking but.... I think city legislators should be focusing on issues that can help Buffalo more than this.

[mesue]

I think it's good to keep kids from smoking but.... I think city legislators should be focusing on issues that can help Buffalo more than this.

I was thinking the same thing. Smoking is bad for you, but so are so many other things i.e. alcohol, drugs, food preservatives, air pollution, pesticides ... (the list can go on) that are just as bad, if not worse. Instead of focusing on one tiny aspect of a quality of life issue, why don't they focus on a bigger quality of life issue? Like bringing businesses back to Buffalo. Or improving education? Or making the neighborhoods desirable to live in?