NY Times Editorial Blasts Bloomberg's Latest Smoking Ban

"Overreached," said a Times editorial, referencing New York's new ban on smoking outdoors in city parks, beaches, and plazas, including Times Square.

February 08, 2011

NEW YORK - A scathing New York Times editorial over the weekend blasted Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the City Council for their 36 to 12 vote that bans smoking outdoors in New York parks, beaches, and plazas, including Times Square.

"No smoking at the crossroads of the world?" the Times queries. "The vortex of tourism that brings smokers and nonsmokers in great numbers? The site of the world??s most famous New Year??s Eve party, where who knows what goes on? All of this takes the mayor??s nannying too far, even for those of us who want to avoid the hazards of secondhand smoke."

The city's action is scheduled to take effect in early summer, after which smoking will be banned on the city's 14 miles of beaches and in its 1,700 parks, including Central Park.

"Instead of smoking on Brighton Beach, what does a smoker do ?" take a boat out 12 nautical miles into international waters?" writes the Times.

Some City Council members argued for a more compromising solution, such as establishing smoking areas on beaches and in parks.

"They need to take a deep breath and remember that we tried prohibition 90 years ago. They called it a noble experiment. It turned into a civic disaster," the Times said.

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