“I am interested in [anti-tobacco] issues because I hate the smell of smoke and I have seen smoking ruin lives. I am trying to make other people stop before something worse happens or even not even start smoking.
I agree with Initiative 901 because restaurants are public places and its better because what if a certain person doesn’t like smoke and someone next to them is smoking. This Initiative will stop that.
I see more and more Asian teens smoking – from smoking daily and some just starting. I think a certain number of teens will stop [because of this Initiative] but they can just go to their friends’ houses to smoke a blunt or something; you don’t have to smoke just at a restaurant.”
– Jared Cabanilla, 16, Franklin High School
“I am interested in the issue of anti-smoking because a lot of people in my family smoke. I experience second hand smoke and I see what smoking does to them. I think its one of the worst things a person could do to themselves. I also see students around schools smoking and I can’t believe why they would do that. I just think it’s a big issue in today’s society and it should be taken care of.
I agree with Initiative 901, because sure, people have the right to do what they want, but not when it affects others. There are smoking and non-smoking areas in restaurants, but that still doesn’t prevent the smoke from traveling around. Banning smoking 25 feet within restaurant limits is a good idea since a lot of restaurants are supposed to be family places to go, and parents don’t want their kids around smokers and see what they do to their bodies, even if the parents are smokers they usually know the consequences of smoking and don’t want their children to make the same mistakes.
I think smoking is on the rise for teens … Some smoke because they think it’s cool, others to relieve stress and some just do it because it feels natural to them or they just can’t stop the addiction – I see more teens around school smoking around parking lots and other areas and they just smoke their lives away.
I think the Initiative could put a temporary stop to a lot of teen smokers, but I don’t think it will completely stop them as they will most likely find a way around it, or they just won’t care and still do what ever they want and get in trouble for it anyway.”
-Taylor Matsui, 16, Franklin High School
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