Look who's trying to place his personal convictions about a healthier New York City over the individual liberties of its citizenry once again: In order to get back at us for having poured out his notorious large-soda ban recently, Mayor Michael Bloomberg is proposing new health- monitoring restrictions.
If Hizzoner should have his way this round, stores citywide would be forced to conceal any and all tobacco products from plain sight. This means all cigarettes, chewing tobacco and related products would have to be placed behind counters or curtains or in a cabinet.
In order to cut down on youthful smoking, the latest anti-smoking legislation will also levy higher penalties for smuggling and illegal sales of cigarettes within city boundaries.
"New York City has dramatically lowered our smoking rate, but even one new smoker is one too many — especially when it's a young person," Bloomberg said at a press conference on Monday. "Young people are targets of marketing and the availability of cigarettes, and this legislation will help prevent another generation from the ill health and shorter life expectancy that comes with smoking."
It should be noted that the judge who recently overturned Bloomberg's large-soda ban referred to that legislation as "arbitrary and capricious," criticizing Bloomberg for trying to go through the city's Health Department instead of the New York City Council to see the ban instituted.
As such, Bloomberg will take his revenge by bringing the new anti-smoking legislation directly to the City Council. Should he succeed, New York City would be the first city to "conceal" its tobacco products.
Ex-smoker Bloomberg signed into legislation a law that banned smoking in New York City bars and restaurants. The law was expanded in 2011 to include public parks.
Though it is already anticipated that Bloomberg will face heavy opposition from the tobacco industry and bodegas whose financial stability depends largely on the sale of tobacco products, stores with more than 50 percent of their products being tobacco-related would not have to abide by the law.
If nothing else, as Bloomberg's film counterpart ("Demolition Man"'s Dr. Raymond Cocteau) would say, hopefully this will all at least let us each of us "be well."
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