We’ve come a long way

It is a disgusting feeling, something that non-smokers should never have to experience — but we do, every day.

We can sympathize with tobacco addicts — but only to a point. As a 20-year veteran of the ashtray army who was finally able to quit for good five years ago, I can attest that Mark Twain was right; quitting smoking is easy — I did it at least a dozen times myself.

The first newspaper office I ever worked in was thick with blue-grey smoke, but no one ever complained or even commented on it. Back then, non-smokers were a silent minority. Mass-market magazines were filled with ads that glorified the smoker, while, ironically, the only publication I remember that consistently condemned smoking was Mad Magazine. Now, the very thought of someone lighting a cigarette in an office is totally unheard of; one is just as likely to see a bull elephant sitting at reception as someone smoking at their desk.

We certainly have come a long way — seeing smoking evolve from a socially accepted norm to a shunned, almost shameful act that requires one eye to remain vigilant for the approach of a law enforcement officer — all within the span of about two decades.

And from the beginning, the City of Westmount has led the way towards stricter reforms.

Now, its move to empower its Public Security officers with the authority to enforce provincial ant-smoking laws is certainly a noble gesture, and is in perfect keeping with our well-polished image as a community where those who light up do so at the risk of a hefty fine. But it will be enormously difficult to enforce, of course, because offenders have to be caught in the act. Unlike spraying graffiti, which comes with its own incriminating evidence, it's easy to toss a butt away and feign innocence.