To the editor:

As a Salinan who loves Lawrence, I want to speak to the smoking ban issue. The hoop-la over the smoking ban in Salina seems moot, now that it has passed and is implemented.

I cannot begin to express what a joy it is to go to a restaurant and not be smoky-smelling while eating and for hours afterward. Our family had chosen to not eat in some places where the “no smoking” area wasn’t efficient. Now we can eat anywhere in town.

For us, the issue wasn’t the imposition of nonsmokers rights over the rights of smokers. It was a health issue, plain and simple. Food service vendors have to respect laws governing other health safety standards — the storage temperature of foods, the protection of food from accidental chemical spills, the list seems endless. This one is just one more. But it does so much more. We assume that our food is prepared and stored safely, now we can assume that we’ll be able to dine safely and without troublesome, lingering odors.

Go for it, Lawrence.

Shirley Andrews,

Salina