Also, a HUGE warning about what could happen if Oregon adopts the same type of law as Washington did. Watch for language that includes "all public buildings", since that could mean any government subsidized complex - such as the one where you now live. In other words, it's possible that smoking in your own apartment could become illegal!

I notice your links are active. I hadn't taken the time yet to learn if we could do that. Thanks for educating me :-) I've edited Michael's post to activate the link to his book. I suppose he'll forgive me for this unauthorized edit.

In fact, I just learned our posts here can be in html language. How nice :-) Ideas separated into paragraphs make reading the post much easier. To make a new paragraph 3 key strokes are required - One left carat < . One P. A right carat > One P enclosed in a right and left carat.

from :http://smokersrebellion.net/covert.htm

On April 27, KATU in Portand, Oregon, published a news item on its website. Dr. pushes to make smoking an act of child abuse

The doctor is Chris Covert-Bowlds, hailed as "the father of Washington's new sweeping anti-smoking law for public places." As a resident of Washington state for less than a year, this is the first time I was made aware of him and his apparently major role in our "sweeping" smoking restrictions.

Perhaps that's because - as the article states - he is "is a member of the informal, unorganized and quiet movement toward making it a criminal act to smoke around kids. " ("Covert" action, so to speak?)

The news item warns us outright:

"…there is another anti-smoking movement brewing behind the scenes, (my emphasis) with the potential to reach much further into people's private lives. The movement is to make smoking around kids a form of child abuse. The crime would include smoking while you are pregnant, smoking around kids inside your home and smoking inside a vehicle with kids inside. " Of all the deceptive practices used by the Antismoking Crusaders, I strongly believe this represents the most treacherous turn in the road yet. This man is a fanatic. He and others like him have every intention of bending a gullible public to his will.

When you add his underhanded, "covert" methods to the fact that he has been financially backed by GlaxoSmithKline. (Scroll down to his letter to the editor of American Family Physician and read the note at the bottom.); you will fully grasp the implications of this announcement aimed at voters in a state planning to put its own smoking law on the ballot next year.

I strongly urge readers to take action. On my blog about this issue, I have posted a link to a list of Oregon newspapers, as well as a copy of the letter to the editor I sent to all of them. It's going to take more than a single "voice" to draw any attention from the media or the seriously misled public, however. Especially since:

" Results from a KATU News/Survey USA poll show that a strong majority of people in our area think smoking should be considered child abuse, whether it is while pregnant, while in the car with a kid or inside your home. "

This is no small matter. And the impact isn't confined to Oregon and Washington. Another quote from the KATU news item tells us that there are approximately 17 states where smoking has been "the central issue" in a custody case.