"There is a perception that if we were not to do anything about this, that it's okay to smoke."

In response to “There is a perception that if we were not to do anything about this, that it’s okay to smoke.”:  It’s all about the Benjamins from tax payers’ pockets. Don’t forget about “third hand smoke.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/03/health/research/03smoke.html?_r=2&em& :

“That’s the term being used to describe the invisible yet toxic brew of gases and particles clinging to smokers’ hair and clothing, not to mention cushions and carpeting, that lingers long after second-hand smoke has cleared from a room. The residue includes heavy metals, carcinogens and even radioactive materials that young children can get on their hands and ingest, especially if they’re crawling or playing on the floor.”