Huron Expositor, 2007-06-20, Page 4Page 4 June 20, 2007 • The Huron Expositor
Opinion
Proprietor and Publisher, Bowes Publishers Limited, 11 Main St., Seaforth, ON, NOK 1WO
Becom n
smoke-free a fairly
painless process
in Huron County
Most smokers likely wish they could kick the
habit as easily and painlessly as Huron County
seems to have adapted to the year-old Smokefree
Ontario legislation.
Yes, there were a few withdrawal problems with
25 charges laid on those who despite warnings,
continued to either smoke in public places or sell
cigarettes to minors.
And, of course, Huron County had a year to get
used to the new provincial legislation since an ear-
lier county bylaw put most of the no -smoking
requirements in place before the Ontario mandate.
But, despite dire warnings of economic ruin to
the contrary, local businesses are reporting they're
actually enjoying increased business because of the
smoking ban.
The lack of smoke-filled bars and restaurants
throughout Huron County and Ontario is actually
drawing patrons out to eat, drink and enjoy the
entertainment on offer without the worry of sec-
ondhand smoke and its harmful longterm effects.
While most smokers are complying with require-
ments that prevent them from smoking in public
buildings such as restaurants and arenas, it
appears that local retailers are having more diffi-
culty saying no to local youth trying to buy ciga-
rettes and the potential profit they represent.
Even with continuing education from the health
unit - including twice yearly visits by 15 and 16 -
year -old test shoppers - some retailers persist in
their leniency, either not asking youth for ID or
even willingly selling to youth 'when they know the
shoppers are too young:
Since many an addicted smoker will tell you they
took their first habit-forming puff as a teen, those
who sell to teens or buy cigarettes for them really
are doing teens no favours.
As Ontario enjoys the improved indoor air quality
created by the Smokefree Ontario Act, one can only
hope that the same progress can be made on out-
door air quality as smog warnings increase in fre-
quency and duration. •
Susan Hundertmark
Your Community Newspaper Since 1860
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Most Internet users
uneducated about libel laws
Whatever you may have
read in the last few weeks,
I'm not a faithful disciple at
the Facebook altar.
For the last few weeks
I've written about the popu-
lar social networking site
Facebook and the mindset
of some of us who use it.
I'm really a much more
reluctant participant than
you might guess from the previous two
columns.
In fact, I was adamantly opposed until my
girlfriend Christa and my friend Ian - who
were both already members - wore me down
and convinced me to join. I grudgingly thank
them for it now.
I appreciate the site for the function it
serves in my life - conveniently connecting me
to friends I don't get to see very often - but it
has its downsides.
The most common criticism I've come across
of Facebook in the press is about privacy, the
idea that users don't have any control over
who reads the information they put up and
that the site is dangerous because of that.
That's bunk.
First, if you don't want anybody to be able
to read something, you simply don't post it. If
you post it, you have to accept that anybody
could read it. That includes teachers, parents
and employers. And potential employers.
On the other hand, Facebook makes it easi-
er to control who can read your information
trol who
either.
Users either care or they don't. If they know
enough to make an informed choice in that
regard, nobody else has any business criticiz-
ing their choice.
This requires a certain level of Internet
street smarts, which is why the privacy con-
cern is a valid one for very young users.
But that doesn't make Facebook any more
dangerous than a local park.
It's up to the parents of young users to
make sure that if their children use the site,
that they do it wisely.
Parents can foster this by teaching their
kids to apply the same lessons they get for
going out in the world - don't trust strangers,
for example - to the online world.
On a practical level, the most annoying
thing about Facebook is the quality of com-
munication.
Compared to face-to-face conversation, the
type of communication that happens online
See SHARING, Page 5
reads
with privacy settings - you
can block specific users
from reading certain infor-
mation and set certain
types of information to be
only readable by people
you approve.
This doesn't protect you
from hackers, but as long
as you take the attitude
that you can't really con -
what, then that's no big deal
(ion & bave
I've got some great plans
for my summer vacation.
I'm going to read War and
Peace....Take up oil painting....
Learn to s ' eak French...
Then I'm going to build
a deck on the house....
paint the garage, and
landscape the back -yard.
Wow, you're
going to do
all that?
by David Lacey
Don't be ridiculous... I said I�
had great PLANS. In reality
I'm just going to goof off
all summer long. It's one
of my rights as a kid.
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