I read recent news reports with interest. It seems that a waitress reported to work in a smoky bar and collapsed from a fatal asthma attack about 15 minutes later. She died not from the long-term effects of secondhand smoke that you hear most about, but from an immediate and severe allergic reaction.

Secondhand smoke is what you might call one of my biggest pet peeves. I can’t tolerate it and I hate how today’s public smoking bans have basically resulted in having to “walk the gauntlet” to get in and out of shopping malls and restaurants because smokers have been forced outside and typically congregate near the entrances and exits. I didn’t like them smoking inside either, especially in restaurants.

I enjoy country dancing, but it’s hard to participate without wheezing and burning eyes when bars and dance venues allow smoking. Thankfully, more and more states are banning smoking from such places. It’s not that I don’t like smokers or don’t understand how hard it is to quit. I know; I have several smokers in my family and I’ve witnessed their struggles firsthand. It is quite simply a health issue for me and for millions of other asthma sufferers.

This recent incident points up a couple of things. First off, we all need to campaign for stricter no smoking laws, and I’d say we need to work towards removing smoking from the entrances of public places too. Perhaps, special smoking lounges need to be set up? Secondly, the woman who died in the smoky bar was not taking her prescribed asthma controller medicine, nor was she carrying a quick-relief inhaler with her, despite the fact that she’d been diagnosed with asthma. Her death was completely preventable. Don’t let the same thing happen to you. Take your medicine – it’s the best avenue to asthma control.

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