June - July 2002 Edition 

Reaction to Smoking Excerpts from what some people are saying about the borough sponsored smoking area (see related article) near Fair Lawn High School.  These opinions were taken from Fair Lawn's Discussion Space: Supporting the Smoking Area YJ:  Unfortunately, with the signing of the bill that became law by Acting Gov. DiFrancesco smoking is prohibited by all on school grounds. I have to agree with the council on this one. Keeping the smokers out of the areas near homes and giving a place for smokers to go. Keeps the area residents and the smokers happy. Plus, it keeps everyone in an area near the school, so people do not start wondering around looking for a place to smoke. There is no quick fix to this problem. Almost every solution will bring negative feedback. RLP:  I absolutely cannot stand to see children smoking but this is the best short term answer. Smoking is an addiction that the children are just not going to be able to quit cold turkey. I think that these anti smoking groups should target Fair Lawn High as a school to go to and bring their programs so that they can help these kids. It was a tough decision and a tough choice. Hopefully it will bring relief to the residents. Hopefully, the school with many groups helping, will deal with the problem of teen smoking. Against the Smoking Area Former Deputy Sheri Adler: I see no logic between cleaning litter and creating a smoking area. Ashtrays could have been installed near the doors to put out citgarettes. End of litter. No need to develop land, put in benches and create a cozy smoking cornor. If you don't want kids to smoke, don't create a spot for it-the teacher's who smoke will find a way ( As a reformed smoker I know that). This is not one of the council's better ideas. Also, I would be happy to see the high school develop a task force to patrol the area once a day to clean up the litter -- the school community does not and should not end at the school house door. Raymond St. Resident: A government and Board of Education sponsored place to smoke? Heck, why doesn't the town put in some tables and recycling barrels and call it a place to drink, too? Maybe a couple of bongs for those that want to "roll their own"? That also would alleviate litter and get the problem of student drinking and drugging off the streets. What the council and the Board of Ed have done is undermine the entire purpose of the law that bans smoking on school property, a law that was designed to make it more difficult and discourage smoking. Kids that age think they are invulnerable. It's the job of parents and the community to enforce the idea that smoking destroys people in the same way that we discourage them from using alcohol or illegal drugs. Judi Z: Any high schooler who can't go the length of the school day without lighting a cigarette has a serious problem, it's called addiction. I can't believe the town is wasting time and money on finding a place for kids to partake in their addictive behavior. The school should be trying to get kids to stop smoking. I wonder how many parents know and condone their kids smoking? What Do You Think?: Send an e- mail to editor@fairlawnnews.com or post a message on the Fair Lawn News Discussion Forum.