Creeping Tyranny Confirmed: N.Y. Town Bans Smoking on Sidewalks

If you smoke and are planning a trip to Great Neck, N.Y. any time soon, you had better refrain from lighting up on a sidewalk in front of a business, because it could end up costing you $1000.

Via myfoxny.com:

GREAT NECK, N.Y. - A village on Long Island's "gold coast" is banning smoking on public sidewalks in front of businesses. Violators could face a $1,000 fine.

The Great Neck village board approved the ban Tuesday night. It claims to be the first municipality in the state to enact such a restriction.

Mayor Ralph J. Kreitzman says the ban was enacted after officials got complaints about smokers standing outside stores in the village. He says the law will also benefit pedestrians who might have been subjected to second-hand smoke.

Kreitzman says, "I have no problem with people smoking. They just shouldn't do it in a place that harms other people."

Kreitzman tells Fox 5 that, despite the hefty fines violators could face, the ban is not an attempt to raise money for the village.

The mayor says code enforcement agents will be out to look for violations and he hopes the police will also help with enforcement.

One smoker told Fox 5 News, "I'm waiting for them to ban smoking in my yard, at my house, is it going to go that far?"

The law apparently has a loophole. It is not illegal to smoke in the street.

Neighboring New York City is currently considering a smoking ban in parks and pedestrian plazas.

There are local governments already passing laws to ban people from smoking inside their own domiciles.

How long will it be before the government starts telling people they can't light up on their own front porch?

This used to be a free country. I don't know what happened to it, but if the American sheeple don't soon wake up and pull their heads out of their asses, our chances of ever getting that country back are going to go up in smoke.