Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jun 19/98) - Not to sensationalize the issue but, let's get ready to Ruuuuuuuumble!!

In the dingy-brown corner, the subdued, smouldering smoking population; in the pink corner, the rosy-cheeked, aerobic nicotine-free crowd.

At stake -- nothing less than the air we breath and the God-given right to have a damn cigarette with our morning coffee.

The city is considering a bylaw change that would forbid smoking in all public places accessible to children.

That would include the Diner, where smoking is almost a religion.

"What are they trying to be, like Toronto or something?" responded one Dinerite when informed of the city's move.

"In this town, you're either smoking, drinking or working -- that's the way it is," said the 11-year resident, who did not want his name used.

"Everyone congregates here in the morning," he continued. "Even the premier drops in once in a while to have a coffee and a smoke."

Non-smoking coffee bar Javaroma is the headquarters for the other side.

"I think it's a great idea," said Javaroman Mike Wood of the proposed change. "Kids don't have a choice where they go. They're brought there by their parents."

"Smokers are free at any time to go outside and smoke," noted Jane Wilson-Szabo between sips of her gourmet coffee.

Wilson-Szabo is a public health nurse. So is her coffee-break partner, Lou Richard, who also thought a ban would be a good idea.

"We appreciate that smoking is a strong addiction," said Richard. "We're just trying to promote healthy environments for our children."

Kids don't have to spend most of their days in environments hostile to their addictions, pointed out Diner patron Denise Mazur. "I work in a non-smoking building, so we come here for coffees," she said.

Mazur said the Diner, and her work crowd, has already made a major concession to non-smokers.

"We always used to sit at the big table in there," she said, indicating the separate area of the restaurant, conspicuously empty.

"That used to be our table. Once they put the no-smoking sign in there we started coming out here."

Though still a month or so away, the debate will boil down to a vote on council. Not that it would influence their objectivity, but non-smokers outnumber smokers there by a count of 7-2.