Editor,
I applaud the effort from New Directions to ban smoking in downtown Montpelier. In a recent news story on this initiative, Mayor Hollar is quoted as saying that, in the past 25 years, he has never been burdened by cigarette smoke in downtown Montpelier. I wonder if Mayor Hollar ever had to stand at a bus stop. As someone who has stood at the bus stop in front of Shaw’s supermarket on many occasions, I can tell you that it’s impossible to avoid inhaling second-hand cigarette smoke. If you doubt the amount of smoking that goes on there, just take a look at the ground surrounding the bus shelter. The butts are, unfortunately, everywhere around the shelter and, for that matter, everywhere on our downtown sidewalks and streets. Banning smoking in downtown Montpelier would cut down on litter and send a clear message that the city values the health of its citizens.

Nancy Schulz
Montpelier, VT