St. Paul City Councilmember Dave Thune is a smoker. Thune feels deep regret that his personal habit could be bothersome to others, and potentially harmful to his health. However, his solution to this personal dilemma may also be harmful to St. Paul's hospitality industry, and alienate a large number of clientele from St. Paul's pubs and eateries.

In the name of protecting "families and children," who are of unprecedented importance to him since resuming his public career, Thune has drafted legislation to attempt to ban smoking in St. Paul's bars and restaurants.

No one will reasonably argue that smoking does not carry a personal health risk. However, it is not the government's responsibility to legislate the activities of consenting, informed adults, and politicians like Thune ought not use their elected position to attempt to infringe upon the choices of individuals, whether those choices are harmful to the individual or not.

Join us for a smoke-in at Dave Thune's doorstep on Monday, June 7th from 6pm to 7pm. Bring your cigarettes, cigars, pipes, or any other tobacco product or smoking device. We will convene on the public property of Irvine Park in front of his home.

From the south:
35E to Grand Ave., right on Grand to Exchange, left on Exchange to Walnut, right on Walnut, one block.

From the north or east:
94 to Kellogg Blvd, left on Kellogg to W 7th St., right on 7th to Walnut, left on Walnut 2 blocks.

From the west:
94 to Kellogg Blvd, right on Kellogg to W 7th St., right on 7th to Walnut, left on Walnut 2 blocks.