Dear Editor

61% of Mesquite residents want Mesquite to have clean indoor air, according to the scientific poll conducted recently. I am one of those people.

While it is up to every citizen to choose what is best for their own individual health, public spaces should be smoke free, because they are for everyone. It is the responsibility of our council members to protect the health and safety of every Mesquite resident. While our leaders cannot do that on an individual basis, they can make sure that public spaces are smoke-free so that everyone is breathing clean air when they are indoors.
I believe that change is needed in Mesquite so that everyone, no matter where they work or choose to play, is breathing safe, clean indoor air. It is so important that we set a precedent as a community to put our residents first. I want to make sure that the people I know and love, who are my neighbors, friends, and family, can feel free to visit anywhere in Mesquite and know that the air they are breathing is safe. Every resident deserves that. It is not time to be silent, Mesquite. Make sure your voice is heard by championing this effort and letting your support be known to the leaders of our community.

Karen Grohs

Mesquite, NV

 

Dear Editor

Secondhand smoke causes lung cancer and heart disease. That is a fact. How then, can we knowingly accept that our fellow Mesquite residents work in places where they are exposed to such risk?

It is unfair and unjust for a person to be forced to work in an environment that is hazardous to their health just to support their family. We know that we do not want our children, our friends, or our family to have to make a decision to not earn an income because they are worried about putting their health at risk.

It’s not worth it. Working in an environment proven to cause such serious illness is not worth it, but unfortunately some of us have no other option.  We all need to stand up and realize that no one deserves to make that hard decision or be forced to work in a place that puts their life at risk. People’s lives and health are at stake and we refuse to sit idly.

 

Amadeo Vitela

Gayle Vitela

Mesquite, NV

 

Dear Editor

Have you ever walked into a casino to get to a restaurant and been overwhelmed by the smoke? I have and while it used to be acceptable and part of ‘the way things are,’ that is no longer the case. I am choosing to stand up for what Mesquite residents want, and that is for all Mesquite residents to be able to work and live in a non-hazardous environment.

There is so much research that shows the health risks and danger of secondhand smoke. People who are working to support themselves and their families deserve better. They deserve to not put their health at risk when at work and deserve to have the rest of the community stand up for them. Mesquite is just that, a community, and we must stick together to make sure our fellow residents, our friends, are taken care of.

We need to raise our voices and let our council members know that we care about our fellow Mesquite residents and want them to be able to work in a safe and non-threatening environment, just like every other worker in town. It’s time for a change, and I want to make sure I am a part of bringing clean indoor air to my home, the place I care about very much.

 

Mike Bangle

Marlys Harper

Mesquite, NV