During the past few meetings of the Mesquite City Council, we have been visited by a small group of Mesquite citizens who are opposed to smoking in public places in the city, which in our case would be places that have gambling, but not the entry to Smith’s, which does not allow smoking on the premises.

At the last council meeting several speakers representing this group spoke in public comment and tried to connect recreational marijuana to second-hand smoke and its dangers.

I’m not sure if they were against all forms of marijuana or only the flower, which is smoked, although it can be ingested in numerous other ways. If it’s the second–hand smoke they are concerned about it’s not an issue, as it is not allowed to be smoked in any public place in Nevada, period. There is a $600 fine and I would expect it to be enforced.

Another person from, I presume, the same organization talked about DNA, marijuana smoking and accidents related to it in the gorge. I didn’t get the point of the comments, but I assume it was an attempt to connect Utah and other non-residents with the illegal transportation and smoking of marijuana on the way back home.

I also received an e-mail from a couple residing in Utah who are thinking about buying a home in Mesquite, but, and I quote, “are so afraid to purchase and then have neighbors who take full advantage of the drug and have constant odor drifting into our home when we will have grandchildren visiting.”

I have neighbors who smoke lots of cigarettes outside on their patio. I have never smelled smoke from their property and they are very close to our home.

This gentleman goes on that through city ordinance, I and the council have the ability to pass and enforce where and when to allow marijuana and how to enforce second hand smoke.

Because there is no public place to legally smoke marijuana, I assume he means entering private homes.

This is not a police state, this is America. We have the right to privacy in our homes and that’s the only legal place to use marijuana in any form.

I have been told by members of the anti-smoking group that they will continue to come to council meetings to express their point of view.

I hope they do as I consider public participation very important. But, please don’t try to connect what you can only do in the privacy of your home with second-hand smoke found in casinos.

I, by the way, don’t smoke anything but barbecue, and that smells real good.

Al Litman is mayor of the City of Mesquite.