This letter is in response to the letter to the editor by Jessica Gaskins that ran Monday. Where exactly is Gaskins walking that she inhales the smoke of 10 cigarettes every day? I, too, am a non-smoker, and I agree that second-hand smoke can be very unpleasant and quite irritating.

I certainly do not inhale the smoke of 10 cigarettes while walking to class each day, or even each month, nor have I ever had to walk through a "crowd of smokers" to get into a building. I've passed one or two people outside, sure, but I'd have to be here for 50 years for that little smoke to make much of a dent, if any, on my health or well-being. Therefore, it's not worth worrying about.

I also think it quite an exaggeration to say that smokers' actions "affect everyone who has to breathe," or that to avoid second-hand smoke one muse "choose not to breathe." Conditions are not exactly that harsh. There are many ways to avoid the smoke, such as walking around smokers on the way to class. To ask smokers to "find a private spot inside, such as a private room" so as not to "taint outdoor air" is ridiculous. In fact, a "private spot inside, such as a private room" is called a smoking lounge, and these no longer exist in most places for the benefit of those living or working inside. It is more and more common for smoking to be prohibited in public buildings. So, what does that leave us with? They can't smoke inside, and Gaskins would rather they not smoke outside? Where can they go, exactly?

I suggest that smokers have the right to smoke outside, and without a hassle.