Thank you to Mayor Greg Ballard for treating residents of Marion County as adults and not children.

The anti-tobacco cabal lost, thanks to the mayor (according to Matthew Tully), but smokers of Marion County won their liberty.

As an oral surgeon, with formerly nicotine-stained hands, I don’t promote smoking. I do instruct my patients on the hazards of smoking and the diseases and pathology it can cause, but I treat patients as responsible adults who can make their own rational decisions.

I’m continually amused reading of the millions of dollars spent on anti-smoking programs with little effect on the 27 percent of Hoosiers who smoke. Who in the world doesn’t know of the downsides of smoking?

Again, thank you, Mayor Ballard, for your common sense and savvy end to the madness of social correctness and to the end of loss of freedom of choice for Marion County residents.

Hal Smith, DDS

Indianapolis