Editor, OBSERVER:
Why can't we do like they did in grape country in California? We're the California of the East, with just as beautiful sunsets in the water here like the west coast. We have grapes here like the west. What we don't have here like out west are three counties where pot is decriminalized and making great strides improving the business in the area cafes, boutiques, grow room construction, privacy fences bringing back growth of businesses and people to the area.
Why not here? Who needs it more than we? The people who need it for medical reasons can grow their own, and the money saved can be spent at area businesses.
The more people who return, the bigger the tax base, the less tax each of us would pay.
The only ones who are really fighting this are the people selling illegally. They don't want it legal 'cause that will kill the need for people to buy, and take the profits out of cartels, and put it in the hands of local merchants. And think, in a year or so, we by all means could have thousands of visitors to the CCCC Chautauqua County Cannabis Cup.
The rewards would be tremendous throughout the county for festivals, galas, holiday shopping, to the point where property values are strong and taxes lowered. Make the change, they will come.
TOM BAIDEME,
Westfield
Area store
to add smokes
Editor, OBSERVER:
Stores are in business to make money, but when should a store put its customers' health before their bottom line?
It has been reported that one store in our area will start selling cigarettes and other tobacco products within the next couple of months. None of this store's main competitors sell tobacco products, but their customer research found that these stores' customers smoke more than average. So, to gain more low-income shoppers, the store is going to sell tobacco products too.
It has been proven that people with low-incomes use more tobacco products on average. Unfortunately, providing more opportunities to purchase cigarettes will only continue this trend. And yes there will always be the argument that if they don't buy the cigarettes at one store, they will buy them somewhere else. This may be true, but shouldn't stores value their customers instead of helping kill them?
Tobacco use is still the number one cause of preventable death in the United States. With the addition of tobacco products in these stores, there will also be more tobacco advertising in our communities. But, in the recently released Surgeon General's report, "The more young people are exposed to cigarette advertising and promotion activities, the more likely they are to smoke." In Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Allegany counties there are a number of these discount stores, with five more nearby.
We already have higher smoking rates than the state averages of 15.5 percent among adults and 12.6 percent among youth. With this shop's additional tobacco sales, our rates will continue to exceed state and national rates in the future.
SAMANTHA VAMSTROM,
senior program coordinator
Chautauqua, Cattaraugus & Allegany Counties Reality Check
