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Then we have reasonable people, making reasonable observations, coming to the reasonable conclusion that one should not be forced to work and live in environments that are detrimental to ones health.

The problem with this statement is in your definition of "forced." No one is forced to work or live anywhere.

Unless, of course, you've been convicted of a felony. :-)

Back about 40 years ago, although one could conceivably find work where one could breath fresh air, if one had an education and worked in an office environment one had no choice but to breath second hand smoke. If one was a teacher, when visiting the teacher's lounge one had to breath smoke, and so on and so on. It was inescapable. Yes, one could have chosen to pick apples, but then unless one wished to sit alone or find personal transportation to and from the orchard, one had to put up with smokers and their exhaust.

Not 20 years ago, my director in a high tech company held meetings in his closed office so all of his buddies could smoke (it was not allowed in the conference rooms) and just about asphyxiated those who did not. If one wanted to quit a career job, yea, one could, but in these examples, who is imposing the burden of responsibility?

To not have a real choice, like 40 years ago, and 20 years ago, and even now if one wishes to work in guest services (bars and lounges, night clubs, etc.) and not be subject to second hand smoke, is to be forced to bear the brunt of another's irresponsibility.

When I wrote that reply I considered the word, forced, but I did not edit it because I knew someone would raise the issue as you did. I believe that one is not forced to do anything but when one spends six years or more in a technical college and orders their career to work in an office environment with colleagues who smoke, and can at their desks and offices, then one is indeed forced to breath that foul air.

Not many years ago, say one wished to be a health food salesman and needed to fly to conferences or to the headquarters often, and maybe that person took a job in health food as a way to seek a healthly lifestyle, that person was forced to breath foul air, wasn't he? That is why airlines no longer permit smoking, and that is why in NH bars and other establishments will no longer be permitted to allow smoking as well. Unless smokers can control their exhaust, nonsmokers are indeed forced to breath it.