In reference to “Housing Authority Restricts Tobacco, Angering Smoker,” which ran in the July 29-Aug. 4 issues of North Country This Week: I am a smoker and have been since I was a teenage. I am beyond being a teen now. I live in one of the buildings that the housing authority is choosing to take away our rights in. I am sick of being told what I can and cannot do; especially in my own home and since in all of the years I have lived here we have had the right to smoke in our own apartments! Do the board members not view us smokers as humans? Why are our rights being taken away? I realize some do not like smoking. I also realize it is my choice and since I have been smoking for years and years I don't see myself quitting. Those that moved into this building knew smoking was allowed when they moved in. So if the board or the other complainers don't like it then they should be the ones to put a towel under their door so smoke doesn't seep in or move to a different apartment where smoking was not allowed from the start. This is not a government decision. This comes from the housing board. It's time for people to stop treating smokers like they are second class citizens. I'm a good person that happens to smoke. There are many non-smokers here that believe it is our right to smoke in our homes. The board wants us 25 feet away from the building, outside with no shelter when it is snowing, raining and below zero weather. We have people in wheelchairs and on scooters that will have to leave the building and freeze just to keep non-smokers and the board happy. It is not fair. We can't smoke in a restaurant, in a bar, on county property and now in our own homes. Come on people, we should have some rights! It would be nice of the housing board to inform us that they are having a meeting to discuss things like this so the residents can go to the meeting and give our opinions and be heard.