The question I posed yesterday was, "Is it right to expose innocent
victims (ferrets) to environmental cigarette smoke?"
 
Of course not!  What were you thinking?
 
Exposing ferrets to second-hand cigarette smoke is NEVER a question of
smoker rights, but one of ferret rights.  While it is a smoker's legal
right to inhale tars containing radioactive particles, to elevate their
blood carbon monoxide levels to dangerous concentrations, and help coat
their arteries and veins with fatty sludge to the point of costing
society billions of dollars in lost productivity and health costs, it is
another thing altogether to force such harmful things on ferrets lacking
the ability to complain or protest or remove themselves from risk.
 
If I suggested it was ok to expose baby ferrets to canine distemper virus
(CDV) simply because they would eventually come into contact with some
other bacteria or virus, this discussion wouldn't be about MY right to
expose myself to CDV.  Likewise, I could argue that because lengthy
exposures to direct sunlight didn't seem to harm me, I could leave ferret
cages in direct sun on hot days, and people would see through the sham.
My ability to accept risk has no bearing on the forcing of risk on
ferrets; likewise, a smoker's right to light up has no bearing on a
ferret's right to live smoke free.
 
There is only one possible answer to the ethical question of exposing
ferrets to dangers of second-hand smoke.  Because the risks are great,
even for tiny exposures for short periods of time, and because ferrets
are unable to remove themselves from the dangerous situation, it becomes
the RESPONSIBILITY of the ferret owner to remove such risk.  In other
words, ferret owners have the RESPONSIBILITY to make sure ferrets are NOT
exposed, even in minute amounts and for short durations, to second hand
cigarette smoke.
 
That is the only ethical and moral answer to the question.  But you
already knew that.
 
Bob C
[Posted in FML issue 4272]