I first heard the expression “Light ‘em if you have ‘em” in 1967 during my jaunt through boot camp with the U.S. Marine Corps. These few words were listened for with great anticipation because it meant a break in the intense routine for a few minutes and a nicotine boost for the next training session.

As a former smoker, I sometimes catch that whiff of second-hand smoke and get that déjà vu feeling of bygone days, but then I come out of the smoke cloud and go, YUK!

We all have our individual feelings regarding the pros and cons of banning smoking in venues where smoking was previously allowed. The reality is, however, that smoking is now allowed only in select areas, if at all. Good, bad or ugly, I support the rights of people to smoke if they so desire, but I prefer that they refrain from polluting non-smoking areas. I want these people away from where my family and I are enjoying ourselves, not so much because of health reasons — it’s bunk to think one exposure to second-hand smoke is going to cause serious harm — but because smoking stinks. You will inhale more harmful fumes waiting outside for your table than those isolated exposures to second hand smoke.

For any of you who have not got it, I am against smoking. However, I realize that some people do smoke and they have rights as well.

Businesses must deal not only with the smoking of their customers but also their employees as well. There are many reasons why a business should be cognizant of smokers on or near their establishments and how to deal with those issues. Whenever I am forced to enter a business by walking through an area where people are smoking, it offends me.

In my opinion, all businesses, and especially food establishments of any nature, should post large signs that say, “No smoking within 50 feet of this sign. Violators will be extinguished with a fire hose.”

What do you mean, I can’t do that? Too bad. It just might deter some inconsiderate folks who smoke just outside the doors to restaurants, stores or restrooms from lighting up near these strategic family facilities.

Did I mention that smoking stinks? I did? Okay. In addition, these smokers represent a negative role model image to children and young teenagers.

For businesses, an additional concern should be whether their employees are smoking where customers can view them and know that they are employees of the business. There are two very valid concerns regarding employees smoking on business premises.

First, customers witnessing such behavior may decide not to patronize the business. Second, the time it takes to smoke a cigarette represents a potential loss of work hours on the smoker’s behalf.

Business owners should create a smoking policy and then implement it.

My experience both as a smoker and as a manager convinced me that smokers typically take more than their allotted health breaks and very often went over the allotted break times.

The amount of time lost per instance of smokers taking breaks longer than fifteen minutes or more than the two breaks allowed in an eight-hour day may seem inconsequential until you multiply that by the number of smokers in the business and add up all of the time lost.

As always, I am looking at how negative actions impact the businesses’ bottom line. I strongly recommend that management hold fast to the line, “If you’ve got ‘em, don’t light ‘em on company time or company property.”