I attended the March 14 Widespread Panic concert at the Fox Theater. Imagine my alarm when those around me, and throughout the entire theater, began to light up both marijuana and tobacco cigarettes. Quickly, the entire theater filled with smoke, which persisted throughout the concert. It was reminiscent of a smoky bar before the Washington Clean Indoor Air Act took effect.

What struck me about this situation was the utter lack of any attempt to enforce the Clean Indoor Air Act. When I spoke with security personnel, they lamented that they were in a difficult situation because people are good at hiding lit cigarettes, which makes it difficult to catch them in the act.

The deleterious effects of secondhand smoke are well-established, and Washingtonians can be proud that they have in place a strong law that prohibits smoking in public establishments. But what good is such a law if it is not enforced?

I left the concert coughing and reeking of smoke. I can only imagine the long-term effects that all of that smoke will also have on the historic Fox Theater. Isn’t the theater worth protecting just as much as the patrons who attend concerts there?

Chris Hundhausen

Pullman