Pot or porn?

Clark County Commissioner Tom Mielke may question the dangers of secondhand smoke, but he’s certain about T-shirts bearing depictions of marijuana leaves.

No good.

During Wednesday’s Board of Health meeting, the discussion on banning the sale of e-cigarettes to minors veered off into a talk about T-shirts.

Bear in mind that when John Wiesman, the director of Clark County Public Health, makes a suggestion about how the commissioners can set policies encouraging people to make healthy choices, he typically gets a lecture about the government interfering with personal choice.

Last year, for example, Wiesman suggested that the Dragonfly Cafe at the Public Service Center offer a broth-based soup instead of only cream-based soups.

The cream is high in fat, Wiesman said.

“But that’s what makes it so delicious,” Mielke said.

So forgive Wiesman if he was caught off-guard Wednesday when a commissioner suggested taking a stance against T-shirts.

On Wednesday, Sondra Storm of Prevent!, the substance abuse prevention coalition of Clark County, testified in favor of the ordinance banning the sale of e-cigarettes to minors.

On average, youth in Clark County start smoking at age 13, Storm said, and flavored e-cigarettes are marketed to minors.

Commissioner Marc Boldt agreed that e-cigarettes glorify smoking the real things.

Then talk turned to T-shirts. Boldt mentioned a news story out of Boston, where the mayor has objected to a new line of Nike T-shirts with slogans such as “Get High.”

Boldt said the Board of Health should take a stand against the T-shirts.

“We should at least voice our disapproval,” said Boldt, 56.

“I’ve seen those shirts with a marijuana leaf,” said Mielke, 69. “It’s no different than having a pornographic picture.”

Commissioner Steve Stuart, 40, had a scheduled absence so he wasn’t there to share his thoughts on images of marijuana.

I can’t imagine he would equate them with pornography – after all, he did attend law school at the University of Oregon in Eugene.

Ah, Eugene, where people with the munchies can order marijuana themed sub sandwiches.