Rep. Jeff Barnhart told a personal story.
The Cabarrus County Republican again shared the story of his father-in-law, who died of lung cancer after working in a smoky office for years.
He said his father-in-law used to remove his clothes in the garage after he got home because his family couldn't stand how he smelled.
"We can accept the fact that Dan died, we can accept the fact that he had cancer," he said. "But I'll tell you folks, it's really hard to accept why he died."
Barnhart, whose district includes Philip Morris, choked up briefly during his speech in favor of a smoking ban. He said arguments about smokers' rights ignore the effects on nonsmokers' rights.
"We are fighting for a personal freedom that Dan didn't have," he said. "He did not die because he smoked. He died because someone else wanted their freedom to smoke."
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