Smoking Ban

[Sinkinfast]

Like helmet laws, I support what many people here support. Let the rider decide. It's that simple. Same goes for smoking, if you want to smoke, I think you should have the right to smoke. I don't smoke, but I'd stand up beside you for your right to smoke if that is what you decide. But if you have a right to smoke, do I have a right not to smoke? If I'm sitting by a smoker in a bar I don't. If you choose not to wear your helmet, that doesn't really affect me, but if you smoke around me, I loose my right not to smoke. Will you support my right not to smoke like you expect me to support your smoking rights? The problem here isn't the smokers or the non-smokers. It's the lack of respect each group gives the other. Businesses need to provide smokers with a respectable place to smoke, that won't force their non-smoking patrons to second hand smoke, go home smelling bad, or go elsewhere. Pushing smokers out in zero degree weather or rain to smoke isn't respectable and neither is saying "if you don't like it go elsewhere". I'm not one of those "Holy-er then thou" non-smokers who says too bad, go out to freeze to have a smoke. I feel bad that smokers (people) are not being treated with more respect. But I also don't think that just because I don't smoke means that should have to suck it up or go elsewhere . You shouldn't have to go to a different bar either just because you do smoke. Forget all the scientific reports about second hand smoke if you like, but the simple fact is, lots of people hate the smell. Going home from a smoking bar means my clothes and hair really stink. If I came to the bar covered in cow Sh*t, you'd say "Dude you stink, get away". But somehow when someone smokes, everyone has to put up with the smell because the smokers rights are at stake? Sounds one-way to me. So the question is, how do we make it so smokers can smoke without making non-smokers suck it up? If you choose to smoke, I respect and support your right to do so. I choose not to smoke, I hope you support that right too. The problem is, like smelly cow dung, smoke goes everywhere, and the rights of both groups can not be respected without some separation. That is why we need to pressure businesses to respect both smokers and non smokers with improvements to keep ALL their patrons happy, not one group or the other. Smoking killed my Mother and several other family members, but I supported their right to choose. Unfortunately, when they smoked around me, they didn't return the favor, especially in the car. As a kid, I laid on the floor in the back seat to try to get away from the smell. I think about it every time I see a kid in a car seat with a parent smoking in the front with all the windows up. They're too little to make a choice, but unfortunately their parents make the choice for them. IMHO The problem can't be solved by taking away rights of smokers or non-smokers. It needs some new thinking that factors in some respect for everyone. Here's to respect and personal choice for everyone![sm=americanasmiley.gif]

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[Sean883]

ORIGINAL: John TN

Bottom line is one ban leads to another, pretty soon you won't be able to blow your nose in public. Riding bikes is dangerous would you be so quick to say why is it still legal to ride them. Think about it, once items are banned they will not be legal again. JMO

Even though i hate the smell this is so true.

[LTrain]

Sinkinfast makes some good points. Part of my problem with bans is, it takes the "open market" out of the picture. I know a couple of fellows who opened a non-smoking restaurant in Chicago. Now that all eateries are supposed to be non-smoking, the law killed their niche. They were probably one of 10 places in Chicago that was voluntarily non-smoking out of thousands. They were doing a pretty good business. Now that everyone is non-smoking, they're not doing as well.

BTW, if anyonevisits Chicago, give me a shout. I'll take you up there, it's a nice place with decent food.

[wlbowers]

ORIGINAL: toyrider

Becoming a topic here in Northwest PA. Banning smoking in public places like bars, diners, etc. I would like to see if you have an opinion as to whether the state government should have control on this.
Do you support a law banning smoking in public places ??

Yes I support the smoking ban. Not because I want the government to impead on our rights, but because the smokers don't care about policing themself.

Man, I thought I was in the loud pipe forum, or the helmet forum. Change a few words and you could be.

You have a right to smoke. Fine don’t exhale. That’s the only way that your gonna be able to do it around me without feeding me that crap.

Cigarette smoking doesn’t cause cancer. What are you crazy? You must have been reading the reports from Marlboro. I watched an uncle of mine cough up pieces of his lung from the cancer caused by smoking 3 packs a day. When he finally died the coroner stated his lung, yes lung, was the size of a grapefruit and was black. He suffocated on his own fluids.

My grandfather got where he couldn’t get up out of the chair because the lung cancer made him so weak.

You roll up a wad of weeds and set them on fire and suck as much of that crap into your lungs as you can. Yea real smart. The cigarette companies got caught putting more nicotine in the sticks to get you hooked. They don’t care if you live or die, just buy that pack.

I don’t allow smoking in my home or vehicles. Yea I am animate in that count. I have 22% of my lungs damaged by bronchitis when I was 6 months old. Second hand smoke burns my lungs.

I have a close friend that is on oxygen full time. Both of his lungs are damaged from working in a chemical company. Why should he be forced to walk through a fog of your crap just to go get a decent meal? And you can take that he can go somewhere else comment and shove it. There is nowhere that he can go that is not hazed in after smoke unless smoking is not allowed. He has as much right to be there as you do. Your going to trample on his rights to live a decent life so you can suck smoke.

Find a way that cigarette smoke will not affect everyone’s health and smell like your burning an old tire, and I will support your cause. Not until then.

[Bluerose]

Banning smoking is not about the smoking it is about control. First smoking, then Transfat, then???

A lot and I mean a lot of small bar ownersclosed down due to the initiation of the law here is CA. Heck people go to bars to drink and smoke with drinkers and smokers. I don't mind the office building thing so much but areas which are in a sense "public" diners, bars, etc should be able to choose. Why not a law that allows a Bar to choose smoking or not..?I stopped going to bars completely.

Also it creates a second class of citizens and causes hate crimes as well. I swear when I was smoking I could walk down the street drinking a beer and get in my car and no one would say a word. But If I went and stood in a corner outside away from anyone I would still get sneered at an rude remarks because someone would walk by.

Here in So. Cal we go outside and no big deal most of the time. Now imagine the 65 year old smoker who will not be able to quit very easily standing in the snow in PA < 30 degrees to smoke...that is just stupid.

Even worse...We have cities now banning it...they claim smog abatement.I have heard of people getting ticketed for smoking in and around thier multimillion dollar homes they have lived in for10 - 20years.

Now...Lets ban soda, hamburgers, french fries, dogs, cats, cell phones, and ipods. Think I'm going overboard? If you let them ban smoking it is not unrealistic. My city bans parking on the dirt ...period. It is a $50 fine. Go figure...

[Cigar Aggie]

That makes sense until they say Hey you drink and I don't like paying for the bills of drinkers. Or hey you ride a motorcycle, I don't like paying extra for that either. Or you weigh too much, pay up! Total BS.... I smoke an occasional cigar and just maybe I'd like to go to a bar that caters to an occasional cigar smoker.... A Bar has to have a license to serve alcohol, why not have a license to allow smoking then post a sign If you don't like smoke, stay out! I'm tired of living in the Nanny state....

ORIGINAL: 04harleyboy

Here in Michigan, the company I work for just started charging smokers and extra $100 a month for medical insurance, and that makes sense, why should I pay more for the medical bills of smokers, let them pay for it themselfs.I also don't think that the government should ban smoking anywhere. But I think that some places should cater to the non smokers of the world. I would love to go to a smoke free bar once in a while, and meet smoke free women. But I do not want the government to decide that for anyone. FYI, I just quit smoking about 5 months ago.