Smoking Bans

[Powerman]

Time to set the record straight on this. Who here is for them and who here is against them?

 

[Mr. P]

Depends on who sets them, a business okay, government against.

 

[Powerman]

Depends on who sets them, a business okay, government against.

I agree.

I should hae made myself clear. I'm referring to govt. imposed smoking bans on places of business.

 

[Jimmyeatworld]

Against.

OSHA requires us to put the smokers outside. There was once a smoking break room, but apparently that wasn't good enough. I thought it was stupid that they were more concerned about second hand smoke when all someone has to do is not go into the smoking break room. A deburr hand with aluminum dust flying into their face 8-10 hours a day is apparently perfectly alright.

 

[Powerman]

Against.

OSHA requires us to put the smokers outside. There was once a smoking break room, but apparently that wasn't good enough. I thought it was stupid that they were more concerned about second hand smoke when all someone has to do is not go into the smoking break room. A deburr hand with aluminum dust flying into their face 8-10 hours a day is apparently perfectly alright.

.
I hear ya. I remember I worked in a refinery and we had to obtain a permit to smoke anywhere in the plant because of safety reasons. OK I can understand that. But try to go get a smoking permit 5 feet away from a job where they are doing hot work. Wouldn't happen. They would only grant you smoking permits in pre-designated areas regardless of if it was safe or not. And by hot work I mean people using f'ing Acetylene torches. How could someone lighting up a cigarette possibly be anywhere as dangerous as an acetylene flame? Idiots I swear.



But that's off topic. I'm talking about govt. imposed smoking bans on places like restaurants and bars.

 

[liberalogic]

Any type of smoking ban is ridiculous. As long as there are designated areas where people can smoke and others do not have to inhale the second hand smoke, I do not see a problem with it at all.

It's true that smoking is a bad habit, but there is no end to how much people can shame smokers and make them huddle in corners like prostitutes. They mean no harm and if you have an area that is designated for smoking and isolated from those who do not want to breath it in, then there should be no problem at all.

For Christ sake, you can't even smoke in a bar in NYC! What is a drink without a smoke?

And just to add one more thing: those "Truth" commercials with those kids standing in front of the tobacco company yelling that they lied to us and all are just stupid. I mean it basically says on the pack "You are going to die from this." I don't need earnest teenagers standing up for bullshit.

 

[insein]

Smoking bans are stupid because then the government will start trying to mandate other bans along the same lines. Then they will move into bans that arent related to anything. Give them inch, theyll take a mile. Let a business decide what it wants to do and the consumer will decide whether or not to frequent that business.

Personally i cant stand smoking and smokers are some of the most obnoxious people in the world. I try to avoid places with excess amounts of cigarette smoke whenever possible because the smell is awful and gets all in your clothes. But thats my decision to be made and the business' to decide whether or not to ban it.

All smoking bans do is give the government another reason to collect money they have no business getting their hands on.

 

[Avatar4321]

my personal feelings on the matter probably vary from some on this board.

I am against smoking. If I have opportunities i would probably encourage any of my friends who smoke to quit and offer any assistance they would like.

I don't think creating laws against smoking will stop it, nor do i think the government intends to stop it. They just want to make money off it. I think exhortation and teaching good principles surrounding why people should stop smoking while encouraging them not to smoke would be better.

Of course if i had to vote for or against a law restricting smoking. I would vote in favor of it. I am not going to start any such initiative but i am not going to vote against people who do. Atleast as long as its a state government doing such and not the federal government who has no authority to do such a thing.

 

[Gem]

Avatar,

While I share your intense dislike of smoking, I can't understand why you would side with more government intrusion into peoples' lives when simple common sense would suffice.

When we allow the government into our lives, especially when they are piling on rules and restrictions, we never scale back...we only add more. Once we allow government into a realm they never say, "Well...this is no longer necessary, lets scrap this regulation.." they only continue...adding more restrictions whenever some person, group, lobbyist, etc. raises a big enough stink.

Businesses know that people prefer not to walk through a cloud of smelly smoke to get into their buildings...therefore businesses will mandate a
"safe" distance away from the building for smoking. Restaurant owners will gauge whether or not their patrons want a smoking section...or if they want the restaurant to be smoke free...and plan accordingly...

In places like planes, where I can't get away from someone elses air...then yes...it shouldn't be allowed. But when I am making a conscious choice to go into one restaurant rather and another....why invite the government to have MORE power over society?

 

[Annie]

Personally, I can't see why there aren't restaurants, bars, theaters that 'choose' to be smoking or non-smoking. How is that not protected? Seems to me it certainly solves the non-smokers/hate/abhor smoke problems. Just don't set foot in a 'smoking area.' Same with smokers, you enter a 'smoke free place' you should face a minimum fine of $10k.

 

[insein]

Personally, I can't see why there aren't restaurants, bars, theaters that 'choose' to be smoking or non-smoking. How is that not protected? Seems to me it certainly solves the non-smokers/hate/abhor smoke problems. Just don't set foot in a 'smoking area.' Same with smokers, you enter a 'smoke free place' you should face a minimum fine of $10k.

Whose collecting the fine then Kathi? Its a simple "please leave my premises" from the owner and thats that.

 

[Merlin]

Smoking bans are stupid because then the government will start trying to mandate other bans along the same lines. Then they will move into bans that arent related to anything. Give them inch, theyll take a mile. Let a business decide what it wants to do and the consumer will decide whether or not to frequent that business.

Personally i cant stand smoking and smokers are some of the most obnoxious people in the world. I try to avoid places with excess amounts of cigarette smoke whenever possible because the smell is awful and gets all in your clothes. But thats my decision to be made and the business' to decide whether or not to ban it.

All smoking bans do is give the government another reason to collect money they have no business getting their hands on.

insein, I have to agree with part of your statement, but smokers obnoxious? I think there are some great non smokers, but a lot of non smokers life long dream is to be obnoxious. Especially a ex-smoker.

 

[dmp]

Against.

Stupid stupid stupid stupid laws.

The majority of Seattlites voted FOR a statewide smoking ban. I'm suspect, but still - shows how stupid the majority of seattle voters are.



Let the market dictate that stuff.

 

[The ClayTaurus]

Against.

Stupid stupid stupid stupid laws.

The majority of Seattlites voted FOR a statewide smoking ban. I'm suspect, but still - shows how stupid the majority of seattle voters are.



Let the market dictate that stuff.

What are you suspect of?

 

[Jimmyeatworld]

Any type of smoking ban is ridiculous. As long as there are designated areas where people can smoke and others do not have to inhale the second hand smoke, I do not see a problem with it at all.

It's true that smoking is a bad habit, but there is no end to how much people can shame smokers and make them huddle in corners like prostitutes. They mean no harm and if you have an area that is designated for smoking and isolated from those who do not want to breath it in, then there should be no problem at all.

For Christ sake, you can't even smoke in a bar in NYC! What is a drink without a smoke?

And just to add one more thing: those "Truth" commercials with those kids standing in front of the tobacco company yelling that they lied to us and all are just stupid. I mean it basically says on the pack "You are going to die from this." I don't need earnest teenagers standing up for bullshit.

That's pretty much the way I look at it. If a person doesn't pay enough attention to know the risks they put right on the side of the pack, they shouldn't claim to be "lied to" by the tobacco company.

So far, around here, it is a city by city issue. There are no statewide bans. Austin went smoke free in restaurants several years ago, though I don't know if the law includes bars or not. I believe all sports venues in Dallas/Fort Worth are smoke free, which is pretty stupid to ban smoking in an open air stadium.

 

[Jimmyeatworld]

Smoking bans are stupid because then the government will start trying to mandate other bans along the same lines. Then they will move into bans that arent related to anything. Give them inch, theyll take a mile.

Yep. That applies to a lot of things. Sometimes people don't understand that it might not be the issue at hand, but what will likely follow the issue at hand.

 

[dmp]

What are you suspect of?

Accuracy of vote-counting.

 

[007]

Against. Even though I'm a non-smoker and can't stand the smell of cigarettes, it isn't, or shouldn't be, the governments job to stick it's nose into it.

 

[The ClayTaurus]

Accuracy of vote-counting.

How come?

 

[Hobbit]

Against. Even though I'm a non-smoker and can't stand the smell of cigarettes, it isn't, or shouldn't be, the governments job to stick it's nose into it.

Agreed. Before all these bans, I simply gave more business to places without indoor smoking sections.