Should smoking be banned in public places?

440,000 annual deaths each year are smoking-associated. 36,666 per month,8,461 per week, 1,205 per day,50 per hour.

 

No. I'm saying that the government should not allow you to force feed other people fatty foods.

 

I will let my husband know and he will probably be so envious. So, you met George Clinton, is he as funky in person?

 

So you believe that people who smoke are actually forcing someone to breath in the smoke? If I am standing in a park smoking and a non-smoker stands next to me am I force feeding that person who keeps waving there hand? I was in that spot first, why would they stand next to me if they don't want to breathe in the smoke?

 

ok and what about everything else that can cause those problems, the grease, the french fries, stress CAN THE GOVERNMENT BAN STRESS? what about ALL OF THOSE OTHER THINGS THAT CAN CAUSE THOSE PROBLEMS, YOU WANT THE GOVERMENT TO BAN ALL THOSE THINGS TO TOO? there are alot of other things that can cause heart disease, cancer and strokes! if you are telling me that you want everything banned that causes these problems along with smoking in public maybe you just need to move to another country! its people like you that cause people like me to lose the very thing I love about our country, my rights! and I have a right to smoke in public and if you don't like it carry your *** :twisted:down the road!

 

Thank you. I will show this to hubby this weekend and he will probably get a chuckle or he may already know this and I am just out of the loop. Anyhow, I think it is neat that you met him and are sharing.

 

Honey,

Calm down and go smoke a cigarette, while you can.

 

:lol::lol::lol: Thought I was gonna have a STROKE (3rd leading cause of deaths) there for a minute due to STRESS! :lol::lol::lol:
I did, but still feel just as strongly about it or any topic where somwone is talking about taking AWAY anyones rights.

but thanks!

 

I think you got lost somewhere along the way.

 

Not wanting to get into this debate but I just want to say CONGRATULATIONS to all here who have quit and stuck to it! SB, Kellbell, Clif, Ken...any others I missed (didn't read the WHOLE thread). That is really wonderful. Good for you!!! Keep up the good work!!
:hurray::hurray::hurray::hurray::hurray::hurray::hurray::hurray::hurray::hurray::hurray::hurray:

 

Oh, okay, I guess I will jump into this. Again, I've not read this whole thread. I do see Ken's point here. Though I am not a smoker and I do not like having to breath in a smokers second hand smoke at all (and REALLY don't like my kids having to), I do see that banning smoking could be a slippery slope.

I mean, I'm trying hard to eat healthier these days, but if I get the urge for something not so healthy, I don't want to be told I am not allowed to eat it by my government.

 

Sorry Ken. You people bombarded me. I'll get back to you. You can count on it.

 

Then you have to ask, who decides what's healthy and not healthy? For years eggs were considered unhealthy, then suddenly it was ok to eat them again. Alcohol was considered unhealthy, now it's not only not unhealthy, but a little a day is a benefit.

No, I'm not suggesting that one day smoking might be considered healthy (anyone remember the movie "Millennium"?), but the other stuff does make one think.

 

The point is, your eating something unhealthy does not have an effect on innocent bystanders. We have traffic laws because irresponsible driving can adversely affect other people. Second hand smoke can adversely affect other people. Most of the arguments I see posted here seem to ignore that fact.

I fully support rules against smoking in the workplace, in hospitals, in any place we need to go to conduct our daily lives. I think rules against smoking in bars would be just silly. Restaurants are a closer call, especially family restaurants. Personally, if I go to a restaurant I will always choose to sit in the non-smoking section. If cigarette smoke drifts into the non-smoking section, I will not go to that restaurant again.

 

it does effect anyone that pays insurance because of obesity in so many people from the over eating and eating the wrong things, my 2 cents I dont go to someone's house and tell them not to smoke and I will not go to someone's business and tell them not to smoke, it belongs to them as well as the choice, I understand state and federal businesses but thats it.. Private businesses and properties should not be controlled by our government.

If you dont like the smoke then dont go. personally I quit 9 years ago and both my parents use to smoke and I never had the first breathing problem from day 1.

 

thanks, next thing ya know they will say smokers are doing it w/ criminal intent! (sorry thats another story) :jester:

 

First of all I agree with Lucidity in the very first post. Having a smoking area in a restaurant is like having a peeing area in a pool. Excellent analogy. And I believe that people should have the freedom to go to work, go out to eat, shop and go about their business without having to breath someone else cigarette smoke. And why are people who want to breathe clean air a special interest group but smokers and tobacco companies are not?

 

Somehow Ken, I get the impression that you are a LOT younger than I am.It wasn't that long ago when the only place you couldn't smoke was at the gas pumps. People smoked in supermarkets, restaurants, all work places and even at high school ( outside ). But they didn't know anything about the harmful effects of smoking. In the army if you didn't smoke you were a wimp. When we were kids if we got caught smoking we were scolded and told that it would stunt our growth. Things have changed now as they learn more and more about the effects of smoking. 440,000 deaths in the U.S. every year are smoking related. That's a problem. And I do understand where you are coming from, I just don't agree with you. Every eating establishment in the U.S. is inspected regularly by the board of health so that people are not served contaminated food. Why then is it so wrong for the same government to protect the air that they breathe?

 

Oh, wow, I remember when I started smoking at 16 - I smoked on the school grounds, and I didn't have to sneak around to do it, either. I remember people smoking in supermarkets at least through the 1980's and into the 90's, and I seem to remember some controversy more recently than that about banning smoking in workplaces.

There's an old saying, "Your right to swing your arm ends where my nose begins." If your "right" to smoke interferes with my right to breathe, which right should take precedence?

 

Well...........I still say Bear has the cutest avatar.......8)

:jester: