Smokers – selfish scum or persecuted minority?

What about overweight people in front of kids?
Giving the impression that it's 'ok' to be overweight can have life-long consequences that can be worse than smoking as far as health and enjoyment of life goes.

While I'm not a smoker, being anti-authoritarian, I would prefer businesses could choose how they run their business just as we can choose what we do in our own homes.

What about overweight people in front of kids?
Giving the impression that it's 'ok' to be overweight can have life-long consequences that can be worse than smoking as far as health and enjoyment of life goes.

While I'm not a smoker, being anti-authoritarian, I would prefer businesses could choose how they run their business just as we can choose what we do in our own homes.

Lol, so I don't usually participate in a heated discussion like this one. Tonight I can't sleep, so what the heck, I will give it a go.
Facts-I have been told by the doctor that I have smokers lungs.
-I have NEVER engaged in smoking in my life.
-I was always sick with some type of lung issue while growing up.
- My father smoked till I was 18.
-My bronchial tubes close up when I am trying to walk into a 'public' place and someone walks by smoking.
These are just a few of my own personal facts.
All I am asking is why should I feel guilty about wanting to walk into a grocery store,eat at a restaurant,take a walk n the park, go into the mall,go to an amusement park,etc, and not want to breathe toxins that will make me ill? I don't have a problem with anyone breathing air. Hey...it's free. But cigarette smoke isn't smart enough to be able to stay in the smoking section. It likes to travel and meet every body. I don't care how many fans are going, that stuff is going to travel. Then I get to share it.
Smokers die young and fast? Ha! They carry around liquid oxygen and meds for which the public gets taxed to pay the health care bills. My mother worked at a store that supplied oxygen, they billed Medicaid/Medicare for most of their equipment. So....if I get taxed so they can have meds to help them live a damaged life of their own making, then why can't I have a say in being able to breathe cigarette free air?
Just asking a logical question.
And there is my own opinion ;-}
Jac

Smoking is repulsive and it kills. The people saying second hand smoke is harmless are kidding themselves, it's disgusting that it is still legal to sell tobacco. I appreciate the fact that it is an addiction but I just feel so sad for people who lose family members needlessly. The only people I would call selfish scum though are the people who throw their butts on the ground. THERE IS NO EXCUSE.

If you find it repulsive dont do it. Its not just people saying that second hand smoke is harmless, its the countless studies that have been done. A lot of things are disgusting. Should we ban them all? A lot of things are harmful, should we ban them all? We should ban every thing that is harmful to our health?

I'm a smoker - I don't smoke in my house, I smoke outside it. I don't smoke in my car either. Oh and I don't smoke around children, or around my non-smoking friends if I can help it! The one thing that does get me is pregnant women smoking - yes I know its their choice, but I see that as being selfish (my sister in law smoked constantly whilst pregnant, and unfortunatley lost 2 children - not saying its because of this, but it could of been a factor - and now the 2 children she does have both have bad asthma, again, don't know if it is caused by the smoking whilst pregnant - but it doesnt help)

When I smoke at work, it is on the roof, away from people who would likely walk past and cough and splutter because I'm "polluting their air" - what about all the car fumes you inhale - do you cough and splutter everytime one of them goes past you? If anyone does this to me now whilst I'm walking to work, and enjoying my pre-work ciggie, I make a point of blowing the smoke toward them and try and keep up with them - petty, I know - but if you can be like that then so can I!

When I go to the pub, I smoke outside, away from the door (if I can unless there's some inconsiderate non-smoker taking up my space!)

There are so many rude people on here - everyone has their own vices, and not everyone may agree with them, but not everyone goes on about it, and tries to change people!

Wow! You comment on the rude people on here but you're just as rude when you deliberately blow smoke at someone who coughs and splutters. Believe me not everyone who coughs and splutters is doing it just to make a point. I'm one of those people who cough and splutter because I can't stand it when I get a face full of someone's cigarette smoke. I guess you don't realize how nasty that is to someone who doesn't smoke and how hard it is to even breathe! Really, I'm sorry you're offended by me trying to get that stuff out of my system and just trying to breathe again. I just kind of enjoy breathing.

But when I'm outside - you know, the great outdoors, big open spaces etc etc and you decide to walk that close to me that you do maybe catch a whiff of my smoke over the car exhausts and you cough/splutter then sorry but not my problem - plenty of space to walk around me or past me so you don't need to walk that close to me! I already said I don't smoke around people who don't smoke if I can help it, so I certainly wouldn't stand there and "blow smoke in their face" as you put it.

I enjoy breathing, I also enjoy living - and I seem to be able to both, simultaneously without having an issue with it - I don't smoke heavily so why shouldn't I?!

I have never smoked, but I do have compassion for smokers. I understand that it is an extremely difficult habit to break.

That being said, I do think that it is child abuse to smoke around children and extremely incosiderate to smoke around anyone else. I also don't think that Medicare or Medicaid should have to pay reoccuring medical bills associated with smoking or that the hospitals or doctors should have to absorb the cost; especially when someone isn't making an attempt to stop.

I am a nurse, and it gets very frustrating to have a patient with a respiratory diagnosis that smokes and has every intention of continuing to smoke. Sure it's your right to smoke, but is it your right to have others suffer the financial burdens of your habit?

As someone who feels ill around cigarette smoke, I consider smoking to be a public nuisance. Your addiction should not trump my ability to breathe. So, yes, I am in favor banning smoking in public places, just like I am in favor public noise ordinances and open bottle laws. That said, I don't understand people who feel the need to "enlighten" smokers about the dangers of their habit.

So you think you have the right to tell me I cant allow smoking in my own restaurant?

MDWilliams: This, along with a gazillion other things easily searched on the internet should provide you with the proof you need that second-hand smoke is deadly and dangerous to everyone. I hope that you will do a small amount or reading and realize that you should change your tune on this issue. If not... then I don't know what to tell you. I'm bowing out before things get mean spirited. I feel like the arguments are just going in circles at this point.

http://www.epa.gov/smokefre/healtheffects.html

Been there done that. Read all sorts of studies. No study has ever proven second hand smoke to be harmful, Thats a fact. Accept it or not, its still a fact.

This is why you don't get into arguments with smokers. Like I said, blinkered idiocy. I'm sorry you lack the intelligence to see a valid scientific argument, that's why you are a smoker and I'm not.

Actually, Im not a smoker as I have stated many times. Maybe rather than holding yourself up as an intellectual and painting everyone else as stupid, you could work on reading comprehension. You could also take the time to read the hundreds of studies that show no harmful effects of second hand smoke. But what do I know, Im not nearly as mart as you think you are.