Should People Be Allowed To Smoke In Public ?

Opinion on the topic aside - just a note: I can see by their profiles that most of the people responding are just not old enough to remember how gross and impacting it was for many people to be subjected to cigarette smoke at basically another persons whim. Restaurants were disgusting and public transportation was almost unusable and I always felt so sorry for my asthmatic friends - then I became that asthmatic. Homes were foul and so, so many kids were seriously impacted forever by being subjected to this. It lingered on clothing and the fumes released as people stored jackets in closets and clothes came in contact with furniture. Have you ever opened you mouth to take a bite of a 40$ dish to have the smell off a waiter waif into your experience? Compound that with smells from walls, table, padding on the chair, fake plants....we debate this from a point of having no idea what it was like when it was bad - and how quickly just a few cigarettes waifing into space will affect it - you eliminate choice for the non-smoker because the smoker lingers long after their cancer-stick is done. I won't even mention the litter...except I did.

When I was young, people smoked everywhere. My grammar school teacher sat at her desk with an overflowing ash tray and smoked in class. Doctors smoked in their offices and during exams. Parents sat at the dinner table and smoked. It was, in retrospect, disgusting.

And I remember when businesses first stopped smoking in the office. We started cleaning the file cabinets and desks in the office and found out they were grey - not yellowish brown.

I'm glad they took it out of the workplace. I don't care that they took it out of restaurants. I've smoked cigars for 42 years, but have never had even one cigarette. I like the smell of cigars and pipes. I do not like the smell of cigarettes, I think with a little more courtesy and less government interference we can get along just fine.

We don't have to all hang out together.

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Having a non-smoking section in an enclosed space is rather like having a non-peeing section of the pool...It is impossible to keep the smoke smell from drifting to other parts of the building.

Exactly. In the days before the statewide ban on smoking in restaurants, I got sick of hosts trying to seat me right next to the smoking section. They'd insist, "But this is still the non-smoking side" and I'd ask "So you're guaranteeing me that the smoke knows not to cross that invisible wall?" At many of the restaurants, they'd get pissy with people who didn't want to sit near smoking because those tables were always empty, even if there was a wait, so they lost a lot of revenue. Sorry, but it's not non-smoking when the person at the booth behind or across from me can light up. So glad for the law now that makes it a non-issue.

. The idea that businesses will do it on their own is, ahem, a pipe dream.

Unfortunately that is where you are wrong.... If there is enough Patrons that prefer a non smoking eating establishment an entrepreneur could, an din some instances did easily fill that niche with a completely Smoke free establishment. There were several around where I lived, prior to federal and state laws, that always had more traffic and they made more $$$$ catering to that niche.... If that demographic is big enough in the community then the other establishments, if losing enough revenue would adapt or suffer the possibility of going out of business. If a person wants to open a 5 star restaurant that caters to only smokers, they should be able to, without non smokers crying that they are being shut out....

No, nothing worse than having had a lovely meal and someone sparks up a ciggie. Disgusting habit.

I hate smoking. I hate the smell, the taste, the affects. So I'm going to say no.

does that mean I can ban certain perfumes I dont like? i like this open trade

perfumes don't kill people.

You could have an allergic reaction to the perfume someone is wearing or have an asthma attack.. both could be potentially fatal - just saying

I hate smoking. I hate the smell, the taste, the affects. So I'm going to say no.

does that mean I can ban certain perfumes I dont like? i like this open trade

perfumes don't kill people.

You could have an allergic reaction to the perfume someone is wearing or have an asthma attack.. both could be potentially fatal - just saying

There is a woman at work who I'm sure bathe in perfume. She feckin' reeks of cheap and nasty stuff. Still not as bad as cig smoke though.

Outside = Ok. You can avoid the smoke if it bothers you.

Inside = up to business owner. Or house owner.

America = Freedom.


Smokers know it is harmful. But it is also a bad habit to break. I don't think it is right to take away any rights of people.

Why can't we all just get along. This is not helping my down mood today... let's all just hug it out. :ohwell:

Smokers smoking next to non-smokers are taking away their rights, automatically.

Not in areas where people are forced to walk by them as the normal flow of foot traffic in an area or in a place where there are a lot of children. I had some people smoking at the bottom of a stair area that met up with the walkway for a doc at the lake. You were forced to walk though them (2 smokers on each side) to get back to the boats. And this was a restaurant. It was disgusting. I felt so bad for the young mom who was forced to walk through with her baby. It was so rude.

I hate smoking. I hate the smell, the taste, the affects. So I'm going to say no.

does that mean I can ban certain perfumes I dont like? i like this open trade

perfumes don't kill people.

Show me the research to back this up.... I would argue a lung full of perfume is MUCH worse on your body then a lung full of smoke.

You can't be serious. I can fill you up with pages of COPD research, if you'd like but it's really unnecessary. Seriously, it's the THIRD LARGEST KILLER in the US right now, and will move to second within a few years. And is almost exclusively caused by cigarette smoke. And you want to try to claim perfume could be as bad? C'mon, now.

Perfumes are not regulated as to the contests what-so-ever. There is no FDA regulations not guidelines... There are countless carcinogens in most perfumes.

Come here... I'll blow a puff of smoke in your face as you in-hale. Then I will spray your face with the same amount of perfume as you inhale... Then tell me which is worse

Preferential reaction is not the same as long term effect. Because science. I'm also allergic to most perfumes. And I have cancer. So I'll thank you to do neither.

Outside = Ok. You can avoid the smoke if it bothers you.

Inside = up to business owner. Or house owner.

America = Freedom.


Smokers know it is harmful. But it is also a bad habit to break. I don't think it is right to take away any rights of people.

Why can't we all just get along. This is not helping my down mood today... let's all just hug it out. :ohwell:

Smokers smoking next to non-smokers are taking away their rights, automatically.

Are they forcing you to stay there and inhale second hand smoke? Unless they have tied you down, you still have the right to move away, or even ask the smoker politely if they can put it out or move. As a former smoker, if someone had politely asked me to move, I would have. I was a considerate smoker though, and some are not. I tried to make my smoking as little of an inconvenience as possible. Point is, if you make the choice to stand near a smoker, whether they were there first or not, are you not still making the choice? If you eat at a restaurant that allows smoking on the patio, are you not making the choice to eat there?

I hate smoking. I hate the smell, the taste, the affects. So I'm going to say no.

does that mean I can ban certain perfumes I dont like? i like this open trade

perfumes don't kill people.

Show me the research to back this up.... I would argue a lung full of perfume is MUCH worse on your body then a lung full of smoke.

You can't be serious. I can fill you up with pages of COPD research, if you'd like but it's really unnecessary. Seriously, it's the THIRD LARGEST KILLER in the US right now, and will move to second within a few years. And is almost exclusively caused by cigarette smoke. And you want to try to claim perfume could be as bad? C'mon, now.

Perfumes are not regulated as to the contests what-so-ever. There is no FDA regulations not guidelines... There are countless carcinogens in most perfumes.

Come here... I'll blow a puff of smoke in your face as you in-hale. Then I will spray your face with the same amount of perfume as you inhale... Then tell me which is worse

Preferential reaction is not the same as long term effect. Because science. I'm also allergic to most perfumes. And I have cancer. So I'll thank you to do neither.

Schedlue it for 5 days a week then.... I bet that perfume is still not going to help you out

Sorry this has gotten so long... I just go through pulling pieces from the rest of the thread that I want to reply to.

Smoking is the one habit that affects not only the person doing it but also the people around that person, and not by their choice. You can choose to drink beer, or eat red meat, or not to exerciser, but you cannot choose to not inhale if their is cigarette smoke in your air because smoking is allowed in the public area you inhabit.

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!!! This, exactly.

I would smoke in public even if it weren't allowed. I am considerate

Do you read what you write?

Shut down Tobacco, Fire Arms, Alcohol, Fast Food, and all the other nonsense

Setting aside your "all the other nonsense", which could cover anything you disagree with...
2 of the things have no redeeming social value (tobacco, alcohol),
fast food at least has the potential for being healthy if done right,
and firearms are a civil right, used many more times per day to save an innocent citizen from a crime than they are used by criminals to commit crimes (or even by police to stop crimes).

also designated smoke free as within 20 feet of any operating door to keep the smokers from huddling in the doorways in cold or inclement whether

Glad to see this!!!
When the druggies block the doorways, trying to avoid the consequences of their behaviours, they're blocking the good healthy innocent people from entering the building... making the innocent people suffer in the weather even though they've done nothing wrong.
Like this:

At work people complain about where we smoke because they walk through it to get into the building... ah go to the other 5 doors

if it was that bad i would be dead by now because i have been breathing in my parents smoke since i was born

I'm sorry you live in an abusive household.
Once you get out on your own you'll realize how much better you feel breathing clean air & not stressing your body with those carcinogins & CO.

Refined Sugars are just as deadly

False.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23815799
"nothing in the biochemistry suggests that sugar is a toxin."

There are much bigger fish to fry than smoking

Broken window theory. Camel's nose.
However you put it, if we stop the problem when it's small, we won't have such a hard time dealing with a big problem down the road.

they should only be allowed to smoke under their bed

How about in bed? That will solve the problem pretty quickly.

Do E-cigs/Vapes get lumped in with tobacco cigs

Since they haven't been tested, they're considered to be worse. Nobody knows yet what chemicals they're putting out. There have only been a couple studies, and they were alarming in the number, type, and amount of harmful chemicals the "e-cigs" put out.

Don't be fat in public, Don't be blonde in public. Don't be a Republican in public. Don't wear tattoos in public. Don't be an a**hole in public.

Other than the last, none of those can affect you or your health directly. Being an *kitten* in public, smoking around innocent people, does directly affect their health.

With States slowly legalizing marijuana, I doubt they are going to ban cigarettes

Except that they haven't legalized it. It's still illegal, and nothing a state can do can change that.
The pro-drug people have to get the federal law changed, then get the FDA to approve marijuana, then state laws can OK it.
So round up all your scientific studies & get your evidence to the FDA while you lobby to get marijuana made legal.

it's their perogative to smokee, and they are willing to pay the ridiculous costs financially and physically

Sorry to hear your dad is unwilling to make good choices.
But I doubt he's paying the financial costs, only the physical ones (having his body cut open, losing parts, etc.).

I've been accused of "fake coughing" before but I guarantee you it is 100% real. Smoke is an asthma trigger of mine (and a lot of asthmatics). Just last week I nearly had an asthma attack from walking past one person smoking outside a building. I try my best to stay away from smokers, as I know I am super sensitive, but I should be able to enjoy a walk outside without an attack.

YES!!!

if they are going to smell bad in the workplace, I'm going to talk to their supervisor, same as I would if they didn't wear deodorant

Yes.

There is a woman at work who I'm sure bathe in perfume. She feckin' reeks of cheap and nasty stuff

So have a word with the supervisor about her inappropriate bodily odor.
It's just the same as if she didn't bathe, just as offensive.

If you'd like to ban smoking please list what habits of yours I am allowed to ban

Anything I do which similarly affects your health... which would be exactly nothing.

A restaurant with a smoke and non smoke area is a joke cause the smoke get's everywhere, unless it's a seperate room that can be closed from outside

Before WI went smoke-free indoors, I can remember being seated in the "nonsmoking" area of several restaurants which was right next to the smoking area, with maybe the distance of a table in between, no wall, no door, etc. And in some we actually had to walk through the drug zone to get to our table in the "smoke-free" area.

I was in a restaurant one evening where nobody was smoking, enjoying dinner, when 2 guys came in for coffee & smoked. I had to leave & told the staff member why I was suddenly having them box my dinner, cancel the dessert, etc. At least they apologized, but I don't think it was until the state went smoke-free that that restaurant did.

One of my favorite restaurants in Columbus, OH (Talita's) used to have the larger part of its dining room (which is all an open area) for smoking, then they realized the line was too long, so they made the smaller area (less than half the size of the larger area) smoking, then there was still a line, so they went smoke-free and are still packed.

I'm just glad that I can now come home from the pub without smelling like an ashtray and needing a shower before getting into bed!

Yes. When I was younger I sometimes went to a dance bar that had a 50's theme, and I'd leave my robe on the back porch (screened) so that when I came home I could dump my stinky clothes there for a couple days to air out, then I'd shower thoroughly (several shampoos, several soapings) to get the worst of the stench out. Wasn't completely gone, but at least I could go to bed without stinking up the sheets. Shower again the next morning too.
I wouldn't put up with it now. If there's smoking, I don't go there. I value my health. Then, I was young, stupid, & invincible.

out on the street, then it was my right, and I still feel this way for other smokers. While I was hurting myself by doing so, I wasn't forcing anyone else to smoke, or forcing them to inhale my second hand smoke

On the street, yes you are forcing innocent people to inhale your effluvium.

I would argue a lung full of perfume is MUCH worse on your body then a lung full of smoke

Show us the research to back your opinion.
Because there's plenty of research in general circulation showing that tobacco smoke is harmful to people.
You can start researching here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed

I hate smoking. I hate the smell, the taste, the affects. So I'm going to say no.

does that mean I can ban certain perfumes I dont like? i like this open trade

perfumes don't kill people.

Show me the research to back this up.... I would argue a lung full of perfume is MUCH worse on your body then a lung full of smoke.

You can't be serious. I can fill you up with pages of COPD research, if you'd like but it's really unnecessary. Seriously, it's the THIRD LARGEST KILLER in the US right now, and will move to second within a few years. And is almost exclusively caused by cigarette smoke. And you want to try to claim perfume could be as bad? C'mon, now.

Please show me your stats , since you like throwing them out there... From the CDC you will not get any that are not from 2011, it takes them over 3 years to get any stats done.... Cancer is the # 2 cause of deaths, in which Lung Cancer made up less than 1/3 of cancer deaths with 156,953. Now about 28,000 of those were to Non smokers in which approximately 20,000 were from Radon and between 3-4,000 possibly from second hand smoke contact.... So there are the most recent stats from 2011 from the CDC... Refined sugar and obesity are far greater issues than smoking and if you want to talk about the second hand smoke stats and put it in perspective over over 3,330 deaths occurred in the same year 2011 by distracted drivers, with the #1 distraction cell phones and Texting, and those numbers are going up... So if your argument is that it kills any more than other things we come across in everyday life YOU ARE WRONG! ... I am not am not a Smoker, do not like it , and have dated one woman who was and broke up because I could not stand kissing her with smoker breath, but I am not about people right to choose being restricted by those who do not partake or agree with whatever the activity, including walking away from things they do not like.

here is the last link to the CDC, and it is pretty easy to look up the rest , so knock yourself out .... Did not see any thing on perfume killing but was not looking for that as this was to show how people exaggerate when talking stats...

http://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/distracted_driving/

I don't think it should be illegal, but I do think people could stand to be more considerate when partaking in a habit such as smoking.

So you feel the people you intentionally try to make feel awful, your words, should be more considerate towards you?

I admit I should have been more specific and said "I try to make it known to smokers that it makes them smell bad and makes my stomach lurch."

I put on deodorant for myself and to be considerate towards others. I think yes, in that respect, they should be considerate towards me.