[SETI20]

So I've been watching those Penn&Teller things. They're dead-on most of the time... but one thing went against my grain a bit.

Smoking. Is it a right?
Smokinghas been banned from most public places here too. What's your perspective?

Personally, I love being able to go out, and come home not smelling like an ashtray because someone decided he wants lung cancer.
Second hand smoke does not cause as much health issues as it's claimed. But I think, honestly, that it's irrelevant.

So, heavy protests. Who are we, as non-smokers, to decide for someone else that they can't smoke in a bar? Who are we to dare tell them what to do?

Who are they, to dare impose their disgusting habit on me? Is what I'm wondering.

So, is it rightful to ban it by law? Most claim it's unconstitutional.
But, than what about banning other potential hazardous materials from work environments? A small chance of risk is enough risk for me, if I choose not to smoke.

I used to smoke from 16 to about 19yrs old, and then I quit, so I know what "the big deal is". I love not stinking.

 

[babyblucrx]

in my opinon, it goes both ways. I'm a smoker and i like to have one after a meal. but i'm ok with waiting until i leave to light up for the fact the other people paid for a good meal minus the smoke. as far as bars I don't agree. people are already drinking which isn't healthy itself so i dont think it should matter if you smoke or not. i live in wyoming where thankfully none of that has any real effect on us yet. there's not a bar in town that you can't smoke in and all the resteraunts have smoking sections.

 

[Dodo]

If you live in the US, nothing seems to be a right anymore, but i dont think smoking should be banned. Like you said, its there own choice if they want to get lung canar, but can we ban them from us. It use to be that they had a smoking area where it was fine to smoke, but even that is going away. I see no problem if someone is in an area, away from others, and they want to light up. People just need to stop trying to push thier beleifs on everyone else, and live they're lives. We're all going to die sometime, and most of us just want to get there in peace.

 

[Flamegurl]

I loved Canada for their policy. No smoking in bars or anywhere. It made life so much better and healthier.
I really had to get used to Holland again, where you can still smoke in certain places.
While we have an OK policy, I love the Canadian one.

 

[Dodo]

I loved Canada for their policy. No smoking in bars or anywhere. It made life so much better and healthier.
I really had to get used to Holland again, where you can still smoke in certain places.
While we have an OK policy, I love the Canadian one.

Canada is one of the cleanest placest in the world. Im not surprised that they have a no smmoking law.

 

[FooFighter]

I agree it is great in Canada. You talked about non-smoking sections... They are often just in the corner of a restaurant, and sometimes not even sectioned off. So how would you like it if you got seated right beside the smoking section with your kids? And had to breathe in second hand smoke for your whole meal, not to mention your kids would have to as well...
I also don't think that argument about smoking in bars is very good. That's like saying "Hey well I guess I am already taking one poison, so I guess one more wouldn't hurt..."

The only place people should be able to smoke is:
-In their own cars.
-In their own houses.
-Outside away from people.

 

[SETI20]

as far as bars I don't agree. people are already drinking which isn't healthy itself so i dont think it should matter if you smoke or not.

I really don't see the relevance.
If the guy next to me is tanking up and destroying his liver, how does that affect me?
However when you're fuming up a pack of smokes, I am potentially at risk, will screw with my contacts, and make me reek for days to come, guaranteeing I won't get laid. (humorous insert if you didn't get it)

If you want to kill yourself at home fine. Just don't force it upon all the other people in bars. Sometimes laws must be enforced to protect others. I agree that this one serves me very conveniently.
I like loud music. But yet I'm not allowed to walk around with my big ol' ghettoblaster.

 

[ryan_long_01]

In a "free country", it shouldn't be decided by the government. If a large enough group of people are interested in a smoke-free bar, then a guy who makes his bar smoke-free should get a lot of business. If another business owner decides to cater to smokers and allow smoking in his establishment, then non-smokers can decide not to go to his bar, and instead drink at the non-smoking joint across the street.

It's true, though, that if you are in a bar at 2am you aren't there because you're a health nut. I say let the market decide -- a guy can make money with a non-smoking bar, and a guy can make money with a smoking bar. You can go to whichever one you choose. As long as smoking is legal, I don't think the government should be allowed to outlaw it, especially in a bar where everyone is an adult and can make their own decisions about their health and whether they mind being around smoke or not.

I smoke sometimes, but usually not in a restaurant or bar. I don't really like my clothes and hair reeking of smoke any more than anyone else...but just because I don't like something doesn't mean that I think it's the government's place to regulate it.

 

[SETI20]

It simply doesn't work like that.
Unfortunately, people with "power" in a "free country" will tend to abuse it.

If 3/4th of people don't smoke, a bar owner won't let business suffer by not accepting that 1/4th of people who can smoke. That quarter of business he just turned away will go across the street where they can smoke. The other 3/4th won't go anywhere else even if smoking is allowed, simply because they have nowhere to go.

The minority will make the majority suffer.

If the government would lift all speed limits, 85% of people would still drive responsible. Unfortunately, that 15% of morons endanger the rest. Thus speed limits are enforced for everybody's safety. Do you see that as an infringement of your rights?

 

[babyblucrx]

It's true, though, that if you are in a bar at 2am you aren't there because you're a health nut. I say let the market decide -- a guy can make money with a non-smoking bar, and a guy can make money with a smoking bar. You can go to whichever one you choose. As long as smoking is legal, I don't think the government should be allowed to outlaw it, especially in a bar where everyone is an adult and can make their own decisions about their health and whether they mind being around smoke or not.

you said it like i couldn't. in a resteraunt there's kids that didn't choose to around the smoke. in bars everyone knows what to expect. it's a choice you make on your own. I don't like country music but i dont whine when they play it in the bar. I knew b4 i went in that it was there. you're more likely to get killed by some drunk guy's beer bottle then the cigarettes 2nd hand smoke.it's not a gym its a bar.

 

[FooFighter]

In Canada it's not like we DONT have places for people to smoke. We do...
When I was at the Grand Prix in Edmonton a few weeks ago they had smoking zones. It was funny because it was like a 15x15 caged off area where the smokers all had to stand and smoke together. So between races you would see like 30-40 people like jammed in this little area all smoking...
I thought it was funny anyways...

 

[jfrolang]

The way I see it, you should be able to do whatever the hell you want in your own residence. In a public area, you are asked to politely abstain, in the wishes of the non-smokers to remain smoke-free. I see nothing wrong with that. If you want to light up, there are plenty of places to do it.

If the government tries to ban all tobacco use outright, well then we have a problem.

 

[babyblucrx]

just wanted to throw this in. I used to live in salt lake city,utah. as far as i know on main street where the mormon temple is located you're not allowed to smoke. just walking out doors, down the street, whatever you can't smoke. also cant curse,spit, and they've even got a dresscode. I've never been ticketed for any of the above but i never cared to be in that area.

 

[Dodo]

Denis Leary put it best in "No cure for Cancer." I cant put it on here because its Rated MA, but if you havent heard it, i would recommend you listen to it.

 

[Dren]

Some of you guys are looking at private establishments as public establishments.

Keep the government out of the entire ordeal.

It boils down to personal property rights. You own your body, you should be able to smoke if you want, do drugs if you want, etc.

A person owns a bar. He should be able to allow smoking in the bar. He should be able to kick out anybody he wishes for any reason because he owns the bar. It is his personal property. If somebody enters the bar and doesn't want people to smoke he can ask others to not smoke but he cannot force them to not smoke, and neither should the government be able to. Only the owner of that property can allow it or not.

Banning smoking in restraunts and bars is the same as not allowing you to smoke in your own home.

 

[SETI20]

Lemme guess... you're against licensed selling of alcohol too?
You still need a permit to open a bar. A permit comes with regulations. Private owner or not is irrelevant.

Want to throw out the health code too? Kichens can be really messy, but the government shouldn't meddle in those issues clearly. You can always to to another restaurant. It seems to work in asia too. As long as you can't see cockroaches in your food the kitchen must be clean.

 

[DAP91Si]

One argument that I never hear brought up about smoking is the amount of forest/construction/home fires caused by cigarettes. The amount of man hours and money spent fighting and rebuilding from a cigarette fire. Not to mention the lives lost by fires caused by cigarette fires.

 

[D_Britt_57]

I smoke, and I have no problem with smoking bans.
However, it is a slippery slope we tread when we get the "man" into our private business.
Did you know that in some states its illegal to possess sex toys?
Yep, they tell people what they can play with...IN THEIR OWN HOMES!.

That, my friends, is wrong, and smacks of fascism. ( or some ism, but fascist are gaining a place at the table here, lately)

It isn't the governments goldang business what I do in my own home, and by extension, to my own body.

"Freedom", it don't mean what it used to mean, not by a long shot.

 

[Dodo]

"Freedom", it don't mean what it used to mean, not by a long shot.

Freedom, whats that. Oh, thats what you get when you move to Canada, that and free health care.

 

[FooFighter]

Freedom, whats that. Oh, thats what you get when you move to Canada, that and free health care.

So true!