Smoking laws in your area.

[lnkncontiverto]

As I mentioned earlier, I believe it should be the business owner's right to choose. There are plenty of business opportunities out there for non-smoking establishments that people can go to and also work in. But it should be a matter of choice, not laws enacted because non-smokers don't like something.

And let's not use "health risks" as the basis of argument here. Otherwise, McDonalds franchises and the like need to be closing by the thousands and "banned" altogether considering the sh!t food those places serve.

I don't like the idea of government limiting freedoms either; however, up until about six months ago, Michigan business owners did have the right to chose. Unfortunately the vast, vast, vast majority chose to accommodate the smoking minority. The only restaurant in my area that my wife and I could safely patronize was a crappy family diner.

The McDonalds franchises are a totally different animal; there, you abuse your own health at your own risk. Conversely, allowing smokers to congregate indoors affects the health of such innocent bystanders around them. (think children, people with lung issues, ex-smokers).

If you do something wreckless that can/will have negative consequences for only yourself, my thoughts are 'go right ahead'. An example would be riding a motorcycle without a helmet. The problem is when said perceived wreckless behavior causes consequences for those that do not chose it, as in drunk driving.

Fear not, McDonalds will not be banned.

 

[Whut]

First, let me say that I believe that smokers have rights, just like non-smokers have rights. I believe my right to breathe clean, smoke-free air far outweighs the right of a smoker's right to smoke. When the rights of one infringe upon the rights of others, there's a problem. Smokers make up around 20% of our population. Should 1 person be allowed to degrade the health of 5 others?

In Virginia, they passes a candy azzed law that attempts to protect the non-smoking workers that are forced to spend 8 hours a day in a smoke-filled room. The law makes it a $25 fine IF the police catch you puffing. I'm sure the cops are gonna spend their time enforcing that one !!!

$10,000 fine for business owners that are caught letting people smoke for the first time. The second time, they lose their business license.

To me, thats the government stepping in and over using their power. Before the ban there were non-smoking bars in Minneapolis along with pool halls and bowling alleys. Those places didnt do much for business and either closed or started to allow smoking to get more business.

Around here we have a lot of two faced hypocrites. During the day they are all about banning smoking every where and doing the little fake cough when walking by someone smoking. On the weekends, with a drink in one hand they will have a cigarette in the other and claim "I only smoke when I drink" and to them thats an excuse they can live with.

If it were left to the owners then we could have places for people to go that allowed smoking and others that do not. There should be a choice there for the business and the customer. If it seems there is no place to go that does not allow smoking in your area then why not start a place of your own and if the demand is there you are almost guaranteed to be successful.

I understand people that are sensitive to smoke. There are people that are sensitive to allergins in the air, emissions from cars and trucks, along with other every day things. It seems if we cant control it we just sort of put it aside and say its just nature. If the government thinks they can control it they just tax the crap out of it and say they are helping everyone live better.

Leave it a choice, thats the only thing that irks me, I wouldnt be upset to walk into an establishment that didnt allow smoking if the business owner determined they didnt want to allow it. Its their place and they make the rules so I live by them if I want to go there.

 

[SGRIM]

I got to admit, before the Lord blessed me by taking the urge away while in the hospital, I used to hate smoking laws. As a smoker I didn't realize how much my smoke effected other people close to me.

NOW, that I have quit smoking I HATE to be around it... It about takes my breath away now... I totally see why others non smokers hate smokers...

NC has now changed to no smoking in any restaurant, club, or bar...

 

[odell4o8]

Out here in rural america, i cut down a junk tree and piled up the brush
so today the wind is calm so i decided to burn it about a gallon of used buick oil and a little diesel fuel and up it went, no i didnt violate any local law as long as i dont burn any rubber, but if a do gooder drove by they would call the volunteer fire dept,
my wife has a small dinner[seats77 people] full most of the time it is nonsmoking has been 3 years now, when it was smoking allowed some people lit up big cigars so when it went non smoking dhe lost some old customers but gained some new ones, now this is a small one horse type town so a lot of people chew tobbaco and smoke,
good part is the diner stays cleaner no yellow crap on the ceiling and no stale smell as before, i love a good cigar, i dont lite up if it bothers some one near by, at the drag strip a guy didnt like my cigar i was 6 feet or so from him i asked if the tire smoke or fuel smell bothered him he said no
but i moved away from him. as i moved away i noticed he put smokless tobacco in his mouth, i had to laff,
good luck oc,

 

[GerrywithaG]

the casinos are rough. i try to walk away from people and hide in a corner when i smoke.. and i never smoke at the blackjack tables. luckily the poker room is smoke free.


on a side-note: i just pulled out a cigarette from my pack and it was broken... i think that's a sign:redface:

 

[turbobitt]

And let's not use "health risks" as the basis of argument here. Otherwise, McDonalds franchises and the like need to be closing by the thousands and "banned" altogether considering the sh!t food those places serve.

Not a very good supporting argument since I won't be having a health risk sitting near someone eating a Big Mac.

I wasn't going to post since I have such a strong viewpoint towards smoking. IMO, they can't raise the tax high enough on that crap. Besides the obviouse health issues imposed onto inocent people near smokers, think about the a-holes that throw there butts on the ground. I think that at one time or another we been behind someone driving seen someone dump there ashtray at a stop sign. This crap doesn't bio-degrade. It eventually washed into our water supply. I would be willing to bet that almost all smokers have done this at one point in there lives. Oh, here is another good one, I'm sure we all can remember one time in our lives when we would eat dinner at a table with an overflowing ashtray with smoldering butts hanging out of it. Real appitizing sight.

FWIW - don't ban smoking , just raise the tax and make them pay if they want it so bad!!!!

Allan G.

 

[Bruce Urie]

Here in Central Virginia there's a big anti-smoking law in effect on the public highway.....smoking my tires on the Grand National....law is called "reckless driving":biggrin::tongue:

Heavy smoking daily for 63 years is what killed my beloved Dad. I've lost so many friends in the past years directly from cancer caused by smoking. Yet, it's still astounding how many of my buddies still smoke like chimneys even after seeing the loss of our friends due to smoking.

Love the anti-smoking laws in Virginia. Glad for it. And, BigGuy, I agree with you 100%.

The Lord blessed me with the sense and courage to finally stop smoking pipes and cigars in 1990. But still wonder if I'm going to live without cancer. Has too much damage been done?

Bruce '87 Grand National

 

[ttypewhite]

In Toronto, no smoking is allowed in any public building, and as a non smoker that has made going out with the family that more enjoyable. Its a disgusting addiction that I perfer not to be around.

 

[GNBRETT]

And let's not use "health risks" as the basis of argument here. Otherwise, McDonalds franchises and the like need to be closing by the thousands and "banned" altogether considering the sh!t food those places serve.

Cmon.... Eating a bigmac may not be the healhiest food on the planet but it aint giving u cancer. And If ur sitten next to me you could eat a thousand bigmacs a minute and its not gonna effect my health.

Not to mention all the kids and adults with asthma are not affected by someone elses food but they surely are by ur cancer sticks.

 

[bison]

LIAR! :biggrin: Foxwood suked when I tried eating at California Pizza and the SMOKE wafted in!

I guess they consider that INDIAN terratorry and not CT.

You are correct on that one.

 

[tb3]

oh for god sakes definetly ban them from public parks, public buildings, transportation, etc... but let the business's decide if they want smoking or not. you don't like it?? go somewhere else!!! don't give them your money/business. thats the beauty of capitalism... if theres a market for it... someone will step up to serve you in a smoke free establishment

 

[slow305]

FWIW - don't ban smoking , just raise the tax and make them pay if they want it so bad!!!!

Allan G.

I just moved to Australia from Virginia and the sin tax here is insane. Going from seeing packs for around $4.50 to $15.00 or more is insane, but seems effective. Beer is also crazy. Prices from $13- $17 for a six pack.

 

[chopped39]

smoking sucks

I hated when people told me to quit smoking.I wanted to smoke more but when my four year old daughter came up to me and told me that she didnt want me to die I quit.That was nine years ago.The smoking ban in public places is great. My nephew hates it. He is an accountant for Phillip morris:biggrin:. After 9 years I still get the urge I will be the first one to admit I feel way better. I ride my bike 8-10 miles a night. Nine years ago I couldnt ride around the block. If you have any will power you can quit. I quit cold turkey and I smoked three packs of Newports a day I highly recommend quiting . I love when people tell me there gonna die from something anyways.I have lost a few friends from lung cancer and let me tell you I dont want to go like that

 

[Dennis Kirban]

Basically in PA smoking is not allowed in buildings.....

In reading this thread....I see most are on board with no smoking....I been fortunate was never in the grips of smoking....

If you are my age...you remember the TV ads for smoking and in some cases doctors even recommended it! We have come a looong way from those days.

Even today many used cars advertised privately will state non smoker....having bought and sold 300 plus Turbo Regals I can tell you from first hand experience non smokers cars are more perferred Burn holes in the sunvisor or ashes that got flicked and hit that phallex material is very expensive to fix...cigarette smell is next to impossible to eliminate.....most cases all you are doing is covering up the smell with a new smell.

On a side note:

Here is what they discovered at Porsche....

First year Porsche Boxster came out think it was 1997-98 notice the side scoops in the quarter panels...?

Well turns out if you were a smoker the angle of the original scoops when you were driving caused the ashes to enter the scoops....later models they had to alter the angle of the side scoops to eliminate that problem...true story so I am told.

Notice today its an option on some cars to have a smoker option? no ash trays?

Notice 1987 Limiteds have ash trays behind both front pillow seats...yet bucket seat turbo regals only have the ash tray mounted in the one bucket seat...can't member which seat at the moment...

Most smokers always say they wanna quit or will quit at a certain point in time....hard to find someone that will say they wanna smoke more!

Look at the price now for cigarettes in NY....not just pocket change anymore....it also adds tremendous costs to health insurance.

Sorry if I got slightly off the exact topic...

denniskirban@yahoo.com

 

[Woody]

What really angers me (I am a smoker) is that is the hypocricy (sp) of our society.......they will blast you for smoking a cigarette, citing cancer, etc, etc, yet these "non-smokers" don't think anything is wrong in lighting up a marijuana cigarette and spend more $ on weed than I spend on cigarettes. I hope our lawmakers legalize marijauna then tax the hell out of it making it more expensieve than it already is.......

 

[Ricketts]

Here in NC, just a few months back they passed the no smoking in Bars or Resturant bill. I think it's GREAT, nice to go somewhere and not come home smelling like a ashtray.

 

[TURBOPOWERED68]

In Maine you cannot smoke inside of resturaunts, bars or any public establisment.Also you can't smoke in a vehicle if there is a child (under 18) in the vehicle with you.

thats a good one

What really angers me (I am a smoker) is that is the hypocricy (sp) of our society.......they will blast you for smoking a cigarette, citing cancer, etc, etc, yet these "non-smokers" don't think anything is wrong in lighting up a marijuana cigarette and spend more $ on weed than I spend on cigarettes. I hope our lawmakers legalize marijauna then tax the hell out of it making it more expensieve than it already is.......

We had a pot head problem next door. The moron would sit on his porch and smoke pot and the smell would come INTO our house.
So i went over and told him to please stop smoking that ship in front of the house because of the smoke/smell coming over And that it if he smoked it in side of his car with the windows closed that he would get more bang for his buck as his smoke would not be blown away. So he started smoking in his car with his windows closed

Back to cigs.
i went to Alabama to pick up a car a few years back. And on the way we stopped at a Dinner and in the dinner this lady had a beautifull baby girl (a few months old) sitting on the counter and playing with the baby and while she was playing with the baby she was also blowing smoke right at the babies face. i wanted to choke that Bittch. (No honey candy is not good for you, here have a smoke)

The best part about none smoking establishments is when the employees are on brake and with their uniforms on and are smoking RIGHT outside of the business's door and every time the door opens the smoke blows in on top of you having to walk past them.

What about the shiphead that has to stop right at the door to take that last puff before walking in.
What about other shiphead that has to stop right at the door to take that last puff before walking in and then clips the cig inside the store.
BTW both these shipheads exhale that last puff inside the establishment.

I also smoked for a few years and one day i was coughing up a lung and still trying to light a cig i realized it and threw away a my brand new pack of cigs. and never looked back. Its been now 15 years and still going strong.

 

[83turbomon]

Smoking is banned indoors, and must be atleast 25 feet away from entrances, windows, public congrigations, ect. Here at school, its a 100 ticked for smoking near any door.

You can smoke all you want just be RESPONSIBLE and CONSIDERATE of others present...

 

[odell4o8]

alcohol kills more people than smokers, i dont drink, it bugs me when im out to a resturant and a drunk or drinker stumbles by my table like the other nite at red lobster, and a drunk driver killed my father back in 1952,
i have saw drivers at races drink and get in their cars and make passes,
as we are bashing smokers i just had to add the boozers
good luck oc,

 

[GNBRETT]

alcohol kills more people than smokers, i dont drink, it bugs me when im out to a resturant and a drunk or drinker stumbles by my table like the other nite at red lobster, and a drunk driver killed my father back in 1952,
i have saw drivers at races drink and get in their cars and make passes,
as we are bashing smokers i just had to add the boozers
good luck oc,

Ummmmm.... no. Alcohol ABUSE killz more people then cigarettes. ANY amount of smoking on a regular basis will likely cause serious health issues. That's not an opinion. That is a FACT.