Smoking In Public

[Ifreann]

I'm entirely at a loss as to why it matters.

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And if I pay enough in taxes, I should be able to punch a club bouncer in the face without legal consequence. Is that how it works?

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Sorry, concern for the welfare of workers matters more to me than you having both asthma and an opinion.

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Unless I work in the restaurant or bar you want to smoke in, in which case I don't seem to matter in the slightest.

Well thank god I didn't advocate for smoking to be allowed indoors then, did I?

...I guess?

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I much agree. After all, having a smoke whilst drinking at a bar just...feels right.

Maybe a permit system should be in place. You get a permit to serve alcohol, you can get a permit to allow smoking. And you'll advertise very plainly that it is a smoking establishment.

Everybody wins, we keep smoking out of the schools and bus stations or whatever, and we keep smoking the only place it's really for anyway.

Maybe we could get permits for mines that would allow them to send miners down without safety gear too. I mean, why not, right? If we're going to let some businesses opt out of health and safety legislation, why not let all of them do it?

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People keep saying this and I can't for the life of me understand why. The notion we can't tackle one problem separately because we have to have a fool-proof plan in place for a perfect world first is utterly absurd.

Because it's stupid and hypocritical otherwise, especially given it's almost the exact same problem.

Except less so, since you're inhaling a hell of a lot less cigarette smoke.

The world doesn't need to be made of blunted corners.

Another notable difference is that it would be trivially easy for society to function with smoking illegal in open air spaces. If we're to ban petrol and diesel motor vehicles, we kinda need some form of transportation to replace them. Rather more tricky.

Not sure how it would be stupid and hypocritical to go after the very easily solvable "problem" before going after more difficult problems.

[Galborg]

Hitler he say: Thou shalt not burn tobacco, thou shalt burn Jews.
James ! and VI he say: Thou shalt not burn tobacco, thou shalt burn Witches.
But it's OK, none of them advocate burning People.
According to Anti-Smokingism, Jews, Witches, Smokers are NOT people.

[Lukquarel]

Smoking is disgusting. Ban it. All it does is give people lung, heart, etc. cancers. Why the crap do we still have it legal?! Also, all of us non-smokers don't want to second-hand smoke, and I hold my breath every time I walk by one of you. Please, stay in your house, and have this banned.

[Pillea]

Smoking is disgusting. Ban it. All it does is give people lung, heart, etc. cancers. Why the crap do we still have it legal?! Also, all of us non-smokers don't want to second-hand smoke, and I hold my breath every time I walk by one of you. Please, stay in your house, and have this banned.

*draws on cigarette* Naw, we're good.
Seriously, I'm gonna make this a rule, every time someone on this thread gripes about smoking OUTDOORS, I'm gonna go smoke outdoors.

[SaintB]

I support smoking bans in restaurants, stores, schools, and workplaces for various reasons but I do not support smoking bans outdoors or laws keeping smoking to private property.

I could support there being laws designating special areas for smoking in certain sized parks and such as long as it didn't cover streets.

BTW, lifelong non-smoker who has a bad reaction to secondhand smoke.

[Partybus]

I am torn on this issue. On the one hand, I was a pack a day smoker for almost 30 years, I quit smoking (cigarettes), last month. Now when my bar buddies smoke and come back into the bar, my lungs tighten right up (but only until the initial smell dissipates) I don't say anything...just...I don't know why...oh yeah, after all the times I have attempted to quit, I promised myself I would never be one of those self righteous ex smoker assholes. I still think smokers should have the right to smoke, I am just attempting to not (smoke).

[The Republic of Pantalleria]

I am torn on this issue. On the one hand, I was a pack a day smoker for almost 30 years, I quit smoking (cigarettes), last month. Now when my bar buddies smoke and come back into the bar, my lungs tighten right up (but only until the initial smell dissipates) I don't say anything...just...I don't know why...oh yeah, after all the times I have attempted to quit, I promised myself I would never be one of those self righteous ex smoker assholes. I still think smokers should have the right to smoke, I am just attempting to not (smoke).

Smokers definitely have the right to smoke (and end their life willingly by doing so) if they wish, however when the secondary smoke that exhale causes healh problems to the people who want stay healthy around them, then we have a problem... Public smoking must be banned, it's just as bad as public graffiti, only it has long term effects on the population that is exposed to it, if you wish to smoke gentlemen (or ladies) smoke in the privacy of your own home, and for goodness sake, if you have children, then may you be shamed, for you not only endanger and shorten their life span, you also encourage them to try something you know will ruin them...

[Sebytania]

Public smoking must be banned, it's just as bad as public graffiti, only it has long term effects on the population that is exposed to it...

How the fuck are graffiti and smoking comparable? Does graffiti cause negative health effects?

if you wish to smoke gentlemen (or ladies) smoke in the privacy of your own home, and for goodness sake

I'd love that, but my employer might disagree with me going home every few hours for a smoke.

What is it with this thread, making me want to light up all the time?

[Carpathia and Moldova]

EU politicians are kindly advised to keep their hands off my cigarettes. I will smoke where I please, when I please, thank you. I pay taxes for those cigarettes. This entitles me to smoke wherever I please.

In Romania, all bars and restaurants are required to have separate smoking lounges. As for on the street, well, its a public space and I have as much right to it as everyone else. If any politician thinks of taking away people's right to smoke or drink alcohol in public places in Romania, I believe there would be a revolution by tomorrow morning.

[The Steel Magnolia]

Okay, let's ban all industry that has smokestacks then. Like paper mills, which have to do regular testing to make sure that the amount of carcinogens that they spew into the air 24/7 meet "acceptable government standards".

I was implying to just ban public smoking, but if you're that extreme, then try implementing that in your country and see what shall happen... As I said, we lack the technology to completely eradicate the air pollution problem, therefore we should be taking steps to reduce air pollution, to any extent as long as it is within the bounds of common sense.

Banning smoking is not within the bounds of common sense.

See we live in this thing called a "Democracy".

[The Steel Magnolia]

Smoking is disgusting. Ban it. All it does is give people lung, heart, etc. cancers. Why the crap do we still have it legal?! Also, all of us non-smokers don't want to second-hand smoke, and I hold my breath every time I walk by one of you. Please, stay in your house, and have this banned.

There's this thing called "personal freedom."

[Roan Cara]

Smoking in public should be allowed. It's the open air. More freedom for everyone. I would hope the smoker and the cougher could communicate peaceably and work out some reasonable spacing arrangement.

^ this. I am an asthmatic and Big Jim is a long time smoker... we work it out. He smokes in his man cave or outside when it is warm enough.

[The Republic of Pantalleria]

Public smoking must be banned, it's just as bad as public graffiti, only it has long term effects on the population that is exposed to it...

How the fuck are graffiti and smoking comparable? Does graffiti cause negative health effects?

if you wish to smoke gentlemen (or ladies) smoke in the privacy of your own home, and for goodness sake

I'd love that, but my employer might disagree with me going home every few hours for a smoke.

What is it with this thread, making me want to light up all the time?

Graffiti is a crime that shows people don't care for their surroundings, just as smokers don't care for the air they exhale to when they smoke in public.

[Hathradic States]

I was implying to just ban public smoking, but if you're that extreme, then try implementing that in your country and see what shall happen... As I said, we lack the technology to completely eradicate the air pollution problem, therefore we should be taking steps to reduce air pollution, to any extent as long as it is within the bounds of common sense.

Banning smoking is not within the bounds of common sense.

See we live in this thing called a "Democracy".

Yes, but good luck convincing our anti-smokers of that. They think that, because they don't smoke, it should just be banned.

[The Republic of Pantalleria]

Smoking in public should be allowed. It's the open air. More freedom for everyone. I would hope the smoker and the cougher could communicate peaceably and work out some reasonable spacing arrangement.

^ this. I am an asthmatic and Big Jim is a long time smoker... we work it out. He smokes in his man cave or outside when it is warm enough.

To Pope John, I say rubbish, what absolute rubbish. Public smoking is not freedom, it is oppression, oppression to the people who wish to breathe fresh air...

[Costa Alegria]

Public smoking must be banned

Indoors.

It's just as bad as public graffiti.

No it isn't. Graffiti can be considered art in some cases.

[Costa Alegria]

To Pope John, I say rubbish, what absolute rubbish. Public smoking is not freedom, it is oppression, oppression to the people who wish to breathe fresh air...

Funny. You're promoting oppression by banning it.

Also, two words: air pollution.

[Fireye]

^ this. I am an asthmatic and Big Jim is a long time smoker... we work it out. He smokes in his man cave or outside when it is warm enough.

To Pope John, I say rubbish, what absolute rubbish. Public smoking is not freedom, it is oppression, oppression to the people who wish to breathe fresh air...

Who's Pope John?

[The Republic of Pantalleria]

To Pope John, I say rubbish, what absolute rubbish. Public smoking is not freedom, it is oppression, oppression to the people who wish to breathe fresh air...

Funny. You're promoting oppression by banning it.

Also, two words: air pollution.

So you're telling me, that children don't have the right to breathe clean air in their schools, or pneumonia patients don't have the right to breathe clean air in the hospitals? Is this what you're saying? Because this is what you are implying, public smoking is not a right for it does not benefit anyone, instead it encourages diseases in the public... Have ever heard of night shade? One of the most dangerous plants known to mankind? Well, it has been proven gentlemen (and ladies), that there are chemicals in cigarettes which also contain some chemicals from a family of night shade, that and over 1,000 more chemicals that are in these cigarettes that have proven to lower your health and life expectancy... So tell me is it your right if you are a smoker to endanger the lives of children?

[Costa Alegria]

So you're telling me, that children don't have the right to breathe clean air in their schools, or pneumonia patients don't have the right to breathe clean air in the hospitals?

Firstly, I don't know where you live but smoking is forbidden in schools and hospitals.

So tell me is it your right if you are a smoker to endanger the lives of children?

So, what you're saying is that I am endangering the lives of children by saying that smoking should be allowed outside?

[The Republic of Pantalleria]

To Pope John, I say rubbish, what absolute rubbish. Public smoking is not freedom, it is oppression, oppression to the people who wish to breathe fresh air...

Who's Pope John?

The person above Roan Croa...

[The Republic of Pantalleria]

So you're telling me, that children don't have the right to breathe clean air in their schools, or pneumonia patients don't have the right to breathe clean air in the hospitals?

Firstly, I don't know where you live but smoking is forbidden in schools and hospitals.

So tell me is it your right if you are a smoker to endanger the lives of children?

So, what you're saying is that I am endangering the lives of children by saying that smoking should be allowed outside?

Schools and hospitals are public places.

[Condunum]

^ this. I am an asthmatic and Big Jim is a long time smoker... we work it out. He smokes in his man cave or outside when it is warm enough.

To Pope John, I say rubbish, what absolute rubbish. Public smoking is not freedom, it is oppression, oppression to the people who wish to breathe fresh air...

Smoking is oppression? This is rich. Let me reread this while smoking a cig.

[Condunum]

Firstly, I don't know where you live but smoking is forbidden in schools and hospitals.



So, what you're saying is that I am endangering the lives of children by saying that smoking should be allowed outside?

Schools and hospitals are public places.

Did he say public places? Nope.

[The Republic of Pantalleria]

So you're telling me, that children don't have the right to breathe clean air in their schools, or pneumonia patients don't have the right to breathe clean air in the hospitals?

Firstly, I don't know where you live but smoking is forbidden in schools and hospitals.

So tell me is it your right if you are a smoker to endanger the lives of children?

So, what you're saying is that I am endangering the lives of children by saying that smoking should be allowed outside?

Yes, second hand smoking is just as dangerous as smoking itself, children breathe the same amount of nicotine as a smoker after a smoker exhales it, so yes you are endangering children...