Don't smoke outside!

[Cannot think of a name]

I'd be pretty ticked. I like to smoke, I like the outdoors, and I like to smoke outdoors. I don't see why, if I'm not around children or blowing smoke into peoples' faces on purpose, that I shouldn't be allowed to smoke in those areas. I'm not hurting the park/trail/beach by smoking there and I'm not being offensive, so what do they have against it?

Well, because they are public spaces and smoking is sort of an 'area effect' thing. So when I light up a cigar or someone else a cigarette on a beach or trail, I'm pretty much sharing that experience with everyone for a good thirty feet or so whether they want that or not. Since the appeal of these kind of public spaces is to enjoy nature and fresh air, we're sort of screwing them out of that with our habit.

Don't confuse the headline with the actual ordinance, these are public spaces set aside for the public to use and smoking in those spaces has a way of monopolizing them to the detriment of others.

[Sentinel XV]

I'd be pretty ticked. I like to smoke, I like the outdoors, and I like to smoke outdoors. I don't see why, if I'm not around children or blowing smoke into peoples' faces on purpose, that I shouldn't be allowed to smoke in those areas. I'm not hurting the park/trail/beach by smoking there and I'm not being offensive, so what do they have against it?

Well, because they are public spaces and smoking is sort of an 'area effect' thing. So when I light up a cigar or someone else a cigarette on a beach or trail, I'm pretty much sharing that experience with everyone for a good thirty feet or so whether they want that or not. Since the appeal of these kind of public spaces is to enjoy nature and fresh air, we're sort of screwing them out of that with our habit.

Don't confuse the headline with the actual ordinance, these are public spaces set aside for the public to use and smoking in those spaces has a way of monopolizing them to the detriment of others.

Eh, I suppose when you look at it from that perspective, it makes sense.

[Wikkiwallana]

I believe in no social regulation besides control of really heavy drugs and abortion, so....yeah. This is breaching rights. Life, Liberty, Property.

So, you think you have the right to make me deathly ill?

[Neo Art]

I believe in no social regulation besides control of really heavy drugs and abortion, so....yeah. This is breaching rights. Life, Liberty, Property.

Aww, see, you don't have to believe in them. They believe in you.

[Dakini]

I'm not sure what state your from (or if your from the states,no offense meant)but most states have banned smoking in "public" buildings with some states exempting bars from the code.

Guess which state I'm from.

*look at my flag.

Every time I go into a full restaurant, they give us an option to sit in the smoking section. Which I honestly don't care, because I don't believe it has that drastic of an effect on my health unless I were to live with a smoker 24/7 for many years.

If you spend an hour at a restaurant here and there the presence of smoke will not really negatively affect your health (unless you have asthma, in which case have fun trying to breathe). If you work in a smoke-filled restaurant 40 hours a day most of your adult life, however, you can experience negative health effects.

Also, food tastes better in a place that's not full of smoke.

[Dakini]

Oh, and incidentally, in Japan they tend to like it if you don't smoke on sidewalks, even though you can still smoke in bars and restaurants (I think maybe you can't in offices anymore). There it's much more of a population density thing. If you walk down the crowded sidewalk with your lit cigarette, you're reasonably likely to accidentally burn someone else.

[Chrinthanium]

I live in Southeastern North Carolina. The nearby-city of Wrightsville Beach passed a ban on smoking in public while on the beach. While I find a public smoking ban trivial, there are real reasons behind it. Second hand smoke is bad for nearby persons. Discarding of cigarette butts on the ground, in the public street, on the beach, or the park is quite a problem. I can see why they are doing it, but it's rather difficult to combat in a wide-open area.

Smoking isn't good for anyone. I am a smoker, I know. It's a tough addiction to quit. One day, they'll just ban cigarettes by outlawing smoking altogether. At least I hope.

[Greenvul]

I live in Southeastern North Carolina. The nearby-city of Wrightsville Beach passed a ban on smoking in public while on the beach. While I find a public smoking ban trivial, there are real reasons behind it. Second hand smoke is bad for nearby persons. Discarding of cigarette butts on the ground, in the public street, on the beach, or the park is quite a problem. I can see why they are doing it, but it's rather difficult to combat in a wide-open area.

Smoking isn't good for anyone. I am a smoker, I know. It's a tough addiction to quit. One day, they'll just ban cigarettes by outlawing smoking altogether. At least I hope.

That's another thing. I'm not trying to change the subject, but why are they trying to legalize Marijuana while simultaneously outlawing cigarettes? It's hypocritical if you ask me.

[Dakini]

I live in Southeastern North Carolina. The nearby-city of Wrightsville Beach passed a ban on smoking in public while on the beach. While I find a public smoking ban trivial, there are real reasons behind it. Second hand smoke is bad for nearby persons. Discarding of cigarette butts on the ground, in the public street, on the beach, or the park is quite a problem. I can see why they are doing it, but it's rather difficult to combat in a wide-open area.

Smoking isn't good for anyone. I am a smoker, I know. It's a tough addiction to quit. One day, they'll just ban cigarettes by outlawing smoking altogether. At least I hope.

That's another thing. I'm not trying to change the subject, but why are they trying to legalize Marijuana while simultaneously outlawing cigarettes? It's hypocritical if you ask me.

Who is both legalizing marijuana and making the possession of cigarettes illegal?

Prohibiting people from smoking in certain location is not the same as outlawing cigarettes and if you think that smoking pot will be allowed in places that cigarette smoking isn't... yeah... I don't know why you'd think that. It seems pretty unlikely.

Hell, my city has been talking about banning cigarette smoking in parks recently, but I think it's really that they want to make it more difficult for the people who have drum circles and toke up in the park all day to pass off as just smoking some cigarettes.

[The Steel Magnolia]

Banning smoking in outdoor public places is just stupid.

Seriously. This is a ridiculous infringement on personal liberty.

[Hathradic States]

Banning smoking in outdoor public places is just stupid.

Seriously. This is a ridiculous infringement on personal liberty.

Banning smoking inside, I can see. But outside? In the open air? It's not only infringement on personal liberty, it is stupid infringement on personal liberty.

[Costa Alegria]

What we should do is demolish the town and replace it with a giant tobacco factory.

But yes, the law is stupid.

[Nazi Flower Power]

It's a bit extreme, but the town is within its rights to pass such a law.

[Esparmuran]

Ban being outside.

[Ironrite]

1 word, or 2, whatever...
E-Cigs

[Ironrite]

Not that I use them, just hear that they are a great alternative

[Condunum]

...Eh. I don't usually smoke in public places besides the sidewalk, which is still allowed by the By-law.

I'm not for this at all, but at the same time, it's their city.

[Condunum]

Not that I use them, just hear that they are a great alternative

E-Cigs are Marlboro prices plus more. They're a pretty bad alternative right now...

[70 Ophiuchi]

What are your views on this, NSG? Is it a breach of rights? Or a step in the right direction?

Step in the right direction, though they really should just ban smoking outright and tell the smokers to get chewing tobacco or smokeless cigarettes (and making them cheap enough that most of them buy them instead of black market cigs).

why can't there be a smoking section like all other restaurants?

There are no smoking sections in civilised places.

That's another thing. I'm not trying to change the subject, but why are they trying to legalize Marijuana while simultaneously outlawing cigarettes? It's hypocritical if you ask me.

Because tobacco is much more harmful, if we could swap the two then it'll be a pretty good trade (though I'd still ban smoking marijuana, they should get their fix in a way that doesn't expose other people to it).

[SaintB]

Rather than an outright ban I think they'd be further ahead designating smoking zones.

[Imsogone]

I'm not sure what state your from (or if your from the states,no offense meant)but most states have banned smoking in "public" buildings with some states exempting bars from the code.

Guess which state I'm from.

*look at my flag.

Every time I go into a full restaurant, they give us an option to sit in the smoking section. Which I honestly don't care, because I don't believe it has that drastic of an effect on my health unless I were to live with a smoker 24/7 for many years.

I don't think it's about health as much as it is about having a pleasant meal. Some of us are very sensitive to second-hand smoke (it gives my daughter nosebleeds) and if smoking were permitted in restaurants - even in restricted areas - she would be unable to go. Also, those food service workers who don't smoke would be subjected to second-hand smoke for 8-12 hours straight - not the most pleasant working conditions.

A ban on smoking outside, though, is just silly. With all the other bans and restrictions on smoking, you might just as well make it illegal - a prohibition on tobacco use. And we all know how well that worked for alcohol and is working for drugs.

[Risottia]

Bars are normally restaurants during the day.

Uh? You must live in a weird place.


Anyway, all these outdoors smoking bans are pretty stupid and nonsensical. Generally, the same people who complain so much about tobacco smoke fail to complain the same about IC engine exhausts... which pollute air MUCH more than tobacco smokers do.

[Risottia]

1 word, or 2, whatever...
E-Cigs

They're utter BS.

[The Black Forrest]

*shrugs*

If the city passed the ordinance and the people do nothing?.......

[Demirysis]

I believe in no social regulation besides control of really heavy drugs and abortion, so....yeah. This is breaching rights. Life, Liberty, Property.

So, you think you have the right to make me deathly ill?

If you actually think that, then being around smokers is the least of your problems...