Careful what you wish for--Indoor smoking ban

Eh... I can hold my breath for a minute or more while passing folks on the sidewalk. Now the chance to possibly go bowling again - that appeals to me!

 

i am surprised that they do not tax it like they do for a liquor license. Let the shop owner decide who he wants to cater to and make some cash along the way for the fed.

 

illinois has lost a lot of money through this. on my 21st birthday, i went to the alton belle casino, practically empty, later that night i went to one of the casinos here in town, and it was packed with smokers. a lot of the people in the southern part of the state that want to go gamble are heading over here to donate their money to missouri schools. doesn't bother me one bit, however i don't think illinois thought this all the way through when they instigated the ban.

 

I would also say that noise has probably increased late at night by people going outside drunk to smoke.

 

Actually it's state wide, not just Chicago as you Chicagoans think . I've been to Chicago only a handful of times and from the looks of things it's not possible to follow the actual guidelines of the ban, mainly the distances required to be from entrances and open windows. That should put you, in most of the market areas where shops are close together, in the middle of the nearest lane of traffic.

 

It's really not that bad. you'd be surprised how many people really smoke when you can't do it to look cool in a bar, especially when it's cold outside. god i love the smoking ban i wish they'd do it everywhere.

 

All my growing-up years I NEVER heard a peep from anyone about smoking in public places. BUT as soon as it became fashionable to poke others in the eye and "the pack" got big enough, people came outta the woodwork to jump on that bandwagon. Real Brave.

Well you Anti-Smokers in the USA got your wish. But, what is next? You cannot stop there. You are on a roll. Come ONNNNN!!!

Next evil to save us all from ......... Alcohol? Great idea (but been tried once before). Besides, I NEVER ONCE saw or heard of anyone smoking a 6-Pack and getting into a car and killing someone, yet that was the greatest evil you could imagine. Drinking a 6-Pack and then driving, on the other hand, well ............. Where's the roar people?!?!?!?!

This whole thing is one of the dumbest ideas to come out of my country (USA) to date.

In Europe were not stupid and just ignore the rule or have set up smoking sections in restaurants and bars. They are physically separated, own air circulation system, etc. From several experiences though, the funny thing was by the end of the night, EVERYONE was in the smoking section-- even the supposed "air purists." WTF?!?!? I don’t really blame the people, the Gov't felt they just HAD to import this less-than-stellar American idea.

And if you want to see just how stupid it can really get, go to Malaysia. NO SMOKING ANYWHERE EXCEPT your own home. They are even beginning to challenge that supposedly. No chewing gum in public places either, big fine as I understand it ...... Next up ….. The BO, Hairspray, Cologne and Underwear Police?

 

Sorry - hadn't considered that as I don't have children and have never smoked. Of course -I avoid the city like the plague and am moving to the mountains (where they grow/dry tobacco)... so my perspective may just be a bit skewed.

 

I just plain hate smokers. I like the ban on indoors. They all need to stop smoking, it's an awful thing for everyone and also great for your health.

 

LOL...funny stuff. The effects of banning smoking in bars and restaurants are coming home to roost. Even more, looks like some state governments are faced with ways to make up for the loss in tax revenue because so many people quit during the past few years.

Reminds me of my other thread where the city of Dallas shut off all the stoplight cameras because they were too effective...so much for promoting good health.

RMX

 

Didn't Tokyo take this one step further and ban smoking on the streets as well?

 

I believe so. I heard they may ban smoking in cars as well because they are 'distracting'.

Sounds like somebody at big tobacco forgot to mail out a government payoff check or something.

 

Pennsylvania just passed a smoking ban in restaurants and bars.

While I dislike smoking, I am even more afraid of this growing socialist sentiment of government telling us how to run our businesses and live our lives. No thank you.

 

It won't be bad after all smoking everywhere is made illegal. On the Big Island there is no smoking in a public place period. That includes walking down the sidewalk. Not really enforced yet but that will be coming. I couldn't care less, were helping to save lives here. Also anybody that doesn't think secaond hand smoke is dangerous besides really annoying is a moron.

 

there's nothing wrong with this when it affects others health.

they should go to the extent to ban people to buy cigarettes that have kids ( have something on your license that shows you have a kid ). it pisses me off to see someone get in a car with a kid and they have a cigarette in there hand. yes this won't stop everyone from smoking if they have kids but there being a d**k to the kid in the first place, and I think it would cut out 40% of kids that have to breathe that crap in.



were pretty dumb to allow anything that is harmful. I love the new fad with organic food that we even have a choice to buy crap or healthy stuff.

 

Oh come on. Its not the government that wants smoking banned, its the people who live in this country. Why do non smokers have to suffer for the smokers habit.

 

If you eat garlic ---- expect a knock on the door. (Why should non garlic eaters have to suffer for your bad breath?)

And how dare you drive a car people can hear? Gone. (Don't laugh, a woman in the neighborhood was circulating a petition against the motorcycle owner a block over.)

Do away with everything people can make themselves find objectionable ....

... Such as people.

After all, I find intolerance objectionable. So why should I have to tolerate it? Ban 'em.

The incentive for people to cooperate has been replaced by the promises to make *your* biases the law of the land.

BS 1 Civilization 0

 

- Someones bad breath doesnt waft 15 feet to where I am standing minding my own business causing me to get naseous.

- Cities already have decibel limits to take care of things such as overly loud vehicles or radios.

There has to be some common sense (ha ha I know good luck with that) used when making these laws though.

I think the individual restaurant(or any establishment) should decide if they want to be smoking or non smoking and let the customers make their choices with their wallets. Simply put a clear sign on the front of the store and include it in all advertising.

However on the complete opposite I feel smoking in public should be outlawed as its irritating to the eyes, throat and lungs of everyone including children. Most smokers are so used to it they dont notice but us people that are rarely around cigarette smoke are highly irritated (physically not emotionally) when we are assaulted by a cloud of cigarette smoke.

Its not about protecting the smokers health at all...I couldnt care less because they are making their choice. Its protecting the people that choose not to smoke from being assaulted by its foulness.

 

So are we required to tolerate something that makes us physically ill. Thats a little bit over the top isn't it. The Garlic comment is also absurd. As for noise, we have the right to complain if we feel its out of line, period. I would think that you would do the same thing if someone was annoying you, or maybe your high standard of tolerance would allow you to look the other way.

 

If the people want the government to ban smoking in or around property that the government owns, fine. But to tell a private business owner that he cannot allow his patrons to smoke is absurd. Someone before brought up prohibition and we know that never worked, despite the fact that alcohol most definitely impacts the lives of many people who don't even drink. Homosexuality is the primary force behind the spread of HIV/AIDS, perhaps we should ban that activity as well.

Just like gas prices, things start out slowly then shock us.... when they were $2/gal we shuddered at the thought of $3/gal, now we can only dream of that price level. Accordingly, our politicians will slowly "convince" the masses of what is bad for them and remove personal choice bit by bit.

Here's an interesting article regarding personal freedoms: http://www.city-journal.org/2008/18_2_happy_people.html

Anunakki is correct that common sense should prevail, but since when have our lawmakers proven they have any of that?

 

These days, "common sense" is a phrase that means, "My biases are reasonable, but your's aren't."

Humans are not rational creatures, they're rationalizing ones. That's why we have to be massively cautious about giving government the power to regulate people's lives.

Government regulation tends to be more annoying than anything people are likely to inflict on each other.

People tolerated cigarette smoke for 400 years. It's only now that the younger generation are being programmed to find it "nauseating".

But it's "your choice" -- because big brother tells you so.

 

I don't smoke but I have to agree with you!