Do we need a class action lawsuit for smokers' rights?

Question

Starting in November, my state will have a law making it illegal to smoke within twenty feet of a doorway, vent, or window, which means in some areas the only place you can smoke is the middle of the street. that is just BS. I think we've been letting these non-smoking Nazi's have too much of a free hand.

Answer 1

Sign me up. How quickly we forget that tobacco has been THE cash crop for many generations.(It financed the revolutionary war!!!) What shape do you think the country would be in if not for the Billions upon Billions of dollars that the govt has collected in taxes!!!!

Answer 2

Hello,

I have a story to tell you. It's about a wonderful man. A loving and caring father and grandfather. He'd been smoking all of his life. He was a great person. A good person... A kind person, who unfortunately had a bad habit... smoking. By his mid-50's, he was slowly getting sick, and it progressed rapidly. He quite smoking in his early 60's. He was, from the age of 66, connected to an oxygen tank and his mobilty critically reduced. He was in and out of hospital during those years. He couldn't even go in the shower by himself. Here was this loving man who was becoming incapacitated. He rarely moved from his lounge chair in the dining room, as his stength wouldn't allow him to. In the early 2004 he was hospitalised, by mid-year he was in rehab, and on 27th September 2004 he passed away in front of his wife and his eldest daughter.

His daughter still mourns. She was always there, when she wasn't working she was by his side and with her mother. His grandson was with her almost everyday too, to comfort her as she was distressed and emotional.

I am the grandson. and to this very day I mourn a great man. He achieved so much in his life.

My Grandfather was aged just 69 when his life ended, leaving his loving wife, 5 children, 12 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild. His life was drastically cut short due to smoking and his lungs breaking down. His lungs were only working at 18%. 18% !

Smoking is one of the worlds leading causes for disease and loss of life... preventable loss of life. If there is any good that can come from smoking, that's learning from our mistakes and banning it completely.

This is just one story of thousands around the world. My heart is still broken... i didn't know my Pop before he was sick. I'm 19. And my strongest memory... an image I will never forget, is my Grandfather on Christmas Day 2003. He could barely move. It was a hot Australian day, and he was so sick. I would glady have taken my life to save his. I loved him so much... I still do.

Answer 3

It is too late, although I no longer smoke (a decision I made without the helping hand of the government) I still support anyone's Right to live their life free from government interference. I think Pandora's box has been open, we cannot close her now.

I think we would be best served if you devoted your energy to overturning the Kelo decision, it is the one that eliminated private property rights in the US or some of the other freedoms banned since the govt and trial lawyers were emboldened by their victories against smokers.

Answer 4

With all the laws these hypocrites have passed why don't they just go to red China. There they can have dictatorship with no problem. People like them are what is wrong with this country. They have all these laws passed that takes away from every ones rights and freedom. And I know you never though of it this way, but how much money does all this cost tax payer each year? And how much do you think people like paying fines. Why don't they go for a law against farrting, I'm sure they could have this law passed with the help of the EPA.

Answer 5

You can smoke in your private property and in public areas. You don't have rights near someone else's property, which includes businesses. That is their property and you shouldn't feel entitled to do what you want there. And people need to stop using the word Nazi to apply to every person who does something they don't like. It diminishes the horror we should feel about what the Nazis did

Answer 6

I understand why you are angry, I am a smoker also, and I feel that the tabacco industry has mislead us and put all these chemicals in cigs, so now we are addicted, yes thats right ADDICTED, its so not fair to us that we now have to be treated like crack heads, but on the other hand I can see that non smokers have a right to not smoke, it will come to a head soon and smokers will be like the people back in the days of prohabition, going to smoke houses in little out of the way places.

Answer 7

Smoking is a choice. Not smoking is natural. No, non-smokers should have more of a say since we aren't the ones forcing you to breath in pollution.

Answer 8

Smokers should quit. Besides hurting themselves they are hurting other people, including their family. I have a friend whose mother died last year from smoking. My friend didn't smoke but had the lungs of a 2 pack a day smoker from breathing her mother's smoke while growing up.

Answer 9

While I believe you should have the right to smoke, I believe I should have the right not to have second hand smoke make me sneeze, and make my daughter have a migraine. We are both highly allergic and added to those facts my father died of liver cancer.

It has been proven time and time again, second hand smoke can harm others. You can smoke in your house or your car.

Answer 10

what state do you live in? sounds like i should move there.

smoking is one of the few activities that directly affect bystanders. i'd rather sit next to someone shooting heroin than someone smoking, because the heroin isn't entering my veins, but the smoke is entering my lungs. i have to breathe. you don't have to smoke.

no one is telling you you can't smoke. they're saying to do it where you can't harm others. you're allowed to shoot a gun at a firing range or in the woods, but you can't go blasting it in the middle of a restaurant. smoking is not much different. i'd say smoking is even more dangerous than shooting a gun in a crowded place, because you can aim for the ceiling, but smoke goes everywhere unchecked.

Answer 11

it's big politics to attack smokers. i don't smoke but i wonder if allot of these laws are not discriminatory against smokers. the extra taxes on cigarettes in NYC has caused a black market to bloom. store price is $7.75 on average the street price is $5.00. where do you think the smokers will get their cigarette. ? from the criminal element on the street.