Do you smoke? And... what do you think about the new laws most states have or are adopting?

Question

Most states have made it unlawful to smoke in public places. What do you think about the new laws that say you can't smoke in restaurants or even bars and not within 25 feet of the entrance doors?

Answer 1

All these restrictions are cheap ways for the government deter smoking and appease the non smokers the freedom to fresh air. Objectively could all these restrictions actually reduce the numbers of smokers? i doubt. Restaurants or bars are private entities and the choice of making the eating house a smoking or non smoking place should follow some guidelines that i saw in other countries. I thought segregating the smokers and non smokers is a great idea and placing air vent to maintain a minimum air quality standard in house should be the onus of the owner if he wanted businesses from both. The government govern the streets and public areas and shouldn't have any intervention into owner's private businesses except to enforce good air quality. It's quite a burden for the owner to maintain good air but it's a solution that works best both ways. A bar without liquor, beer and smoke is not a bar anymore don't hamper business in wayward enforcements, compromise can be made to yield amicable co-habitant.

Answer 2

Honestly? I think these laws have already diminished the number of smokers in the country. I smoked for 12 years, quit cold turkey in December 2005. These restaurants lose patrons with people standing outside smoking. I also think the laws are saving lives - the less people smoke, the lower the likelihood of certain cancers. I thought this when I smoked, too. Also, 25 feet is not far.

However, it is also completely lame that alcohol should be legal to drink in bars and restaurants even though it too is a drug, yet people cannot smoke in public. Wouldn't it follow that drinks should not be served at restaurants, so yet another drunk driver doesn't kill everyone in his path? There are toxins in nicotine and alcohol that can kill others. Second-hand smoke is the cause of thousands of deaths each year. Drunk drivers are involved in more than 50% of road fatalities - About 35% on weekdays, 52% on weekends, and 77% between midnight and 3 A.M.

So, I can see the stupidity in outlawing smoking in and near restaurants where people inside are drinking, but at least we've started somewhere. If smoking and drinking can kill, they should be done in places where it won't affect others or not done at all.

All drugs, all substances that make it impossible for one to act in a rational manner, should be made illegal. Does this mean I've never had a little weed? No. Does it mean I never drink? No. But I would not smoke around children and I wouldn't drive if I was drinking.

Answer 3

I do not smoke, never smoked. I hate the smell and the disgusting habit. I think the hygiene habits of some people are disgusting too - are we going to create a law against that. I know I know - hygiene doesn't kill the people around the befouling human. Take alcohol. Intoxicated adults (and minors) who get behind the wheel take thousands of lives every year. Why not ban alcohol - oops tried that.

We live in a free market, free choice society. And yes that means that the free choices individuals make are inevitably going to upset the free choices made by others. We should not continue to ban smoking in every public place. Business owners should have the freedom and the right to choose to serve their patrons in the manner of their choosing. Smoking, non-smoking, cigar smoking or a mix. What happened to just asking to be seated in the non-smoking section of the restaurant or bar. It's ludicrous!

Consequently, several municipalities in the greater Chicagoland area have miraculously lifted their smoking bans at bars and restaurants for the "Big Game" this weekend. Apparently you won't get cancer on Super Bowl Sunday.

Answer 4

In my hometown we pasted the restaurant no smoking policy over four years ago. But the way our city did it I thought was a way to meet each side half way.

Bars are still allowed to having smoking. However, restaurants are smoke free from 5am - 9pm. This is because those hours are considered 'family hours' where people will bring children or family out to dine. 9:01pm to 4:59am is considered 'social hours'. At this time most people have eaten dinner and have gone home. People who are out are out for social reasons where they tend to smoke more while hanging out for more time than just eating dinner.

We had a lot of people with strong opinions on both sides of this, but frankly I think it was nicer than an all out smoking ban like almost everyone else is doing.

I'm not a smoker, but my fiance' (smokes a pipe) and many of my friends are. Many of them are okay with the dinner/social hour thing because they don't normally smoke when they are eating dinner.

However, it seems the laws are more strict else where. Smoking is still allowed outside of many buildings except within so many feet of the hospital and government buildings.

Answer 5

I only smoke a pack a week now, after fifteen years of the habit. I live in Virginia, about 50 miles from Phillip Morris' home office, and I do not think I will be seeing any such laws soon. If a private business wants to allow smoking, the government should not have a say in telling them that they can't. If non-smokers do not want to be around smoke, they shouldn't be around smoke. If this means missing a meal at one of their favorite restaurants, so be it.

Answer 6

I do not smoke and would actually propose this law instead. Clearly smoking should not be allowed in schools, courthouses, libraries, or government offices as these places are supposed to be for all people to use. As far as restaurants and bars, I almost have to think it should be up to the individual restaurant or bar owner to decide if smoking should be allowed in thier establishment. Personally, if I owned a restaurant, it would be smoke free because I do not like the smell of smoke.

Answer 7

I do smoke, and luckily am not that badly affected, yet - because I live in India.
Most smokers are conscious of the ways in which second hand smoke could affect non-smokers, and we already do take good care not to smoke amidst non-smokers...
A bunch of politicians are the only ones in India, who make out a big 'case' against smokers - in the hope that it will get them more votes !
...Most of them do not even realise that there are several others who know that these chaps are heavy smokers themselves - and are now 'closet smokers', trying to hide their own weakness for tobacco from the public !
There is one Question that we smokers should raise when such loudmouths try lambasting us : 'Do you know that one single petrol fueled vehicle's exhaust emits at least 100,000 times more toxic carcinogens than a cigarette ? Why don't you ban that first, and then plan about banning our smoking ?'
Most of these politicians are actually on the lookout for 'handouts' [some define these as 'bribes'] from the major cigarette manufacturers - requesting them to 'go easy' with their anti-smokers campaigns.
Que sera sera !

Answer 8

I think it is overkill. I'm not saying second hand smoke is healthy for anyone, but I keep hearing how people die from secondhand smoke. Interesting enough I have never heard of that ever being someone's cause of death.

As far as restaurants and bars, I believe the owners of the establishments should be able to make their property smoke free or not. It shouldn't be up to the "law".

Besides the lawmakers are hypocrits. Why don't they just totally make it illegal to sell or purchase or use tobacco? Because they make too much money off the taxes placed on tobacco products.

I am a smoker.

Answer 9

I live in Canada and I smoke. I don't totally agree with the no smoking ban IE bars and your own car and several more places that just seem like they are taking away all our rights if they want to ban us from smoking in places like bars work vehicles and soon probably our own house, they should stop making cigarettes and make them illegal all together. I love going out to a restaurant and eating and not being in a really smokey atmosphere but when I want to unwind on a Saturday night have a few beers there should be a place I can go to listen to a band smoke and have a few drinks if you catch my drift. since the no smoking ban law came in to affect my friends and myself no longer go out to bars anymore we stay home save money that way to. so whatever, I guess maybe the governments should give everybody the patch and some chewing gum and abolish smoking altogether. they are the ones making the most money off it and now they make some more off in forcing it. fines and such.

Answer 10

Yes I smoke and I'm trying to quit for health reasons. But I think these laws are going too far. To restrict people from smoking outside is ridiculous. Outside a few puffs of cigarette smoke is nothing compared with what is emitted from vehicle traffic. Yet people blindly walk their children down the busy street everyday. In our world, breathing in harmful substances is a reality all the time. I think the government should attack the big causes of outdoor air quality and leave the piddly little smokers alone.