Smoking in public?

Question

Okay, our town has just started banning smoking in public restaraunts. I never really thought it would start such as HUGE debate. Yes, call me slow, but what is the advantage of having a smoker in your restaraunt besides the money? Is that really worth some one else's health. I mean, if restaurant's had more than just a half wall to separate smoking from non smoking sections, it would not be such a big deal. But, even in nonsmoking the smoke is always drifting over to our side. Second hand smoke kills. People may cringe because it sounds corny, but its the truth. Is it honestly so hard for smokers to enjoy their meal without smoking? Doesn't it take away from the flavor of the food anyway?


Yes, I know its sort of rambling, but I just basically wanted to know how do you as a smoker or nonsmoker feel about the banning of smoking in restaurants?

And smokers with kids, do you smoke around them?

Aivilio, I don't necessarily think that your examples fit the situation. Smoking, in my opinion, is much more serious than anything you have listed.

Answer 1

I think it's awesome and should be done everywhere! I lived in Ireland for 2 years and they've banned smoking in all public places, including pubs. It's funny too, because it seems like more Irish people smoke than do Americans, but they've been very cooperative with it.

It's a great idea all around. I'd think it would discourage kids from smoking if they can't get into most public places with a cigarette in their hand!

Answer 2

Ok, I'm one of the worst, I've been smoking since I was 13 and I have tried to stop many times. However I have a really bad disease, not one that smoking will effect, but I am on a lot of drug that make me edgy and when I went off the cigarettes I started to eat to much and the one thing that can kill me is if I put on weight, so between the edginess from the drugs and the problem with the weight I've been told by a few doctors to just try and cut it down, which I have. I knew the day would come when I would no longer be able to smoke at work (don't work any more on disability) and in restaurants. Personally I always thought that smoking and non smoking areas were a joke. It should be all or none, the smoke drifted, so I was personally glad when they did away with it, but in NY, I think they went too far, there were restaurants that were set up as Smoking Bars. I thought that was fine, everyone who went there smoked and I didn't see a problem, the people who worked there smoked, so who was it bothering. Those places have been closed down by Bloomberg, that I think is wrong. We go outside to smoke and people get angry at us. I'm sorry, but we do need someplace to go, we can't do it in any building. Even in my house I hide away in my bedroom if it bothers anyone, I try to be a considerate smoker. I wish I could break the habit and maybe someday I will, but for now it won't happen. I would never ever smoke around a child, I would never smoke around anyone that I might put in danger. I have special smoke filters in the house.
By the way, I found it sort of offensive while I was in France and went to the most expensive restaurant there and was seated near a man who smoked his way through the entire meal. I didn't need to spend $700 dollars to taste tobacco with duck, so yes, getting rid of smoking at a meal really hit me that night as a positive.

Answer 3

If a restaurant smoking area has a good air system to get rid of that second hand smoke, that's great!

If a smoking section is some distance away from non smoking, that's cool too.

It ought to be up to the business owner whether to allow smoking or not.

To answer this ....... is it so hard for a smoker to enjoy their meal without a cigarette, the answer is YES, it's HARD. It is totally uncomfortable for them. When I was a smoker, the second I finished my meal, I needed to light up. NOW. Not half an hour later when my whole group was ready to leave. That is what addiction IS.

I have been a nonsmoker for 5 years now. It took me 2 years after I quit smoking to get to the point where I didn't miss that after dinner cigarette.

I don't think smokers should pollute the air for nonsmokers. But I also don't think nonsmokers should be as militant as some of them are, against smokers.

Answer 4

As a smoker..you get used to it...here in California it's banned on beaches, parks and in one city it will soon be illegal to smoke in apartments and condos that are attached....and you have to be 20 feet from any public opening.
I never smoked in a restaurant when it was allowed and I hated when some else did...but some laws are getting pretty bad.
What gets me is they tax the hell out of us for so-called anti smoking programs....but so far all thats been done is cheap 2bit commercials a grade schooler could do...makes me wonder how much the the maker charged and where the millions in taxes are going....there is not one program that helps us quit that's paid by our tax money. As for smoking around the kids...their grown now and we never did...in the house or car when they were around..in fact I don't think I ever smoked in the house..we always went outside...I hate the smell of stale smoke on the stuff inside...funny coming from a smoker of 30yrs I bet.

Answer 5

I am a smoker, and I don't smoke when I'm eating. I find that to be a little too addicted for my tastes. I think it's fine. They did the same thing in my town a few years ago. The only people who were up in arms about were the business owners. Although, I personally think bars should be an exception, 99% of the people who go to bars to drink also smoke while they're drinking, and don't want to go outside in the dead of winter to drink and smoke. But restaurants, definitely, especially if it is the kind of establishment that kids frequent too.

Answer 6

I'm all for a smoking ban, it's already banned in most public places here and the ban in restaurants is coming soon.

People say just go somewhere else... but there are no non-smoking bars anywhere in town. Without a law, the smokers have the upper hand in spite of all the medical research proving the dangers of secondhand smoke.

People say other things smell bad too; perfume, fast food... well, when I'm eating fast food, you may smell it but no one has to eat even the smallest bite. There is no 'second hand fast food'. If they do find out that inhaling the odor from just the bag of french fries is truly harmful, and I don't mean to the odd person who's severely allergic, I feel sorry for them but I can't change my life for the very small chance I just may run into one individual like that... but if it's proven harmful to everyone, in the same way smoke is, then I will stop eating french fries in public, immediately! I wouldn't even consider not to!

Answer 7

Let me ask you this..... what is the reason for having a restaurant if not to make money?? Your , "but what is the advantage of having a smoker in your restaraunt besides the money?" Just struck me as a very strange way of thinking.

I am a non-smoker, for 18 years. I probably would not ever go to a restaurant in which everyone or a majority smoked, but somehow I still think it should be the right of the OWNER of a private business to make some of those decisions.

If a man owning a bar or restaurant wanted ONLY smoking people or those tolerant of smoking, and he put up a big sign to that effect, why should this be illegal.

When your own rights begin to be stomped on (No more bar-b-que in your back yard----no frying chicken in your kitchen) at what point will you want to draw the line and say, "Hey, this is MY RIGHT to do this?"

I don't like the smell or effects of second hand smoke; I don't like the smell all around the beauty parlors in the malls that use the permanent wave solution, I do not like some perfumes, and some people are allergic to certain perfumes; I don't like the smell of dirty people and I have a gag reflex sometimes (is that a health hazzard? Maybe I'll gag to death or gagging might bring on a heart attack). Maybe I don't like the sound coming from your church down the street when you are having a late night revival meeting! (that deprives me of sleep and is a health hazzard). In Riverside, California, they banned the use of the church bells at Calvary Presbyterian Church, because some neighbors didn't like the ringing at 11:00 a.m. (major health hazzard, deprivation of Sunday sleep)

We can be regulated right into a very controlled environment as more and more rights are taken from us. We should be quite careful for what we "wish" as we may get it. Minorities (and I am the member of one) should be particularly careful, in my opinion, as when the opinion of the majority AGAIN starts of over-rule HUMAN RIGHTS, then we've got a big problem. The more obvious your minority, the more you will suffer.

Answer 8

I really dislike going to a restaurant when smoking is allowed there. There is no simple way to avoid the smell and it really interferes with the food.

This being said, I don't mind smoke in bars or clubs. Perhaps it is because it has always been there, I suppose I expect the smell to be there.

Last, I don't like it when anyone smokes around my kids. My husband likes a cigar about three times a year; he goes outside and my kids have never seen him.

Answer 9

I'm a non-smoker and I really appreciate smoking bans in public places. I don't feel like somebody else should have the right to risk my health with their bad habits. Before the smoking bans I couldn't enjoy eating out and I had stopped going to places where smoking was allowed, because I neither wanted to risk my health nor did I really enjoy sitting in a cloud of stinky smoke.

I don't mind if the restaurant has a smoking room or a completely seperated smoking section, where the smoke doesn't enter the non-smoking area. I just don't want to have to breathe this stuff.

In some countries where smoking has been banned in restaurants the restaurants actually experienced an increase in income because non-smokers started going to those places much more while the smokers still kept coming and just stepped outside to smoke when necessary. Most smokers soon got used to the ban like they have with previous bans in the past (banks, airplanes etc.) and stopped complaining and I think restaurant owners will be pleasantly surprised soon too. I think the debate will calm down with time, people just aren't too fond of changes.

Answer 10

I'm a smoker. The problem is that smokers would like to light up after a meal and if smoking is banned, they'd either leave the table to go outside or the smoking area. Now, if you are having dinner, just the 2 of you, would you mind sitting alone at the table for 8 - 10 minutes while your date is smoking outside? You may say your date is inconsiderate to do so but he wants to enjoy a long evening with you so he leaves you for 10 minutes to return to stay longer instead of calling for the check and leaving immediately before you even order your dessert so he can have his cigarette.

And say both are smokers. Will the management allow both to leave the table to have a smoke outside? Will they be concern that the customer is going to walk away without paying the bill? Like bars that ban smoking, wouldn't that worry them? They would have to hire extra staff to make sure the patrons are not going to run. More cost for them.