Smoking Ban, Good or Bad?

Question

Personally having never smoked, i was looking forward to the smoking ban, being able to gou out and breathe decent air and not stinking of smoke when i got home.
However now that you walk down the street, and see hoards of people standing outside pubs, half drunk, smoking , being loud and generally doing what you do when your drunk, i think that it is now a bad idea, as it doesn't really paint a good picture for the upcoming generations who have influential minds. As well as not looking good with tourists.

Do you see any other disadvantages for this?

Answer 1

As the white sheep of the family (the only one who doesn't smoke), I think the smoking ban is great. I don't have to have my hair stink of cigarette smoke when I go out for the evening, or for the acrid smell to permeate across a restaurant. Stick 'em outside - much better than being inside!

And, if it encourages the population to cut back and eventually give up, all the better! It's an incredibly anti-social addiction.

Answer 2

I smoke and the ban was a great idea. It is lovely to go out and come back from the pub not smelling of the filthy cigarette smoke. However you have a good point. It is true that there are now masses of people standing outside pubs and bars. I went to Oslo last year and that's a common sight over there. I guess it's just a matter of time/getting used to it. No change can be perfect but it is still better than smoking inside. And wait till winter comes and temperatures drop, i'm sure you'll find less people outside ;-)

Answer 3

I think it's a good idea. I live in Ontario where we have the Smoke Free Ontario Act, prohibiting anyone from smoking inside a building or within 4 meters of a building's awning. I personally think that when I go to a restaurant I enjoy my meal more because as a non smoker, I am not assaulted with the smell of cigarettes and I don't go home smelling like one. It promotes health, as some people are quitting smoking because it is inconvenient now. As for the people standing outside of bars, half drunk and smoking, I don't generally hang around those areas, and there are going to be those kind of people in every place. I think the pros far outweigh the cons in this situation.

Answer 4

I am delighted about the smoking ban. However, I think it is only one step in the right direction, and there are many more steps that need to be taken. The next step would be to ban people from smoking right outside of doors.

As a nonsmoker and someone who has respiratory problems (and for some reason cars don't affect me but cigarettes do) I definitely take issue with people smoking and clogging up the air with that poison. If you want to smoke do it at home.

Answer 5

i am a smoker so let me say at first i hated the idea. the bar i frequented let us smoke inside for a while after the ban went into effect. now that i don't go to bars much, i don't mind the smoking ban. at restaurants. i like the the ban. i can go outside for a cigarette when i need to and go back inside to cleaner air. i smoke alot less when I'm out and about which leaves more time for socializing. :) i think it's ridiculous that at some grocery stores customers can smoke on the property but their employees can not. not even in their cars. when an employee punches out-they are a consumer like anyone else. i do not work at a grocery store but i do think that rule is discriminatory. thanks for letting me vent.

Answer 6

People DIE from smoking. Very few live without the effects of smoking. I know everyone has a favourite uncle who smoked till he was 97. But in general it's EXTREMELY BAD FOR YOU.

I know it's a free will choice. But addiction isn't really free will is it? Smoking ban is good in some ways and bad in the way that this has been accepted as ok. WHAT WILL THE BANNING BRIGADE BAN NEXT? That's my question.

Answer 7

It's funny, during the good weather(if you can remember any) the smokers sit outside only to be joined by the non-smokers!
I gave up when the ban came in and I'm glad of that but I still believe it's odd when they allow alcohol(not that I'd want that banned) which causes so much violence and misery!

Answer 8

I agree with you.

But, thankfully, the smoking ban in my locality also prohibits people from smoking within a certain distance from the door. So you don't have drunks hanging around smoking on the street. Basically, they have to go home to smoke.

Answer 9

Maybe they should have just stuck to having smoking areas in pubs completely sealed off from the rest of the place.

My mum suffers from asthma and finds it really difficult walking down busy high streets due to traffic fumes and in our nearest city (Exeter) which has no cars in the High Street, it's mini bus fumes that get to her. So if government is concerned about passive inhalation of harmful smoke/fumes does it stop with smoking?

Answer 10

I think it is up to the bar/restaurant to have a "smoking patio" outside (maybe on the side/back of the building) with tables/chairs so that ppl can still go out and have their smoke without the looking negatively on the neighborhood.