Some businesses now say that no one can smoke cigarettes?

Question

Some businesses now say that no one can smoke cigarettes in any of their offices. Some governments have banned smoking in all public places. This is a good idea but it takes away some of our freedom.
Do you agree or disagree?

Answer 1

Why should I breathe in other peoples smoke. I want freedom to breathe clean, fresh air. If you want to smoke, fine, I have no problem with that , as long as it doesn,t annoy me. With freedom comes responsibility.

Answer 2

My company made it a policy that employees were no longer allowed to smoke on the property. I didn't see a problem with this - I work for a hospital, and I think it's a bad image to have healthcare workers smoking in front of the building. Sure, the smokers were unhappy about not being allowed to smoke at work, but everyone was ok with it. Plus, the hospital offered free smoking cesation classes, free nicotine gum, discounts on the health clubs, and other incentives to help employees with the transition.

The effect, though, was that the employees would just walk across the street to the park on their breaks to smoke. This resulted in employees being gone even longer than before to smoke, and the park becoming a mess because of the cigarette butts on the ground. So the company made a new policy that employees can't smoke at all - you can't smoke on your way into work, while you're on shift, or while at lunch. If you come to work smelling like smoke, you are written up and sent home to change clothes.

I don't smoke, but I think this is HIGHLY unfair. When you are on your own time (as you are when driving into work or on an unpaid lunch) you should not be allowed to smoke, as long as you are in a place that is legal. I don't think a company should be allowed to govern what you do in your own home or on your own time. If they want to keep smoking off the property, I think that's a great idea. But to tell an employee that they can't smoke on their own time seems like a violation of their rights to me.

Answer 3

I can see how it does indeed appear to take away some freedom from the smoker. However I find the idea of freedom a little vague and perhaps misunderstood. The non smokers now have the freedom to go those places and be in a smoke free environment whereas before they didn't. It simply isn't true that as a whole we are free, as our own choices affect others in a way that limits their options, thus impacts upon their freedom. That is unavoidable.

Answer 4

Smoking in public places is banned in many places in the U.S. now. I think it's good because those who choose not to smoke are not exposed to harmful secondary smoke. You are right that it takes away some freedom, but living in a lawful society always involves sacrificing some personal freedom for the greater good. When I drive my car and stop at a stoplight, for example, it restricts my freedom to drive through the intersection whenever I want. But that sacrifice of freedom prevents accidents, which saves lives of other people in the society. You still have the freedom to smoke, but at least you're allowing other people the freedom to not have to breathe secondary smoke if they don't want to.

Answer 5

I agree with no smoking indoors in offices, and other places of business. WhY?
I do not smoke-yet my dad did for many years. He died of emphysema, after being on oxygen 24/7 for six years. He had a heart attack.
Second hand smoke can be just as bad as smoking for some people. I have a friend who her uncle smoked, her aunt didn't. Yet the second hand smoke she was around for many years-caused her to get cancer-and she died from it.
jAlso, I live in an apt. complex where smoking is to only be done outdoors-reason? Nicotine--causes "yellowing" of the paint on the walls inside the apt. There is a special expensive primer that the mgr. has to get to put on the walls before a fresh coat of paint can be put on. Why? So the nicotine stains on the walls doesn't "leak" thru to the new paint.
Take care.

Answer 6

I have a business & am about to ban smoking on the premises.
Why? Because I have one worker who comes in 5 mins. before she starts her shift & immediately go out for a butt. She's not allowed to smoke at home. She returns 5-10 mins. later & gets a coffee, now on MY time. She goes out again at least one more time during her 3 hour shift. Non-smokers don't do this. Plus she smells. I 'm waiting til after the holidays (in case she prefers smoking to her job.)

Answer 7

No, it doesn't take away any freedoms. You don't have the "right" to smoke. There is nothing in any constitution that covers smoking.
It's a great idea. Because someone may think they have the right to smoke, they don't have the right to kill others with their second hand smoke.

Answer 8

I agree. I don't smoke and I certainly don't want someone else's smoke. It's the smokers choice to smoke the cancer sticks and i choose not to.

A Lot of people have the same opinion.

Answer 9

It does take away our freedom. It's so funny how cigarettes are legal, but it's illegal to smoke them in so many places.

Answer 10

It takes away our right to walk around increasing the chances of everyone around us to get cancer.

I study biology and Im for it. Second hand smoke was recently proven to cause cancer, f--k penn and teller.. theyre as ignorant as everyone else, which is ok, but they pretend to be scientists and that's BS.