I heard it said like this before and it stuck with me...

Having a smoking section in a restaurant is like having a peeing section in a pool.

I find smoking a un-pleasent habit. (No offence to smokers) People should not smoke in public places. Its been proven that second-hand smoke is extremely dangerous. I think that it is comletely inconsiderate to smoke around people who do not want it to be around. Holzipan, I would be infurated (if I had a condition like yours) if someone smoked around me to make me sick for 4 weeks. Smokers in public places do not ask questions, they just light-up. If I wanted to smell rancid tobacco, I would start smoking. I deserve to have clean lungs and so does everyone around me. Thanks.

Pretty much. I hate anyone who smokes near me when they know how badly it effects me. I can forgive strangers because they don't know, but anyone who does know and still smokes near me must be evil to put their few moments of enjoyment as a higher priority than 4 weeks of my life.

Wow, that sucks...

Hiya

Other people smoking is making me horribly horribly ill. I have fibromyalgia and a couple of other conditions, which are hugely aggravated by cigarette smoke.

Literally if I spend 10 minutes in a smokey room, I spend the next 4 weeks recovering from it because it causes me to have rhinitis, sinusitis, ear infections, swollen ear drums, bleeding throat, chest infection, pleurisy and severe muscle spasms. EVERY TIME!!

So as you can imagine I feel really panicky whenever I smell cigarette smoke because I dread feeling like that again!

I can't wait for the smoking ban to come in in the UK because my social life is non-existant now.

Best wishes

Oh boy... You just wait...

I agree that smoking should be banned at least from public places, not only because some people could be allergic to the smoke, but it is dangerous to people's healt. It is fine if some people choose to damage their bodies, however that does not mean people who do not should have to suffer health risks because of those who chose to smoke.

Based on the health risks of second hand smoke, I think it is wrong to allow people to smoke in public places. For example, I've been waiting in lines before where the person in front of me decides to light up. My options? Lose my place in line, or continue inhaling a bunch of chemicals that may give me lung cancer... HMMM... this sounds fair...NOT!

Everyone who wants to smoke should have the right to smoke but personally, I think it's rude to do it in public. Nowadays everywhere I go I come home smelling like cigarettes because some jerk sitting at the table next to me has been blowing smoke in my face all evening. The other day I was at a birthday party and I was literally surrounded by smokers...What if I had asthma? What if someone else there had asthma? Then would they have put them out? Because I'm seriously starting to worry about the effects all of this SHS could have on me and that concern alone would never have convinced them to just hold off until later.

I would love for the entire tobacco buisness to be shut down but since that would be impossible and would practically murder the economy, I'd definitely love any sort of ban of smoking in public. It's a great idea.

EW, gross! I think smoking is disgusting! My Grandpa had been smoking for years! The smell at his house is not very pleasant! He used to smoke 2 packs of cigarettes a day, but now he smokes only one! He is still smoking!

If you don't want to be around smokers, just stay away...

People these days are so lazy that they can't go out of their way to stay away from SHS so instead they play the blame game. We (People) are very ridiculous.

quote:

how could you not at least cut back on the amount of smoking, specifically second hand smoke, people have to breath in unvoluntarily, which leads to death? Sure many things cause death, but it makes sense to me to prevent it where we can.

The flaw in your logic is there. The science behind second hand smoke being a health risk is critically flawed. Because of that, I see a lot of bans as unessecarily restrictive.

Also just because something has "4000 chemical compounds" doesn't nessecarily mean it's bad. Not saying smoking is a good thing, just reminding people that "chemicals" aren't inherently evil.

"That is because public drunkeness is a threat to order and saftey. Second hand smoke is not correlated to either of those." (DrStrangelove)

Maybe not, but smoking is the third leading preventable cause of death thanks to its over 4000 chemical compounds. Why would you NOT try to cut down on this problem?? If we can ban public drinking just so there is more order in society, how could you not at least cut back on the amount of smoking, specifically second hand smoke, people have to breath in unvoluntarily, which leads to death? Sure many things cause death, but it makes sense to me to prevent it where we can.
I'm sure not everyone agrees, but that is just my logic. I still dont think tobacco sales should be banned, but where I live there has been only benefits to banning smoking in public places.

lol, strangelove is awesomely amazing.

quote:

a madness

Huh?

I do not agree with a total ban on tobacco products. Yet I do agree with a ban on smoking in public places or maybe just in like restaurants and stuff. I also have a madness that maybe isnt for this forum. Why is tobacco legal if Marijuana is isnt(Rhetorical Quest.)???

I was going to try to debate but I see that strangelove would rip me to shreds.

So I'll just say: smoking is icky!

quote:

smoke is something that travels through the air and therfore those around the smoke have no chioce but to breath it in.. sometimes without even knowing.

So does peanut oil, accidental poisonings happen fairly frequently. But that's not the issue, the peanut analogy was in response to the implication that anti-SHS laws are good because of the risks posed to asthmatics.

quote:

I'm just saying it makes sense for it to be limited to locations that are private and there is a choice as to who is there. It works quite well in the city I live in

The problem is that the rights of private estabilishments are being infringed. Nobody is forcing you to go into a particular restaraunt. It's up to the owner and you. Not the government.

I think it's really bad when people smoke in public. If i make a choice not to smoke, then how fair is it that i get the diseases from second hand smoke? i dont want the dideases and cancers so i dont smoke, but i make a good choice and get bad consequences anyways? how is that right? i know that smoking is a habit and some poepel cant stop and they have to smoke, but they should do it in private places, like their houses, not by babies, and little kids who might have to live with the effects for the rest of their lives.

Peanuts actually are the restaurants responsibility to report, usually, so that people know what they are eating.. and some schools that I know are complete peanut-free schools, although thats not the point. Its true that in most restaurants they are not going to ban peanuts completely, but its not the same as smoking though... smoke is something that travels through the air and therfore those around the smoke have no chioce but to breath it in.. sometimes without even knowing. I would also argue that smoking is a bigger social issue than peanuts.. although that is a major concern for many people. Smoke can be deadly even if not in the short term, like for people with serious lung problems, but in the long term for everyone else. Still, I'm not saying people shouldnt be allowed to smoke, I'm just saying it makes sense for it to be limited to locations that are private and there is a choice as to who is there. It works quite well in the city I live in, and it seems that most non-smokers and smokers agree... even if it requires those few extra steps to get outside to have that cigarette.. hey they even get a bit more excercise, which IS good for the health.