I work at an Inn/Restaurant where the cooks smoke in the kitchen and the lobby area. It makes me feel really sick because I'm not used to the smell or breathing it in. I try not to breath it, keep my distance. I can't help but cough, and worry about my healthy lungs (as an ahthlete).

I'm new, and they're a lot older and more important than me. Do I have the right to ask them to smoke else where?

What would you do?

I dont think they should be smoking in
the kitchen...

second hand smoke is what killed my grandfather. i hate that ppl feel its ok to put others at risk just becaue they accept it. i always put my sleeve over my nose adn mouth when i have to be near a smoker to i can contaminate myself as litle as possible. and dont be descreate about it. cause scene.

I have no problem with being around smokers.

What I have a problem with is when smokers have no problem putting an inconvience on other because of their habit. Just like I don't think you should bring a troublsome two year old to a resturant or have your cell phone on in a meeting, you shouldn't smoke near somebody who its going to bother, whether you think its harmful them or not.

It's call common courtesy.

Thats back to my point.

If you're in a room with smoke, you're going to be breathing it in. Sure its not AS bad as smoking it yourself, but you can't deny that you are inhaling smoke. So what if its diluded you are still consuming smoke against your will, and why should other people be allowed to subject you to that?

After looking at this site I found that it stated that the relation is in fact hard to measure and that the study they completed was done through self estimates. "Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke is difficult to measure quantitatively and therefore has been approximated by self reported estimates, primarily smoking history in spouses."

It seems as if they have left it open to yes there are possible reasons we are not aware of that could have influenced results. This was not a controlled study so it is hard to say, at least I did not understand it to be a controlled study.

However, due to the carcinogens and toxins in second hand smoke it does have the potential to be dangerous. Going back to the original point of this disucssion, if you work in close quarters with someone it is likely the second hand smoke is not that dilute.

It would be nice if you could find me a site that is more clear on the affects of second hand smoke, as this site seems to be a stretch as if you were trying to find something to prove me wrong. I could find sites upon sites that support my opinion, can you do the same? I would appreciate it, as it would be something I would like to further investigate at my job.

(I feel as well that you are so sure of yourself because you are possibly a smoker. And if this is the case I would like to let you know I am not anti-smoker, I am anti-tobacco industry, in hopes that this does not become personal.)

"The results do not support a causal relation between environmental tobacco smoke and tobacco related mortality...The association between exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and coronary heart disease and lung cancer may be considerably weaker than generally believed."

http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/326/7398/1057

You may want to check out that site from the British Medical Journal, after reading that try and tell me that second hand smoke is deadly.

Second hand smoke isn't deadly. Inhaling second hand smoke, on the other hand...

quote:

Originally posted by Bushsupporter:

quote:

Second hand smoke is just as deadly as smoking cigarettes.

False. You are a liar.

That is quite a nice argument, possibly an argumentum ad hominem a little bit there, that makes it a logical fallacy.

http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=39098

You may want to check out that site from the American Lung Association, after reading that try and tell me that second hand smoke isn't deadly.

quote:

Originally posted by Bushsupporter:

quote:

Originally posted by Trisscar:
I'd say something, if its bothering you, you have just as much right as anybody else to work in a comfortable enviroment.

And I do beleive that second hand smoke can be a problem ;p you ever sit in a hot-box room? You don't even have to toke at all.. and you can get high. Second hand smoke can effect you so you should say something.

Tobacco adn pot are different.

Yeah they're different, but I was making the point that you do breathe in smoke when you are in the vacinity of somebody smoking, no matter what it is.

quote:

Second hand smoke is just as deadly as smoking cigarettes.

False. You are a liar.

quote:

pot has many of the same health problems as smoking cigarettes.

So pot isn't the safe alternative to anything.

I think you should check out what your rights as an employee are, often you can say no to being put in a situation where it is not safe and this would be one of them. Second hand smoke is just as deadly as smoking cigarettes. I can't say I remember what it was like to be in restaurants where people can smoke because I am from Ontario and we have passed the Smoke Free Ontario act. We are actually at the moment working on putting more laws in place that will prevent children from being exposed to second hand smoke.

And to the person who said Tobacco and pot are different, how much have you researched this?? I work for a group that advocates against the tobacco industry and pot has many of the same health problems as smoking cigarettes.

So basically ask your boss about your rights, rather than confronting the smokers. (Hopefully not the same person)

Considering how unsanitary it is to smoke while preparing food, you'd probably be better off working somewhere else.

When it comes to second-hand smoke, I'm not worried about the health implications. I simply don't like breathing in smoke. I have to deal with it all the time on campus, even though most areas are smoke-free. Heh, I've even seen people smoking while standing right next to a sign that says "no smoking".

quote:

Originally posted by Trisscar:
I'd say something, if its bothering you, you have just as much right as anybody else to work in a comfortable enviroment.

And I do beleive that second hand smoke can be a problem ;p you ever sit in a hot-box room? You don't even have to toke at all.. and you can get high. Second hand smoke can effect you so you should say something.

Tobacco adn pot are different.

I'd say something, if its bothering you, you have just as much right as anybody else to work in a comfortable enviroment.

And I do beleive that second hand smoke can be a problem ;p you ever sit in a hot-box room? You don't even have to toke at all.. and you can get high. Second hand smoke can effect you so you should say something.

I wouldn't say anything because I believe all that Second-Hand smoke hype is a bold-faced lie. But if it worries you that much, follow Bushsupporter's advice.

If you don't like it, find a new job. You don't have to work somewhere you don't like.