Are you a smoker? Should tobacco be banned from sale? Any terrible smoking experiences?
Are u a smoker?
Do u think smoking should be banned in all public places?
Is smoking banned in public places in the country u live in?
Is it stupid to smoke considering the health risks?
Should tobacco be banned completely?
Should tobacco be taxed more or taxed less?
What do u think about this news blog?
Wall Street Journal Article
Do u have other questions about smoking u would like others to answer?
Mel
Reply to this I'm a non-smoker (apart from a period of about 2 weeks when I was a teenager ;-) ) and am against smoking in public buildings. This gets into a grey area when you are talking about outdoor seating at a restaurant. I hate coming home from a night out having my hair and clothes reeking of smoke.
'Non-smoking' tables right next to 'smoking' tables, or having to walk through 'smoking areas' to get to the 'non-smoking area' .........
Yes, in my opinion it is stupid, but I also believe in the rights of the individual when it doesn't infringe on others (another debate provoking grey area.....) and some of my best friends are smokers.
Smoking in restaurants and bars was banned in NZ over a couple of years ago (I think it was about then, don't currently live there) and there was fear of the affect on patronage. There was no real downturn as it turned out, as the non-smokers began to frequent places more often because they didn't have to put up with the smoke.
I'm just glad it's banned on flights and there's no chance of having to endure a long-haul trip stuck between a couple of people indulging in cancer sticks/coffin nails........... would be a long trip sitting in the 'rest room' without in-flight entertainment.
Reply to this Difficult question - my gut feeling is that freedom of choice, speech and expression should be upheld. That mandatory controls should not be brought in except where it is for the protection of others rights to freedom.
I think smoking in reality is a social fad like
snuff in the 19th century - when it becomes unfashionable to smoke less people will start and the addictive affects won't get the chance to take hold.
Should it be banned in public places - yes - should it be banned from sale - no.
I've had the misfortune to travel in Hungary in the smoking carriages on trains - due to tickets always selling out in the non-smoking carriages - it was so disgusting in there that the smokers were complaining about it - between drags. I'm so glad that it's banned on public transport just about everywhere now!
Reply to this Before I had a baby I used to not see any reason why people cant smoke in restaurants, bars and cafes. Afterall those places are for eating, drinking and smoking I thought.
When I was pregnant cigarette smoke used to make me feel sick. And there was the added concern that it was not good for the baby. It made going to bars impossible and even sitting in the non smoking parts of restaruants and cafes did not give me an entirely smoke free environment with the smoking areas just a couple of meters away.
I dont know how working pregnant women coped in the days when there was an ashtray on every desk in offices.
Then after the baby was born, where could I sit down to have a coffee while shopping with people smoking in every cafe.....
Even though I am a smoker I agree that smoking should be banned in all public places where children(even unborn ones) might be. I dont think we have a right to impose our health risks on them.
But it is a bit weird not being able to smoke in late night clubs. What is the point of such a ban? Would people who are so health consious that they want to be in a smoke free environment be up all night partying?
Mel
Reply to this Dear Mel,
very interesting blog. There are many issues at stake:
Are u a smoker? yes, 3 fags a day, just three, but sacred
Do u think smoking should be banned in all public places? yes
Is smoking banned in public places in the country u live in? not everywhere (Switzerland - Valais)
Is it stupid to smoke considering the health risks? yes, like living in a big city and inhaling its fumes without complaining
Should tobacco be banned completely? why? As long as I am sure I do not invade other people's freedom and wallet (see below), I'd like to be able to use that little freedom is left for us. I'd love to keep coveting the illusion that individuality still means something. Even suicidal.
Should tobacco be taxed more or taxed less? tobacco should be taxed to give the state enough money to cover the health costs of smoking, simple as that. It's not correct that non-smokers pay for smokers lung cancer treatments.That's what taxes on cigarettes are for. Or should.
This topic is fashionable, others should be better known. Example: do you have a car with a catalytic converter. Probably yes. Do you know that you are supposed to change it every 50,000 km? After that, converters are much, much, much, much worse than cigarettes, but no one complains and NO ONE replace its own converter. Which, at the end of the car's life, is pressed into a cube and thrown into the sea. With no taxes attached.
M
Reply to this I have to admit that I would probably stop smoking if I had to get a smokers permit.
But I still think the idea of a smokers permit is idiotic and I tend to be against it.
And I think people will likely find a way to cheat. Smokers could form a smokers syndicate. One of them could then get the permit and buy cigarettes for the whole group.
Mel
Reply to this http://www.travellerspoint.com/photos/stream/size/L/photoID/214437/orderByID/
HeHe
If the person who made this sign is a smoker (s)he is long dead. :D
The sign is part of a filippino anti smoking campaign.
Reply to this I'm a non-smoke. i don't care if the smoking is banned in public but as long they not smoking in front for me. Its they lugs not mine.
Reply to this another sign to discourage you from
smoking. hehe
I'm a smoker and I respect other people's right to smokeless dinner or something, so as much as possible I try not to smoke in public places (if i cant help it). To be honest, considering I know the bad effects of smoking, I still light that cig (but I'm trying to lessen my sticks, and hopefully delete it from my life completely).
Even if you do tax it more, people would still smoke, and i agree with swancadeau, it should be taxed enough to cover the health costs of smoking.
@mel - i've been to the Philippines and they have a loooot of those signs there - really funny ones that are grammatically incorrect, part of their charm hehe!
Reply to this I'm a non-smoker and, as an asthmatic, greatly appreciate that it has been banned in public, indoor places in England. However, I was away when the ban came into force and found when I came back it had just made it worse for walking around in the open and getting stuck in crowds where the person in front if smoking and having smoke blown in your face everywhere you walk. It's totally up to the individual if they choose to smoke but I am very grateful that I can now go into a club or bar and not choke!
Reply to this I think that it is a great thing that smoking has been banned in public spaces, I'm a smoker myself and don't mind as things go on fine. But a total ban is a litle silly after all the time it has been legal, that'd be like banning alcohol how many people would favour that?
Reply to this Even though I like to smoke, this picture is almost enough to convince me that it is a disgusting habit. :D
Some habit Reply to this I smoked from about age 15 until 3 months ago. I agree with Graham08 that a total ban would be silly, but I must admit it sure stinks now I have been smoke free a few months. Some common sense and we can all get along.
Reply to this I think this is a matter of ownership rights. If an owner of a restaurant wants to allow smoking in their establishment - that is their right. We have the right to go to another restaurant. The government has no right to infringe such restraints against private property owners. When the smoking ban went in in Montana it was almost enough for me to want to start smoking again, just to break the law! as it is unconstitutional.
Reply to this If yo ban it then it becomes forbidden fruit which has its own appeal ,guve people ihe iformation relevent and keep those pics on the boxes on they scare the ship out of me!
Reply to this ...they scare the ship out of me!
Me too! They were part of what made me cut down to 2 cigarettes per day. I used to smoke more when I was a teenager than I do these days.
Reply to this As long as you keep your vit. C intake up - you should be fine with smoking only 2 cigarettes a day. 😊
Reply to this I hope so! 2 of my grandparents died of lung cancer. I hope vit C will save me from that. But my grandparents were very heavy, light the next cigarette off the end of the last one type smokers.
Reply to this What causes the cancer is the constant healing the body has to do from the cigarettes. Cancer cells are natural to our bodies, but when you end up with scar tissue that is having to heal and re-heal - the body can't keep up with it.
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