The Smoking ban
 

I know it's a bit late, but sod it, it'll spark up some controversy :drummer:
Needless to say as a smoker, and a heavy one at that, I'm entirely against this ban to some respect, pubs....it's cleaner to some extent and its nice but did it have to be an entire ban on every public building?
i can't smoke in the quadrant anymore, or in a bus station if it's raining. It's bloody ridiculous, i don't understand why everyone is so fixated on it's health values, it was hardly top on the list of priorities for things that needed to be cut to improve public health and greenhouse gas and what not, when did they start looking at cutting the amount of car emissions, converting our power stations to wind and hydro-electric, tackling obesity in Britain the fattest, least healthy, laziest country in Europe. All this ban seems to have done is prove that the government being of the upper class have this drilled in, snobbish outlook on smoking entirely and having no reason to smoke in their childhood or adulthood has given them leeway to launch a personal vendetta against the smokers of Britain, it's a complete load of bollocks if you ask me.

So who wants to discuss?

Their going to ban smoking here to. Finally no more stench after going out! We've had a discussion thread on this one before, you can probably find some interesting stuff in there.

http://www.musicbanter.com/lounge/17...ks-anyone.html

If they banned smoking then they should ban alcohol, but honestly I don't have a problem with drugs being allowed. I can't take any because of my medical condition, but yeah.

And I love when some Christians say drinking alcohol is okay, but drugs are the devil. Honestly I don't think God cares if you do either as long as you do too much to the point where you lose connection with reality and you become foolish. I don't think he likes it when you are addicted to anything.

http://library.thinkquest.org/06aug/01346/pollution.jpg

http://www.southribble.gov.uk/upload...20x%20192).jpg

Somehow, I think it'll still be pretty bad.

I think everyone here already knows my thoughts on the smoking ban, and if anyone disagrees, I'll be happy to make you look like a fucking idiot. Oh, I'm not being arrogant, it's just that easy to win arguments against you ignorant, self-righteous cunts.

Not of smoke no

But expect everywhere to stink of stale sweat & vomit.

I was against a smoking ban even before I was a smoker. I think it should be up to the owners of said buildings and business places whether or not smoking should be allowed. Now, I can understand places where minors may be present, but bars and the like?

.....I mean, what if you go to some night club or something at a metal show, and all there is is just typical hardcore acts and then 2 good bands? YOU NEED THE SMOKE TO HOLD YA OVER, because that kind of **** is too much to tolerate. At least for me it is.

You don't need the smoke. You just don't go if you feel you do need it.

Either that or you people could stop crying about inhaling a little bit of smoke at a concert. It's a fuckin' concert for Christ sake. One night. You're not going to get some horrible disease and die because of a guy smoking a couple of cigarettes next to you during a live show.

And I must agree with Voice, there's no reason it shouldn't be up to the owners. It's private property. No different from saying whether or not someone is allowed to smoke in your house.

And as far as smoking outside being banned goes, that's just absolutely fucking ridiculous. How someone could actually believe that a person smoking a cigarette across the street from them could even potentially cause them harm is beyond me. Hell, I can't even understand how someone could think that me standing, say, six feet away from them at a park and smoking a cigarette could cause them harm. Yeah, there's no doubt in anyone's mind that cigarettes aren't good for you, but the dangers are certainly exaggerated. The same can be said about second-hand smoke.

The risks of smoking are greatly exaggerated

Also, there's a point I'd like to bring up from the smoking argument in the Worst Trends thread: some people smoke for years and live to be ninety, while some others don't smoke a day in their lives and end up with cancer at thirty. It would seem that, simply, some people's bodies can weather all of those carcinogens and UV rays and the like, and some people's bodies can't. The thing is, at this point, there is no way of knowing who can withstand those risk factors, and who can't. To me, this renders virtually anything health-related nugatory, at least when we're talking about cigarettes. If you smoke, you might get cancer, if you don't smoke, you might get cancer. It's the equivalent of saying there's a 50% chance of rain, to me. So what it all comes down to is, what? Discomfort? Some people just don't like the smell, or the smoke makes them cough. Alright, fine, that's understandable - but surely mild discomfort in some is not nearly reason enough for the government to begin infringing upon people's civil liberties? Oh, apparently it is.

I smoke. I'm glad they banned smoking in clubs and music venues because I love the smell of body odour, vomit, and urine. Seriously, banning smoking in pubs was a bad idea - smoking and drinking go together. I laugh at all the non-smokers who laugh at us all smoking outside pubs in the rain because I know one day when their "little Suzie" has cancer the doctors won't be able to help her because the tax from cigarettes which funded ALL cancer research ended because most people quit due to the smoking ban. I know that sounds harsh but most non-smokers seem to forget that most of the money given to cancer research comes from us smokers (in the U.K. anyway).
I do agree with the ban of smoking in all eating places. As much as I love to smoke, I don't want to smell that **** whilst I'm eating.

It will take a lot more than a smoking ban to make me quit smoking. My dad was diagnosed with lung cancer 3 weeks ago and I still have not quit.
I'm not stupid - I know smoking is bad for you. It makes my breathe and clothes stink. I'm addicted so I can't stop. I have very little or no willpower.

I am a big smoker, and have been affected by the smoking ban. I agree with what Wayfarer says (lol in his rant on another thread) but i guess i do not feel as strongly. If people do not want me smoking inside public buildings i guess i understand, some people (like my father) HATE the smell of smoke and cigarettes. As long as im not labeled as a trouble to society, or judged in some way because i smoke cigarettes. Its my decision, i have hard and long ****ing days and need them to calm down. Ill agree to not smoke them on public grounds, as long as im not ****ed with or talked about by others.

O ya and as Way was saying a few posts up, smoking outside should not be complained about. Anyone who whines about second hand smoke in a place like a public park can very literally suck my ****. People whine about wayy to much **** these days because of the media making every small problom a huge deal. Thank you television...another reason why i dont watch you.

could you **** off, please? I haven't commented on this argument because I am neither here nor there on it, I don't mind the smell of it that much, and it's your choice. As long as you aren't smoking around infants or anything, whatever.

But come on, cut the bull**** with your whole pollution argument. Are you honestly telling us that we go outside and smell pollution? I sure as hell don't. And our society depends on factories, and cars - not cigarettes. You can ban a useless, poor habit, you can't ban transportation.

You don't smell pollution because you live in B.C. One of the cleanest places I have ever been to.
Try London on a hot day - you can smell it then.

Are you telling me you go outside and all you can smell is cigarettes? Maybe you should cut the bullshit. I used to live in downtown Toronto and even then, I could step outside and not smell fuck all.

You're missing the point. My point is that people need to stop acting as if cigarette smokers are some fucking abominable demons sent from hell atop black stallions to befoul everyone's poor, innocent lungs against their will. Everyone contributes to and is affected by air pollution, everyone consumes carcinogenic food products, everyone is exposed to radon gas and UV rays, and so on. Would be nice if people stopped pointing fingers and finally came to realize that we're all just as bad as each other, and we're all at risk of developing god knows what health problems. Shit happens. Why's there always have to be a scapegoat? Oh, crime rates are going up, must be the niggers. Oh, cancer killed more people this year than last year, must be the smokers. Fuck off, like.

No, I am not saying that I smell cigarettes when I go outside. I agree that smokers shouldn't be demonized the way the sometimes are, I'm just trying to make sense of your persistant use of pollution as an arguement. If you're saying that air pollution is a bigger cause of lung cancer than second hand smoke (sorry, obviously I did not think of this beforehand), I would be inclined to agree, although I would want to see some sort of research on that, personally.

Unfortunately for some of us we aren't able to do that because of health conditions. I am not against smoking, or any type of drug. I just feel that they aren't needed. I mean a lot of positive things have happened because of drugs, but I believe that with enough control over my mind I will be able to put myself in the state that people reach through doing drugs. In fact I have heard people who do drugs describe how their brain was changed after they did them, and I find similarities between them and what happened to me after I started doing things to open my mind such as meditation, and a lot of self-reflection.

You could argue for me not to go to the concert, and I wouldn't really know how I would answer that.

And a quote from Bill Hicks for no reason:

"Non-smokers die, everyday."

i don't know what the hell you're all bitching about, but theres been a smoking ban here for what i think has been a couple years now. I wouldn't know, Im not a smoker, but who cares. You've opted to kill yourself, get out in the snow and get it over with already.

Illinois passed a smoking ban that goes in effect on January 1st, 2008.



they're going to close down the dennys,
because no one will go there anymore.

Everyone's "opted to kill themselves" in one way or another.

That wouldn't be fair to you either though. We just need to come up with some more creative solutions than outright banning people from doing things.

i smoke on tha mic like smokin joe frasier
the hell raisier
raisin hell with tha flava

haha, your posts suck

I think bars and clubs should be allowed to make their own decisions, if people were really that bothered about the 'fumes' these places wouldn't have got the trade they did in the first place.

Although when going out as a non-smoker, sometimes the smoke can get to you. But it was generally accepted that pub = booze + ***s. It's like a tradition. I do smoke occasionally, but I still wouldn't have an issue with it.

In restaurants I think the ban is a good idea, smoking with food is just pretty gross. Well ventilated bus shelters and train platforms though, wtf?

Someone flog this kid to death please.

Anyway, on topic. Smoking bans are ridiculous. If I want to walk into a restaurant, sit down next to a non smoker and light up, I should be able to. The non smoker doesn't have the right to illegalize everything that bothers him. By the way, I don't even smoke. But if I wanted to...I should be able to.

well i don't think smoking is bad for reasons a, b and c. the smoking ban is bad for the same reasons. therefore, my opinion is better than everyone elses and that gives me the right to flame and bash them for having different beliefs than me.

Right on man, I'm glad we agree.

Though I'm missing the bashing part. Maybe you're reading a part of my post that I can't..for some reason..see?

i wasn't singling you out,
that was just a satire on the whole thread :)

Thats how arguments usually work. :)

Go here...http://www.musicbanter.com/games-lis...ove-you-7.html

All I'm going to say is that if they're going to ban smoking in public places, they should also put a cap on how many children people with an IQ lower than eighty are allowed to have.

It only seems fair to me.

Also, this isn't going to get anyone to really quit.

Trust me.

Actually, I've opted to not kill other people.

I guess this as close as there is to an argument...but I could care less about a ban, or no. It's the hypocrisy of it all that pisses me off.

1.) It's the smell and not the health issue:

I wish they could make a cigarette that instead of smoking, it atomized (or some such sh1t) vitamin C (or some such healthy sh1t) as the second hand smoke it produced. Something that was super healthy for everybody, but the smoke from these new cigarettes smelled like sad dead fish.

2.) It's the money and not the health issue:

If there was a sincere effort to inconvenience smokers to quit (by taxes, or ban) there would be legislation to create a progressive age requirement to buying cigarettes (next year you'd have to be 19, the next year 20, so no one could start).


There's more, but that's enough.

We've had a smoking ban here for about a year...I've gotten used to it, and I've cut back on my smoking when at the bars.

Even as a smoker, I'm ok with the idea, but I think it should be left up to the businesses. All our pool halls went bankrupt, and almost all of the bars have seen reduced business.

It Just went up to 18 by me....although i know a lot of people aren't happy and i don't know anyone under the age who it's actually stopped.

It should have given a 2 year warning, people who were addicted legally at 16 have been forced to quit and to me that seems unreasonable.

I like the ban
 

Personally, I'm happy with the ban. I don't give a damn about whether smoking is unhealthy or not, or how much second-hand smoke may or may not affect a non-smoker's health-- I know only one thing (being a non-smoker): Its VERY unpleasant, like needles going into my eyes.

Maybe because I don't smoke my olfactory glands work better, but I can smell the smoke on people's clothes and it doesn't just stink-- it has a physical effect on my eyes and nasal passages. When I visit my parents, who smoke, that smell is in my clothes & my eyes burn long after I have gone.

Stink I can deal with, but not the physical pain from being around people who could care less and light up anyway. For that reason alone, I welcome the ban. Smokers should keep that unpleasantness to themselves.

~ josh

Wasn't that problem resolved simply with smoking and non smoking areas?

Yes, but some people wil still complain.

Can't we just **** in their mouths as they open?

No. Smoke drifts. Still gets in your eyes and clothes-- even if you are sitting a good distance away from the a "smoking area."

~ josh

Like me. LOL ;)

^^^

I dunno if I would dismiss it as merely "mild discomfort."

~ josh