The Smoking Ban

[EG]

In regards to banning smoking in your car.. why not? You can't drive under the influence of alcohol or other drugs... Nicotine is a drug. Whilst it doesn't have the same drastic effects as estacy or marijuana or other illegal drugs, think how little effect you feel a single drink has? "Oh I'm fine, I'm not even tipsy!!".  Your perception and reactions will still be clouded. Therefore your driving ability is affected. I'd like to see results on an experiment to find the effect smoking has on drivers and the frequency of accidents.

Whilst I agree its a good idea to ban smoking in cars... although, it is the person's personal domain and they should have the right to decide.... I personally dont like the smell of smoke in a car... and it is very unhealthy in such a small confined space, even with the windows open.

However I do disagree that it affects the way you drive, unless you drop a lit ciggie on your lap.  Smoking doesnt affect your ability to think or concentrate at all.  Whereas other even lesser drugs, certainly do... marijuana and alcohol.... if smoking had these affects it would have been legally banned long ago.  Your driving ability is not affected at all.... apart from perhaps the fact that you are holding something in your hand.... but it carries no more risk than carrying a pencil in your hand whilst driving... if we are talking about the ability to react and concentrate.

[Amy Lee]

Ok, i've now quit smoking (well, am in the process), and Daniel's following suit on July 1st so i thought id talk in here again.

I still don't agree with the ban in pubs... They should at least have smoke rooms.

Workplaces, clubs, shops, cafe's, etc, fair enough. Clubs are VERY crowded places, so the sheer amount of people in there smoking is a bad idea...cafe's, well, they sell food, so the risk of contamination. Shops are usually very small and can sell food, so i agree for the same reasons as above...same with workplaces.

But, the majority of pubs nowadays are just "locals". Everyone knows everyone, and they know who's going to smoke - and most of the time, they dont complain because they're used to it and its not a problem.

In my opinion, the reason the Government is banning smoking in pubs is because they're trying to operate a bloanket ban on any enclosed spaces. I haven't personally heard one argument that convinces me why people shouldn't smoke in a pub, or have non smoking pubs. I don't see why pubs can't be a haven for smokers, who get dirty looks for smoking on the streets.


I can bet you any money that, despite the threatened fine, all we will see on the streets in a couple of months will be cigarette butts. People already drop their butts while out and about, but imagine all the people, cast out of the pubs, slightly inebriated, throwing their butts on the ground. I bet there will be big stinking piles of them in the corners between a building and a pathway where they're kicked or dropped, they'll be dropped down drains...etc.

And I actually agree with not smoking while driving... my dad used to do it and he used to hang his hand out of the window.... and a lot of people throw their butts out of the window into the path of oncoming cars. Its stupid - you're not allowed to throw anything else out of the window so why throw that? On impact with a windscreen, the lit cigarette sparks as it goes out...its just dangerous.

Anyway, thats my opinion, and its not likely to change....Pubs should remain smoking places...as you said, there are seats outside a lot of the time...so why dont the NON smokers sit there?

[† Gilly †]

I read some stupid story in the newspaper the other day that Government workers, Police officers, ambulance staff etc etc will not enter your house If you are smoking... kind of taking away FREEDOM is it not 

[Icy]

Not at all.  I would never go into someones house who smokes, especially if they were smoking whilst I was there. 

If I went to a smokers house, while there I would still be passive smoking.  It's fair enough if the person wants to smoke in their home - thats their choice- but I would not visit one of my groups if I knew they were smoking there, because my health is alot more important.

So yeah, I agree with that. 

[Jazmin]

I read some stupid story in the newspaper the other day that Government workers, Police officers, ambulance staff etc etc will not enter your house If you are smoking... kind of taking away FREEDOM is it not 

That's stupid really.
I smoke, but I dont smoke in my house.
But what about old people?
Do the goverment really expect them to go outside in the cold and the ass kicking rain?
The goverment doesn't understand that old people are used to smoking in their own homes, it wasn't a bad thing to do when they started, and then they do this?
So if an old woman or man falls down the stairs in their house are they just going to leave them there to die just because they smoke?

Well if they do then I will be very socked.
Smoking is disgusting to someone who doesnt smoke, I agree.
But when it comes between someone who doesn't want to go into the house and the fact that ther could be someone in ther dying.........

And Btw what you have to think is...
Is it the opinion of the actual workers who go out there everyday or the goverment who doesnt have a clue?

[Mithrandir]

I read some stupid story in the newspaper the other day that Government workers, Police officers, ambulance staff etc etc will not enter your house If you are smoking... kind of taking away FREEDOM is it not 

That's stupid really.
I smoke, but I dont smoke in my house.
But what about old people?
Do the goverment really expect them to go outside in the cold and the ass kicking rain?
The goverment doesn't understand that old people are used to smoking in their own homes, it wasn't a bad thing to do when they started, and then they do this?
So if an old woman or man falls down the stairs in their house are they just going to leave them there to die just because they smoke?

Well if they do then I will be very socked.
Smoking is disgusting to someone who doesnt smoke, I agree.
But when it comes between someone who doesn't want to go into the house and the fact that ther could be someone in ther dying.........

And Btw what you have to think is...
Is it the opinion of the actual workers who go out there everyday or the goverment who doesnt have a clue?

I think this has been slightly taken out of context: the proposal, I believe, was that civil servants and public sector employees would not enter your house if you were in the act of smoking at that very moment, not if you were simply a smoker. The rationale behind it was that all workers are protected from smoke in buildings in the workplace, so going to your house is an extension of that workplace.

[Theo]

  Admittedly I didn't read through any of the posts in this topic (except to skim over the original post).. 

  BUT!  I'd like to point out that there are some people who have breathing issues, like asthma, who can't be around smokers because the secondhand smoke (which is JUST as POISONOUS!) makes it difficult to breathe..

  In Georgia there is now a law that prohibits smoking in any public building, restaurant, workplace, bar/ club, city hall, courthouse, etc.!  I very much appreciate this because I can enjoy myself without having an asthma attack..  I don't wish to smoke but being around smokers and inhaling the secondhand smoke is just the same as, if not worse than, smoking myself..  I don't want to smell like smoke, I don't want to taste smoke while I'm trying to eat, I don't want to breathe it in..  I just generally don't like and don't approve of smoking..  Personal preference..

  Now, there is proof that secondhand smoke, particularly in children, WILL cause them to suffer from asthma..  Look at fact #15..

  thetruth.com :  The first few factoids are relevant..  But consider all the facts as smoking does indeed affect other people in a negative way - it's not just about preference..

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