OK, smoking is bad for you, but so is being too PC......>>>>>

[71bee]

I know there are allot of smokers here, but we need to take these steps (and others you've seen) to eradicate smoking all together.  It is a SCOURGE on our society.

Yeah, and maybe we should abolish alcohol, wear swastikas, paint our hair blond.....

keep this country the way it was intended to be. FREE, with the right to choose our lifestyles!      - a non smoker.

[hemihead]

You anti smokers kill me.Under the ideas this country was founded upon YOU have NO right to tell me how to live my life.I don't blow smoke in your face.I don't force you to smoke.I don't smoke indoors( except in my own house and car).So suck it up,stop whining about it already and get on with your life.There are more important things in this world to worry about.Besides,the next rights to be taken away may be your own!

[CaptMarvel]

I know there are alot of smokers here, but we need to take these steps (and others you've seen) to eradicate smoking all together.  It is a SCOURGE on our society.

OK, maybe, I'm not entirely convinced, but what isn't? how about porn, laziness, gambling, overeating, alcohol, aren't these all scourages of equal or worse value? I would like to see porn & maybe gambling go away because I object to them on a basic, moral level, Those others are not good for society either (think about the whys), but do we really want to remove all our freedoms to act stupid? I know the age old non smoking argument about "yea but smoking drifts through the air and thereby affects everyone". Those other vices also adversely affect everyone just not as visually or smellfully (is that a word?). Freedom is what makes us unique and also what makes us strong. The alternative doesn't sound like the US I love.....Again, I'm not a smoker, and never have been...

[Orange_Crush]

I don't have a problem with smoking if you're not one of my employees.  As far as restaurants go, If the restaurant has a smoking section, I don't eat there.  There is a town not too far from where I live where one of the restaurants instituted a "no smoking" rule.  The owner thought his business would drop, but the exact opposite happened.  When people learned that his restaurant was stench-free, his business picked up...by almost 10%.   Eventually, every restaurant in the picked up on the fact that the relatively small number of smokers were keeping the bulk of potential customners away, they banned smoking.  Smoking bans don't really NEED to be legislated.

Its nice to be able to walk through an airport concourse or eat at a restaurant, or go to a bar and not have to smell the stink of someone else's nasty habit/addiction.

[bull]

I don't have a problem with smoking if you're not one of my employees.  As far as restaurants go, If the restaurant has a smoking section, I don't eat there.  There is a town not too far from where I live where one of the restaurants instituted a "no smoking" rule.  The owner thought his business would drop, but the exact opposite happened.  When people learned that his restaurant was stench-free, his business picked up...by almost 10%.   Eventually, every restaurant in the picked up on the fact that the relatively small number of smokers were keeping the bulk of potential customners away, they banned smoking.  Smoking bans don't really NEED to be legislated.

Its nice to be able to walk through an airport concourse or eat at a restaurant, or go to a bar and not have to smell the stink of someone else's nasty habit/addiction.

I usually don't even bother with restaurants that have smoking sections. Even if no one is smoking they still stink. If you're so addicted that you can't make it 45 minutes to an hour without a cigarette why not just walk out to your car and puff on your cancer stick? The ones that annoy me are my coworkers who think they're following the rules and/or doing the non-smokers a favor by going outside to smoke but standing 10 feet away from five wide-open garage doors. The damn smoke just blows inside and I think I inhale more than they do. I can't think of too many addictions that have such a blatantly aggressive and obviously negative effect on the innocent bystander than smoking. Alcoholics don't force you to take a sip of booze every time theyknock one back. Flying pieces of cake don't accidentally land in your mouth when food addicts are stuffing their faces, meanwhile smokers are pissed because we are supposedly infringing on their right to smoke. What about my right to breathe smoke-free air?

[CaptMarvel]

I usually don't even bother with restaurants that have smoking sections. Even if no one is smoking they still stink. If you're so addicted that you can't make it 45 minutes to an hour without a cigarette why not just walk out to your car and puff on your cancer stick? The ones that annoy me are my coworkers who think they're following the rules and/or doing the non-smokers a favor by going outside to smoke but standing 10 feet away from five wide-open garage doors. The damn smoke just blows inside and I think I inhale more than they do. I can't think of too many addictions that have such a blatantly aggressive and obviously negative effect on the innocent bystander than smoking. Alcoholics don't force you to take a sip of booze every time theyknock one back. Flying pieces of cake don't accidentally land in your mouth when food addicts are stuffing their faces, meanwhile smokers are pissed because we are supposedly infringing on their right to smoke. What about my right to breathe smoke-free air?

I agree, if bars or resaurants can do better business without catering to smokers, by all means do it, I just have a problem with anti smoking legislation.  On the surface your argument about the alcohal & cake flying through the air seems to make sense, that is until you factor in the massive drain on the health & insurance system bore by everyone for their "unintrusive" personal eating and drinking habits. What about the unfair burden put upon law enforcement, the judicial system and the moral standards of America because of drinking, drugs, pornography and homosexuality? No, I'm not a radical 19th century right wing nut, & I am also far from perfect (I have an overeating problem, but it falls upon me and me alone to fix that) I just believe fair is fair & you cant legislate laws against one vice without addressing all of them...Bull, I know you have probably experianced personal pain because of tobacco, my father too died one month ago from cancer, although I'm not sure if his smoking years ago really played a part (he stopped in the early 80's) Yea, I'd rather not smell smoke if I dont have to, but I'm just not going to go into a tizzy fit everytime someone lights up in my presence, I can walk away most of the time. Point is, we have to be just in dealing with them all in my opinion 

[pettyfan43]

I lived in a house full of smokers for a BIG part of my life, it made ME not want to smoke just because I didn't like the smell of it.

BUT and this is a BIG BUT, there is no need to legislate smoking at all, either people are going to do it or they are not. Each person has a fundamental right to decide whether they are going to smoke. As long as they keep it to themselves that is their right. They have designates smoking areas in most places, and that is fine.

As far as I am concerned, it doesn't bother me too much. I don't lose my mind over it. I just stay away from the smoking areas.

When simple things like this start getting legislated, it's a slippery slope, what's next? 

You're harming yourself eating that donut, NO DONUTS FOR YOU!!!!
You are harming others because everybody doesn't like that music, you can't listen to it!
How about, You are harming the environment and using too much gas driving that Hemi, We will take it now!

I know it sounds ridiculous but people like Al Gore, and organizations like the EPA WILL do that if they get a chance.  They EPA wants everybody driving BioDiesels or prius hybrids.

If you start taking people's rights away, that slipery slope gets steeper! And it gets that way FAST!!!!

I don't know about you guys, but I had a Grandfather that was wounded at Normandy and fought to stop the Nazis. He was literally thrown in a pile of DEAD soldiers because they thought he wouldn't make it, he had to repack HIS OWN wounds with sulfur from these dead soldiers.

I would really hate to think he went through that kind of hell and lost his left eye, just to have thatkind of tyranny start in his own back yard.

Just my two cents worth but that is how I see it.
 

[bull]

I usually don't even bother with restaurants that have smoking sections. Even if no one is smoking they still stink. If you're so addicted that you can't make it 45 minutes to an hour without a cigarette why not just walk out to your car and puff on your cancer stick? The ones that annoy me are my coworkers who think they're following the rules and/or doing the non-smokers a favor by going outside to smoke but standing 10 feet away from five wide-open garage doors. The damn smoke just blows inside and I think I inhale more than they do. I can't think of too many addictions that have such a blatantly aggressive and obviously negative effect on the innocent bystander than smoking. Alcoholics don't force you to take a sip of booze every time theyknock one back. Flying pieces of cake don't accidentally land in your mouth when food addicts are stuffing their faces, meanwhile smokers are pissed because we are supposedly infringing on their right to smoke. What about my right to breathe smoke-free air?

I agree, if bars or resaurants can do better business without catering to smokers, by all means do it, I just have a problem with anti smoking legislation.  On the surface your argument about the alcohal & cake flying through the air seems to make sense, that is until you factor in the massive drain on the health & insurance system bore by everyone for their "unintrusive" personal eating and drinking habits. What about the unfair burden put upon law enforcement, the judicial system and the moral standards of America because of drinking, drugs, pornography and homosexuality? No, I'm not a radical 19th century right wing nut, & I am also far from perfect (I have an overeating problem, but it falls upon me and me alone to fix that) I just believe fair is fair & you cant legislate laws against one vice without addressing all of them...Bull, I know you have probably experianced personal pain because of tobacco, my father too died one month ago from cancer, although I'm not sure if his smoking years ago really played a part (he stopped in the early 80's) Yea, I'd rather not smell smoke if I dont have to, but I'm just not going to go into a tizzy fit everytime someone lights up in my presence, I can walk away most of the time. Point is, we have to be just in dealing with them all in my opinion 

Pointing out the evils of two or three other addictions does not minimize the evils of smoking, especially when it has such an obviously negative effect on bystanders. An obese person eating cake at the next table or a drunk taking shots at the bar does not cause immediate and/or long lasting health problems to those nearby. I might be disgusting and it might smell bad but it will not kill you and make your clothing reek. I was using the other addictions as an example of smoking's overt harm to those in the vicinity to those who smoke. There are many societal problems associated with the effects of drinking and overeating but none of them are so negative and long-lasting to those who are nearby them at work or in a restaurant. You can legislate against smoking because it does have an obvious and immediate effect to those who breathe air on a regular basis.

[Shakey]

If smoking is that bad for people and society why doesn't the Government make it illegal?

Is the answer because they generate so much revenue from the taxes?

I don't think they really want everyone to quit smoking.

[hemihead]

I usually don't even bother with restaurants that have smoking sections. Even if no one is smoking they still stink. If you're so addicted that you can't make it 45 minutes to an hour without a cigarette why not just walk out to your car and puff on your cancer stick? The ones that annoy me are my coworkers who think they're following the rules and/or doing the non-smokers a favor by going outside to smoke but standing 10 feet away from five wide-open garage doors. The damn smoke just blows inside and I think I inhale more than they do. I can't think of too many addictions that have such a blatantly aggressive and obviously negative effect on the innocent bystander than smoking. Alcoholics don't force you to take a sip of booze every time theyknock one back. Flying pieces of cake don't accidentally land in your mouth when food addicts are stuffing their faces, meanwhile smokers are pissed because we are supposedly infringing on their right to smoke. What about my right to breathe smoke-free air?

I agree, if bars or resaurants can do better business without catering to smokers, by all means do it, I just have a problem with anti smoking legislation.  On the surface your argument about the alcohal & cake flying through the air seems to make sense, that is until you factor in the massive drain on the health & insurance system bore by everyone for their "unintrusive" personal eating and drinking habits. What about the unfair burden put upon law enforcement, the judicial system and the moral standards of America because of drinking, drugs, pornography and homosexuality? No, I'm not a radical 19th century right wing nut, & I am also far from perfect (I have an overeating problem, but it falls upon me and me alone to fix that) I just believe fair is fair & you cant legislate laws against one vice without addressing all of them...Bull, I know you have probably experianced personal pain because of tobacco, my father too died one month ago from cancer, although I'm not sure if his smoking years ago really played a part (he stopped in the early 80's) Yea, I'd rather not smell smoke if I dont have to, but I'm just not going to go into a tizzy fit everytime someone lights up in my presence, I can walk away most of the time. Point is, we have to be just in dealing with them all in my opinion 

Pointing out the evils of two or three other addictions does not minimize the evils of smoking, especially when it has such an obviously negative effect on bystanders. An obese person eating cake at the next table or a drunk taking shots at the bar does not cause immediate and/or long lasting health problems to those nearby. I might be disgusting and it might smell bad but it will not kill you and make your clothing reek. I was using the other addictions as an example of smoking's overt harm to those in the vicinity to those who smoke. There are many societal problems associated with the effects of drinking and overeating but none of them are so negative and long-lasting to those who are nearby them at work or in a restaurant. You can legislate against smoking because it does have an obvious and immediate effect to those who breathe air on a regular basis.

Ok , you say that people were smoking outside your work? Try to factor in the parts per million of air and the parts per million of cigarette smoke in the air? Hmmm, kind of gets drasically reduced.I am more worried about some of the other things in the air that everyone's breathing.
And you say someone taking a few shots at the bar has no immediate and/ or long lasting health problems?Tell that to the thousands of people and there loved ones that are killed or injured on our highways every year.I never heard of anyone smoking too much and killing someone on the road.And I never heard of someone smoking too much and beating their wife and kids or shooting the neighbor.
The only one a smoker is really hurting is themself.The second hand smoke theory was just hype that was thought up by non smoking advocates and all the non smokers spout that theory like verses from the bible.
I'm sorry but I don't tell anyone how to live their life even when it does affect me.This is suppose to be America.

[psykicpup]

unless I'm wrong..... these cartoon were not aim at kids when they were writen in the 50's or there abouts - they were aimed at the adult cinema going public as light enertainment.... feel free to correct me here.....

[Johnny SixPack]

unless I'm wrong..... these cartoon were not aim at kids when they were writen in the 50's or there abouts - they were aimed at the adult cinema going public as light enertainment.... feel free to correct me here.....

Bingo!

The WB cartoons of the "40s and "50s were geared towards an adult audience. 

[CaptMarvel]

Pointing out the evils of two or three other addictions does not minimize the evils of smoking, especially when it has such an obviously negative effect on bystanders. An obese person eating cake at the next table or a drunk taking shots at the bar does not cause immediate and/or long lasting health problems to those nearby. I might be disgusting and it might smell bad but it will not kill you and make your clothing reek. I was using the other addictions as an example of smoking's overt harm to those in the vicinity to those who smoke. There are many societal problems associated with the effects of drinking and overeating but none of them are so negative and long-lasting to those who are nearby them at work or in a restaurant. You can legislate against smoking because it does have an obvious and immediate effect to those who breathe air on a regular basis.

Sorry Bull, I often agree with you but not this time. I think all of the cited vices have a big affect on everyone on this world. Still, I dont think we need to legislate them (even the ones I have a real big problem with!) because I also believe that we come to this world with inherant freedoms that I dont believe should be taken from us by tyrants(another reason I dont like the way the terrorists and liberals do business) I'd love to see many of these "scourages on society" dissapear, but only through the changing of peoples way of thinking and their moral focusing. I belive that we have existing laws for many of these already if only we'd use them more effectivley. I do think that skyrocketing insurance costs thanks to the fatties, smokers, & lushes, idiot drunk drivers headed towards us in the night & the sexual perverts hanging around kids gathering places proves that these are all big problems for everyone, not just the non smoker. The trouble is, where do you stop with anti vice legislation?  If I like to collect old comic books, will that be on the hit list someday because of some left leaning, paper hating, enviro nut job says its bad for society? I think most of us are  wise enough to understand what the real threats are, but then again people amaze me everday....

[Lowprofile]