This thread is not too bad yet I thought it would get heated…

I still say nobody but the owner has any right to decide if an establishment will allow smoking or not. If an establishment did allow smoking and it bothered people, or in referree54’s case, triggered an attack on one of his children, then you don’t go to that establishment, it’s really quite simple, you vote with your wallet…

I am a smoker and to be honest if I ever opened my own establishment there would be NO smoking because, in my opinion, other then a bar, there is no reason to smoke indoors. I don’t even smoke in my house, I go to the garage or outside, but again that’s my choice and if I owned my own establishment my choice would be NO smoking so I could make more money and be a very evil conservative living the American dream of making bundles of cash and never giving any of it, voluntarily, to the useless and lazy…

 

Cancer caused by second hand smoke HAS NEVER been diagnosed in a non smoking house, which translates into the only way you will get cancer from second hand smoke is from long term exposure. If you spend that much time in a restaurant I think you would be more likely to die from heart failure brought on by obesity than cancer.

I beg to differ. Not long ago (like less than a year), a waitress, who has never smoked and none of her household ever smoked, recently died from lung cancer, which was diagnosed as being brought on from 2nd hand smoke. It was a big news item, and was eventually made into an anti-smoking commercial, with her as the spokesperson.
:santa:

 

I agree, it should be the right of the owner to decide if there is smoking or no smoking. There was a smoking law passed in Lincoln that upset quite a few business owners. I remember seeing on the news one owner of a cafe bought an old bus, set up tables and seating in it, parked it out back, and this allows the smokers to still go there and smoke while hanging out.
I also think restaurants dont need to have smoking in them, if they think they MUST, it better have a separate area for the smokers. Bars are fine with me-its a bar, it just goes hand in hand to me.

Back when I used to smoke quite a bit, the smoke still bothered me if it wasnt from my cigarette-thats why I hating walking into a restaurant and having smokers all over. Same reason out of courtesy I never smoked indoors except for a bar, or someones house where they smoked and allowed it inside-Im sure other people think the same way, I try not to be an Ahole.

On a side note this thread is making me want to light up. Been smoke free during the weekdays for about a month now, just a few when Im drinking on the weekends now-shame on you guys. I think I want a smoke now lol

 

I think banning smoking in restaurants is a good idea. Let's face it, cigarette smoke is considered a pollutant, therefore the government does have to get involved. How about the employees that work but don't smoke?? You might say..."then don't work there", but then that becomes an EOE issue. The employer has to provide a safe work environment and the government has to oversee the employers. You can't say it is not the governments job to tell private business owners what to do because it has for decades and usually it had to do with health and safety issues. What if someone wants to bring their dog in a restaurant to eat?? The government says that is a health issue, therefore it is not allowed. That dog might just lie there and not bother anyone, but I don't want to be eating at the next table.

One of the cities nearby just passed a no smoking ordinance except in private clubs, ie. VFW, etc. Well, a lot of the locally owned bars and restaurants are applying for "club" status. Members have to pay $10.00/ year and they know that going in they will be able to smoke and be exposed to second hand smoke. This is how they are getting around it.

 

I say ban it everywhere. It is a disguting thing that us that HATE IT have to deal with because some of you a-holes are "addicted" and cant go without smoking. Tough ****, ban it everywhere! Its sad when one has to depend on a drug to stimulate themselves and "relieve stress" by smoking when it just puts stress on other that dont smoke. Its freaking disgusting!

 

First of all smoking was banned in restaurants in Mesa Arizona, then Tempe, and on to Gilbert & Chandler. Then not only restaurants, it went on to Businesses, and public places. I don't know about your state, but in Arizona, you can only smoke in the privacy of your Home, and Vehicle. And look out, I don't want to smell your smoke, at a stoplight, so your car smoking is next.
But in all honesty, No one really cares about smokers rights, you don't have any in Arizona, sorry about your state.

I am a former smoker, but the taxes were getting way too out of hand to continue. Oh BTW, Arizona just added another $.80 tax to a pack. That puts a carton at close to $50.00

 

Hopefully your don't drink any kind of alcohol and hopefully your not fat and smelly because I want those things banned from everywhere as well. I hope you don’t own a cell phone and then use it anywhere other then your private home as I want cell phones banned from everywhere since they are a major health hazard for everyone around.

People using cell phones in public and vehicles while driving are some of the most disgusting people you will ever see on a scale of 1 – 10, 10 being worst people using cell phones in public and vehicles while driving are a 10 when it comes to disgusting while those who smoke might rate a 3…

Having to see serious fat people completely disgust me especially when they have to use electric carts in shopping markets because they are to damn lazy to exercise and would rather stuff their mouth full of crap to help with “stress”…

You see my friend, the list goes on and on and smokers would be way towards the bottom when it comes to disgusting and health hazards…

 

Dont smoke, dont drink, not fat, do however have a cellular phone. Seeing it as cell phones dont kill anybody, such as smoking does, IE: your black lungs, the huge gobs of **** you caugh up every morning, etc.

No my friends, cellphones do not cause brain cancer. Smoking does however cause lung cancer.

Can you be killed by someone using a cellphone? Yes. By irresponsible people driving down the road and being distracted.

 

Unfortunately, too many smokers lack common courtesy.

 

How about smokers throwing their butts out the window. Isn't that littering??

Oh wait, that is their right so that their cars don't smell inside. Oh wait, it already smells inside so what is the point of tossing it out the window??


I hate that.

 

The problem is that in many family restaurants, there are "smoking" and "non-smoking" areas. Nothing separates them or keeps the smoke/odors in or out. I don't take my family to "Smitty's Bar and Grill", but I do take them to Max and Erma's, TGI Friday's, Bennigan's, or Applebee's. When my family and I go out, we like to enjoy our food smoke and odor free. If there was enclosed room for smokers. fine; say what one will about second hand smoke---common courtesy would indicate that these restaurants---which try to be "Family" businesses, should be non smoking environments.

I agree with what Jefferson said---"The government governs best that governs the least"---but until common courtesy is back in vogue and greed (that of RJ Reynolds et. al.) is diminished, it is, unfortunately, necessary for governments to take action for the good of all (and I do believe that non-smokers are certaily now in the majority.)

 

and i do it wherever the hell i want

 

i agree with vader,it should be up to the owner of the place to decide everything.less gov't is better,but thats not what we are asking for as a nation is it?if smoking is so bad for everybody,then why is it still legal at all.personally,i'de like to see them illegalize the manufacturing of prerolled tobacco.that would be enough for me.then smokin wouldn't be such a problem.and by the way,has a smoker ever died of second hand smoke?

 

It ain't about smokers lacking common courtesy because there are tens of thousands more people who don't smoke that don't have common courtesy especially a big majority of cell phone users who don't know when to shut up and stop yacking while driving, walking in a mall, at the movies, and at restaurants...

Personally I think if people were "really" serious about "health" issues (a.k.a. DEATH) they would outlaw the use of cell phones while driving and the first offense would result in the min. of 5 years in prison, second offense 10 years, and third offense (3 strikes your out) life in prision...

And yes, a huge amount of cell phone users, more then all the smokers, are more dangerous then smokers and they are worse then drunk drivers...

 

I do believe smoking is dangerous as well as drinking but society really don’t give a crap about either as they both produce HUGE sums of cash for local, state, and the federal government…

Second hand smoke is not any more dangerous for non-smokers then an old fat lady pounding out a hefty fart in the middle of a supermarket. I mean damn many of the chemicals used for cleaning your bathrooms is MUCH more dangerous for ones health then second hand smoke…