Smoking Lobby Smokers Rights

Smoking Bans :: RE: Louisiana For Fair Tobacco Reform

This bill thankfully died by a HUGE margin in the Louisiana House earlier this year(albeit it unfortunately passed the Louisiana Senate, so many cheers to Louisiana House lawmakers!

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/47486007.html?index=1&c=y

I wish this group luck in trying to fight a tobacco tax increase, which unfortunately I believe is still alive in their legislature....

Smokers Rights :: RE: Fight the Proposed California Cigarette Tax Increase: $1.50

dumpstermcnuggets wrote:

Least there are states out there that still have some semblance of smoking freedom, such as Michigan, Texas, South Carolina, and of course Missouri(for Midwesterners)! Sad Wisconsin is trending away from being a state like this, with a statewide ban going into effect next year, and an upcoming 75 cent cigarette hike(on top of a $1 hike 11/2 years ago).

The way you describe your location is really funny: "Health Fascism Capital of the Midwest, Illinois." I would have thought Illinois would be more like Indiana and Kentucky since there are a lot of small towns scattered across long, boring stretches of farmland. You do have "Oprah" in Chicago, though, so maybe that explains it.

Smoking Bans :: RE: Six Flags amusement files chapter 11

garhkal wrote:

And imo it is more than 20% of the pop that smokes.

It's VERY EASILY over 20%, especially if you count those who smoke socially, and not regularly! If you also count those people, we easily make closer to 25%-30% in many states, and probably over 33% in states with the highest smoking rates(i.e. Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, etc.).

Smokers Rights :: RE: Fight the Proposed California Cigarette Tax Increase: $1.50

Vickie wrote:

This is just one more reason why I dearly HATE California. I am proud to say that I refused to go on a trip with my husband to California because it would have added $$$ to their economy. I would rather save and go to Europe anyway. Phfffft.

That's completely awesome you did that! There are some states I wouldn't travel to either, even if someone tried to make me go there, such as Washington state, Maine, and Arizona.

Least there are states out there that still have some semblance of smoking freedom, such as Michigan, Texas, South Carolina, and of course Missouri(for Midwesterners)! Sad Wisconsin is trending away from being a state like this, with a statewide ban going into effect next year, and an upcoming 75 cent cigarette hike(on top of a $1 hike 11/2 years ago).

Smoke-friendly Resources :: RE: Is This Depression normal? after giving up smoking?

This is off topic but as long as the discussion is centering around the elderly...

I swung into Fleet Farm the other day on the way home from work to pick up some golf balls. Got in line to pay and there is an elderly black gentleman in front of me buying, of all things, a box of .22 rounds.

I was in a bit of a hurry 'cause I had a tee time to make and this gentleman is fumbling around for change, etc. The cashier asks him for ID as they do when you buy ammunition. The fella was apparently a little hard of hearing and the cashier had to ask about 3 times. He finally understood and he mumbled something to the cashier that I couldn't understand, showed him his ID, finally completed the transaction and went on his way.

I move up and set my purchase on the counter and the cashier (young guy...maybe 20) is intently watching the elderly gentleman walk towards the exit. Then the cashier looks at me and says, incredulously, "That guy is 98 years old". I said, "What?" He says, "Yeah, when I asked him for his ID, he told me he couldn't understand why I needed ID 'cause he was 98. I didn't believe him til I looked at his ID, but he is. He's 98 years old."

When I walked out, the gentleman was about 30 paces in front of me, moving a little slow but not too bad. He was by himself so he was apparently driving and if I hadn't been in a bit of a rush I would've stuck around to see him drive away...for no other reason than he was 98 years old.

Maybe he lit up a Lucky as soon as he got in his vehicle.

Smoke-friendly Resources :: RE: Is This Depression normal? after giving up smoking?

Pete Gatti wrote:

I'm now taking care of my mom age 89, since my dad died age 96. Both life long smokers who quit in their late 60's. Reason for quitting? Not health, a dollar a pack was too much to pay.

That is so funny. I can honestly say money was never enough of a motivating factor to make me quit. In fact, when the government tries to control my behavior by making my cigs more expensive, I just become that much more determined to rebel and find a way to keep smoking, no matter what.

My mother is 91 and is in good physical shape, but her short term memory is gone. She never smoked or drank or engaged in any form of risky behavior. She claims that she never became a smoker because she got ill when she tried her first cigarette.

My dad died at age 72. He quit smoking and drinking before I was born, but never gave up his Skoals snuff and eventually returned to sneaking shots of whiskey after retirement, in order to squelch his anxiety over health problems.

Out of their four children, three became regular smokers and one temporarily took up smoking, but easily gave it up. One sister is a chain smoker, and I used to be a chain smoker the first 10 years, but I never went back to that level after quitting.

I found a little program you can run where you look at video clips of family members being interviewed about their smoking behavior, and then you guess which genes they inherited. As you go along, you build a little family tree based on smoking behavior.

It's sort of interesting, if you want to look at it:

http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/addiction/genetics/pi.html

Smokers Rights :: RE: Sin Taxes and Indulgences

runamok wrote:

I don't even know what state you are in but apparently it does not have a statewide ban yet. It would be helpful if you could find out what sort of restaurant associations or whatever, exist there that I could contact and try and convince them that funding the battle in SD would be in their best interest down the road.

I live right on the Kentucky/Indiana border. Neither of those two states has a statewide smoking ban, although some local governments have passed them.

I did a little research and came up with the following information, if it helps.

Indiana Restaurant Association: http://www.indianarestaurants.org/

Indiana Hotel and Lodging Association: http://www.indianahotels.org/

Indiana Bed and Breakfast Association: http://www.indianabedandbreakfast.org/

Indiana Licensed Beverage Association: http://www.indianalba.com/

Kentucky Restaurant Association: http://www.kyra.org

Bed and Breakfast Association of Kentucky: http://www.kentuckybb.com/

Kentucky Hotel and Lodging Association: http://www.kyhotellodging.com/

List of Biker-friendly bars, restaurants and liquor stores in Kentucky: http://www.bars4bikers.com/ky.html

It's hard to figure out what business associations include bars, because the keywords "bar association" pull up the attorneys' bar associations.

Smoking Bans :: RE: Banning SMOKERS, not smoking!

Funny they never say how bad second hand drinking is.People die faster by second hand drunk, than by second hand smoke.This hole second hand somke thing is a bunch of hipe.So then they need to stop mec dee and buger king from sending out smokeOh and how about the gas at the pumps no one say a thing about the ethanal are what fumes from gas cause's.

Smokers Rights :: RE: Sin Taxes and Indulgences

libertarian99 wrote:

What kind of help do you need, anyway? Does a person have to travel to SD to support your effort?

I read the challenge to the petition and it seems like it would be easy enough to register people to vote, if the reason their signature is being challenged is voter registration. What does that take, filling out a post card and turning it in?

I don't even know what kind of help I may need yet. I'm still feeling my way around looking for individuals and organizations who are willing to spend some time putting together a coalition of sorts.

Ultimately, I'll be looking for business owners from all over the country who would be willing to support, both morally and financially, an all-out effort to defeat anti in the state of South Dakota.

I don't even know what state you are in but apparently it does not have a statewide ban yet. It would be helpful if you could find out what sort of restaurant associations or whatever, exist there that I could contact and try and convince them that funding the battle in SD would be in their best interest down the road.

And no, I'm not looking for anyone to travel to SD. If this ever gets off the ground I may go there to meet with people but it's not that far for me. I'm in Minnesota.

I think most of the work that would need to be done could be done from your keyboard. Understand that I haven't even been in touch with the coalition in SD as of yet and I don't plan to until this petition is finally validated. If it ends up getting thrown out, well, the game is over before it even starts.

Bottom line is, I don't know what the hell I'm even doing yet. I just know that posting clever comments here and elsewhere isn't changing anything. I need to take some action and this SD thing seems like the right fight to get involved in.

Smoking Bans :: RE: Banning SMOKERS, not smoking!

I think it is the opposite, since they are wanting to put MORE taxes on their smokes, thereby forcing more to get them out of state.

Smoke-friendly Resources :: RE: Is This Depression normal? after giving up smoking?

libertarian99 wrote:

Living a smokefree lifestyle was fun and rewarding for me at first, when I had a sense of accomplishment and felt like I had conquered something. I managed to quit smoking when I was a 26-year-old newlywed who believed life was always going to be grand and exciting and full of reward. At that time, I got all excited about my new exercise program. I started eating right. I thought my life would be a cakewalk from there on out.

My brain was revved up from all the love chemicals I had floating around in there. I'm not making that up. MRIs reveal that a person's brain is actually in an altered state for the first two years of a relationship. Modifying my behavior in ways that would have once made me feel deprived now seemed challenging and fun and well worth the trouble, considering the shiny, brand new life I was getting in return for my sacrifice.

Years later, as a divorced, bored, middle-aged person working a dead-end job and taking care of an elderly parent, living a smokefree lifestyle just didn't appeal to me any more. "The rest of your life" is a long, long time. I firmly believe that older people have earned the privilege of smoking in peace, if it cheers them up after all the hoopla of youth is over.

And they say nicotine is addictive? It's a piece of cake compared to love juice. But it can't be any ol' love juice, it's the one formulated by a special someone just for you. Love addiction!

When I quit smoking it was about a couple years after my last divorce, I always kept myself physically fit so maybe that's why I didn't feel any payoff for my effort. As for a sense of accomplishment, I've done so many challenging things in life that had a much better payoff than quitting. If I should die tomorrow, I would have no regrets, my life was a full and interesting one.

I'm now taking care of my mom age 89, since my dad died age 96. Both life long smokers who quit in their late 60's. Reason for quitting? Not health, a dollar a pack was too much to pay.

Smokers Rights :: RE: Sin Taxes and Indulgences

runamok wrote:

Complacency and resignation are certainly rampant but, ya never know. Maybe enough business owners and their organizations in states without bans have finally wised up to what's coming their way if they don't get a little more pro-active. Seems to me it would be much better to fight the enemy in someone elses state than to have that messy and expensive squabbling close to home.

We don't have a ban yet, in the little boring town where I live. I think it helps if you live in a small, rinky-dink place where there is nothing much else to do. Take away our convenience store cigarettes and there's not much left.

I'm not going to say where I live, because that would probably alert the antis and trigger an attack.

What kind of help do you need, anyway? Does a person have to travel to SD to support your effort?

I read the challenge to the petition and it seems like it would be easy enough to register people to vote, if the reason their signature is being challenged is voter registration. What does that take, filling out a post card and turning it in?

Smoke-friendly Resources :: RE: Is This Depression normal? after giving up smoking?

Pete Gatti wrote:

I quit for a year back in '87. No depression cause it wasn't all that hard to quit. The thing is, after being a smoker for almost my entire life, being a non smoker felt so blah. It just wasn't me. The me I've always known wasn't entirely me anymore. I guess the best way to explain this would be if I had to give up my life long affair of drinking coffee for tea. I wouldn't feel like an American any more, I'd feel like a Brit. Not that there's anything wrong with Brits mine you, but it just isn't me.

For some of us, smoking is a life style. It is a part of who we are.

Smoke-friendly Resources :: RE: Is This Depression normal? after giving up smoking?

Depression is normal when giving up smoking using Chantix/Champix - it's even written on the side-effect now with a 'black-box' warning.

The most disturbing side effect of those medications is Suicide - that's wicked Depressing....

Smoke-friendly Resources :: RE: eCig Advice

Head over to e-cigarette-forum, lots of information on how to take care of your e-cig.