for your rights on Oct 09, 2009 3:37 pm

I agree that the government should not be able to ban smoking in public places and you should be able to blow smoke in my face. However, I also believe I should be able to piss on your feet in public places. Why should the pisser end in up in jail and not the smoker? When it is the smoker who would actually cause physical harm?

CC on Jul 14, 2008 7:36 pm

I'd like to comment on the following quote from this article,

"And if you don't think the government should have the right to tell you what you can eat, then the government should not have the right to tell you where you can smoke, either."

From a government standpoint, if you choose to harm yourself; so be it. However, the government is obligated to step in when you are causing harm to other people in order to maintain general welfare. There has been such a fuss that the government is now obligated to step in, or else face the scrutiny of being accused of not taking action. Of course, none of us want the government telling us what we can do, however, as citizens of the United States, one must realize that it is expected that you must subject to laws that may infringe (not greatly) on your personal rights to ensure the maintenance of the general welfare.

Before you nod me off as another "anti", I would like to put it out there that I am a smoker. I am however, a considerate smoker. I don't mind stepping outside and I certainly would not smoke around children. Although I agree with a need for a minimal ban in enclosed areas (restaurants, malls, stores, kid-friendly places), I do not agree that these bans have been set up to not include any sort of designated smoking area. That would be one "rant" of mine on the smoking ban; however, it is not the biggest rant I can think of when it comes to the smoking ban. It was one thing to ban smoking in restaurants; understandable. I have kids and I have encountered some of the most inconsiderate smokers who will blow smoke right in your face while you are pregnant. Those inconsiderate smokers are the ones I blame the most for the smoking bans being started.

Bars are a place for adults, not children. I go to a bar not for my health, as agreed in the above article. It is simply a place to relax, listen to music, eat some hot wings, down a few beers, and yes, smoke all the cigarettes I can before I have to go back to being on mommy patrol. I think it is absolutely ludacris to ban smoking in bars. However, I have to agree with the annoying anti's on the restaurants. Restaurants are frequented by a vast array of clients. That includes families with yes, kids. As a mother of a child with asthma, it is a hassle to find a restaurant in my area that doesn't allow smoking. More of a hassle than it would be for smokers to simply step outside.

"Therefore, a substantial majority of restaurants don't even allow smoking indoors, so there is no real threat to being subjected to secondhand smoking."

I'm not sure what area you are from, but in my state (South Carolina) the majority of restaurants allow smoking so it is a problem trying to find a family-friendly environment short of going to Chuck E Cheese-and let's be honest no one over the age of 12 ever wants to subject themselves to the torture of that.

"Why not start attacking fast food or advocate a ban on trans fat like New York City has done? Why not fight for taxes on Twinkies and other junk food?"

I find that statement to be an extreme reaction. But instead of changing the subject and pointing the blame finger at some other health issue, lets just focus on the one at hand. Trust me there is an attack on fast food. The problem being that if you choose to eat junk food-you know the risks and you are harming yourself-the people sitting around you can't "catch" the effects of the junk. Different scenario altogether.

Although I could go on, smoking bans are here, and they are going into effect left and right. If you feel strongly about it either way, I encourage you go to the city council meetings when the ban is proposed in your area.

dumpstermcnuggets on Jul 06, 2007 12:19 am

Beautifully written article! I also agree with linkup, and hope that one of her lifelong goals too, as a lawyer, is to fight back against smoking bans, and for business owners that want to allow smoking.

I sometimes wonder if more Americans saw well-written articles such as hers, if there'd be less public support for smoking bans..... (and that antis would start shutting up for once, and finally, leaving the minority of business owners allowing smoking alone)