Smokers vs. nonsmokers Poll. Where do you stand?

smoker, desperatly trying to become non-smoker. I try again this saturday.

Non-smoker. This is an interesting topic, and one I am quite torn about as I think you willl see. I have a friend who died last year of lung cancer after being a smoker for decades. I miss him very much. Moderateman, I applaud your attempt to become a non-smoker, so this quote should in no way be construed as telling you to continue smoking.

"Tobacco-smoking apparently provides some protection against the onset of Parkinson's disease (Karolinska Institute of Sweden)." From Chuck Shepherd's News of the Weird http://www.newsoftheweird.com/archive/nw050417.html

I don't really know how to feel about bans on smoking in public places. As someone who up until a year ago lived in Los Angeles, we are pretty used to bans on smoking. However, though smoking is quite bad for you it is not illegal. I can imagine that some smokers probably feel like criminals when these days the only place they can smoke is at home! And yet, second hand smoke is bad for others too...

While I believe very strongly in personal responsibility and making your own choices, even bad ones, it does seem to me that smoking is bad for more than just the smoker. In light of that fact, I guess I support bans on smoking in many places indoors. Perhaps even all of them, though I'm curious to hear what arguments others may make regarding smoking bans in bars.

Good Luck MM!!!!

Cordelia: I feel like the owners should be able to make the decision of whether they allow amoking instead of having the government tell them that they can't decide. Then people who don't want to be exposed to that enviroment can chose to go to a place that doesn't allow smoking. But if I were in your shoes, maybe my opinion would be different.

I'm a smoker. I know it's stupid. I don't think that anyone else should be inflicted with my stupidity.

I support a ban on smoking in enclosed areas. If that means that I have to go out into the freezing cold to have a fag, then so be it. If I want one that badly, I'll have it and I'll deal. Having a non-smoking section is like having a non-peeing section in a pool (great quote, but can't remember who's it is).

However, there is still the charm of a smoky bar and being able to sit in comfort over a few pints, smoking a few fags. I'd hate to lose that privilege, but I'd understand why it was taken away.

As for out door areas, I think that should be free reign. As long as people are considerate smokers, anyway (not smoking around children, blowing smoke away from other people, putting their butts in the bin... like that happens!)

Being one of the baddies myself I could still write a huge article about the things that piss me off about other smokers. It will be interesting to see the reaction to this article!

Suz xxx

I smoke. FYI, scientists have never been able to give mice lung cancer through cigarette smoke. Never. If you know of a test where they were able to, please post the link. Cancer can be blamed on the Trinity Test of 1945.

I smoke. FYI, scientists have never been able to give mice lung cancer through cigarette smoke.

Why would it matter? If smokers die of lung cancer more often than people who don't, why would it matter if mice (who are not the same as humans) get lung cancer from smoking?  What about pigs and primates?

I smoke, but i'm considerate of others who don't. I don't smoke in my house either. I actually quit for 6 years but stress made me go back to the coffin nails. I'm going to quit again, this time with my Doc's help. Xyban and Rx patches.

Non Smoker here!

First let me say that I think smoking is about the most stupid thing a person could do. I mean, really.. "Hey guys, let's suck a few hundred poisonous gasses into our lungs.. It'll be fun.. really, it will!! The people I laugh at most are people who smoke at Earth Day and other "Save the Planet" type celebration/demonstrations. "Clean up the Air, but don't make me!!!" ;~D

No Reiki, it doesn't surprise me that you smoke. Furthermore, it doesn't surprise me a bit that you are clueless that 1 + 2 = 3. I don't need a lab mouse test to tell me that smoking is slow suicide anymore than I need one to know that if I swallow a uranium rock, I'll die of radiation poisoning.

That being said....

As most here at JU know, I think everything should be controlled at the lowest jurisdiction possible. Smoking is legal, therefore the decision to smoke or not to is open to personal choice. However, since behavior laws are about how we are to each other, the personal choice thing doesn't quite cover it. Smoking on your own property shouldn't be a question. Since it's legal, be my guest.

Since the city/county, state and federal government are all in charge of setting policy for their respective properties, the decision for smoking on public property should be left to the jurisdiction that governs it.

That leaves businesses. First of all, states and the fed do not issue business licenses, cities and counties do. Therefore, Fed and State SHUT UP!! If cities and counties want to ban smoking in public areas, they issue the licenses, so there is justification to do so.

The owner of the business should have the most say on whether or not they want to cater to a smoking clientele. Let the business owners make the call, and let the market decide whether it's a sound business decision or not.

And smokers. If you do choose to frequent businesses that allow smoking, and you happen to get lung cancer, don't blow the whole "personal choice" thing by whining to a lawyer and a judge. Suing a business for allowing you to smoke only proves to those who are against personal choice that you are too childish to make choices and too stupid to live.

Seems like I opened up a can of worms. Oh, and Reiki, there are tests that show that it can. Here is one I found online.
Link

since there has been a spate of "ban this and that" articles going around I propose banning cigs from american shores. imagine just in health costs how much that would save.

I can pick it up and put it down as I want to.

When D deployed again, I smoked a pack in a week, and then decided I didn't want to do it anymore, so I stopped.

I'm starting to have cravings again now though....

If we shutdown the cigarette makers, who is going to hire all of the workers who will be out of work? Not to mention the farmers who will go bankrupt. Plus, we will just end up with bootleggers that run tobacco instead of alcohol.
After all we are talking a major industry.

I am a nicotine addict of the highest magnitude. I quit cold turkey over 7 years ago. I know one puff and I'm back to my full blown addiction as if I never stopped.

I don't care if they ban them or not, I just know they're not for me.

I don't smoke and don't like to be around it at all.