by Junction-Guy 24 Replies latest social current
Being a non-smoker I'm always glad to hear about this.
Politically though, I guess I wish that it would be handled more like what reneeisorym mentioned, the city or state makes a law that allows restaurants to ban smoking, and gives them some teeth to keep assholes from challenging their rules. That way, a restaurant would have the choice whether or not to be a smoking or non-smoking facility, and the end choice would be up to the consumer as to what restaurant to frequent.
Smoking is banned here too................they had banned it in Tacoma (a city South of us) for all indoor establishments, including the Indian casinos. That lasted about a month, and was repealed. Evidently they can't dictate what the Indians do.
At all restaurants, bar, hospitals, businesses, everywhere...............smoking has to be done 25 feet away from the entrance. Most places have set up a bench and an ash receptacle.
I agree, it should be a personal choice. Although, I prefer not having a smoky restaurant. At the casinos, they still can smoke in the restaurants, but it isn't too bad.
If we avoided doing anything because correlation doesn't prove causation, we wouldn't administer chemotherapy because we can't prove it causes remission of cancer. We wouldn't have airbags because we can't prove they decrease injury. We wouldn't take measles vaccinations because we can't prove they prevent measles. etc., etc. In the real world, we base most of our decisions on correlation.
I am actually working on a public health project to enact no smoking policies, and I am not a geek that no one listened to. It just happens to be my job.
There is no need for any US municipality or state to enact a law saying organizations can eliminate smoking on their grounds, because they are already legally allowed to do that. There is no legal right to smoke, so prohibiting smoking does not violate any law. There is a legal right to breathe smoke free air though, and organizations, landlords, etc. are all legally culpable for disease caused by breathing secondhand smoke.
I realize it is easy to think this is not important; I used to think that before I read and analyzed the overwhelming amount of scientific evidence that proves the danger of breathing even small amounts of tobacco smoke, as indicated by the US Surgeon General earlier this year.
Secondhand smoke causes the death of over 60,000 nonsmokers in the US each year, and disease in many others. It costs $6 billion annually to treat illness caused by secondhand smoke. http://www.actuary.org/pdf/health/smoking_oct06.pdf
It is an extreme oversimplification to claim that anyone who wants smoke free air is some sort of anti-smoker Nazi. That is just not true, and it's a myth created and perpetuated by the tobacco industry.
It is just about protecting the rights and health of the nonsmokers. People shouldn't have to breathe other people's smoke.
Toronto has had a complete smoking ban for a few years now. There is no smoking in any public buildings, malls, restaurants, bars, etc. If bars/restaurants want a smoking section, it has to be completely self-contained and separate from the main area and well-ventilated.
Personally, I'm happy about it. Dying of second-hand smoke would be a waste.
tall penguin
The entire state of Ohio is now smoke free in public places.They passed a law in November.The only problem with it is they didn't write into the law how to enforce this new law or who can enforce it.So for now the law is in effect but it can't be enforced.At least until June when they should figure it out.
Rebel8 I think you should try to get a ban on perfume and floor waxers and other inhalants. I know that they cause severe reactions in many people and that they also can cause cancer. You think you can keep the hospitals from waxing the floor? I use to hate that. They always did it on my shift.
I don't really know what type of response you are seeking with the comment about the perfume.
Fragrances are now used in almost every cleaning, laundry, and personal-care product on the market. Since people have been using perfumes for hundreds of years. It’s reasonable to wonder why the problem of using scents has surfaced only recently. Until the 20th century, perfumes were made from natural ingredients derived directly from plants and animals, and as fragrances became cheaper and more widespread, they also became more synthetic. The National Academy of Sciences reports that 95% of the chemicals used in fragrances today are synthetic compounds derived from petroleum, including known toxins capable of causing cancer, birth defects, central nervous system disorders and allergic reactions. We have been brainwashed by the industry to feel we must cover up our natural scents with toxic chemicals. Many of the same chemicals in perfumes are the same chemicals that are in cigarette smoke.
Here in my state one city has banned all public smoking and second hand smoke. So this ban includes a prohibition against smoking in ones own backyard lest any second hand smoke annoy a neighbor in their yard.
Anewme
Do you know that everybody in my family smoked? EVERYBODY! Mom, Dad, Aunts, Uncles, Grandma, Grandpa, cousins. I grew up in a smoker's home. My mom, an alcoholic, would command me to get my ass over to her purse and get her cigarrettes. Thats how she talked to her little girl.
Anyway, when she died (from the alcohol, not the cigs) I remember trying to clean the house. I was a little girl when I got out a bucket of Spic n Span and water and started to clean the kitchen brown walls.
I was so surprised to learn our kitchen was not beige, but bright yellow!!!!
That is a vivid memory for me.
Needless to say my brother and I never did smoke.
I do see how someone could look at the act of smoking as a rebel activity and see it as kind of cool.
But when you grow up with that stink and filth and see both parents and all your relatives wither and suffer health problems because of it, it somehow loses its charm and appeal.
We get hooked on things that are bad for us. And thats the truth.
Anewme
