@drachenlady: Well, taking a later bus could solve problems, it would suck though...and its too bad if you end up having resort to that. Like I said before though, you could ask them to please not smoke near you. Maybe they will be nice enough to distance themselves from you a little, maybe they will show some respect! But really, lol, dont take their ciggeretts away. I know I would feel extremely violated if someone snatched a belonging out of my hands. Even if its for the better good, its still asking for trouble.

There is a ban on smoking indoors in my area which I fully support. I don't mind being around smokers on occasion but I really hate being cooped up in an enclosed area with them. I adore going out dancing at my local goth club and before the ban went into effect I used to have to leave early whenever I went as my eyes would start to itch and water. Now they have a separate outside area for the smokers and it makes it better for everyone involved. As much trouble as they had enforcing the indoor ban I think that they would have even more trouble enforcing an 'in public' ban. Not to mention that with all of the unexpected inclement weather we had here this winter I'm pretty sure the states in this area are scrambling to rebalance their budgets as is.

Well, not smoking in restaurants is already a law in many other cities and countries and I think it's more or less adaptable and that the State just wants to fit in. but, NO SMOKING in bars is kind of....weird....personally I've never been inside a bar, but I thought it more or less is described as a smoking and drinking place.....plus, they're not really doing anything to stop people from smoking themselves, you can just move outside and have your smoke. A better way would have been to increase the tax on cigarettes and tobacco or something like that - that way people would have to quit buying tobacco and cigarettes because they'll run out of money one way or another :P

Hah, well they may as well stop chimneys from smoking.

In the end it's your decision. You can stand up to them and take that risk or you can back out of the situation. There's no shame in backing out and taking the other bus. Either way you're just looking out for yourself.

As I see it, the only thing you can do wrong is to do nothing one way or the other. I hope to you the best of luck in this endeavor!

Ban smoking?
No matter what ...even if they banned it , It wouldn't stop the production of it.
There's too much money involved in this enterprise...a black market would arise.
people would end up growing their own tabacco in their basements,
Like people do with weed ? XD
So, really there would be no point..

But i guess it would solve the 'issue' of public use...
and people would just smoke in the confines of their homes.

And even then, What would they do with the supposed perpetrators?
fine them? A small fine is stint compared to the amount that long time smoker's spend on their habit lol
So all in all, it'd be hard to control something that is so largely accepted and something that most countries of the world depend on as their source of revenue.

Tobacco is much more difficult to grow than weed, by the way.

If I remember correctly, this debate is about banning of smoking in public places like cafes or restaurants. Smoking, in general, will never be banned. Just like alcohol for example.
(I can see why you would take the title and run off your opinion from it. I feel that the thread-starter could have thought it out a bit better.)

This is the internet. You should know better.

I laughed, with witty comments like that I am glad to see your return.

As for the topic at hand, the media in New Zealand has been reporting the positive results which have come as a result of our ban on smoking in public places. As this article reports, not only has it saved the lives of 75,000 people but it has also dramatically cut down on the number of people smoking. In a population the size of New Zealand, 75,000 lives is a LOT.

In another article it looks at research which showed a drop in heart attack rates in New Zealand following the ban on smoking.

It's a general handicap of the userbase. You should watch the help forum for longer than a week. It's surprising how many people still don't read the stickies ~_~

(granted, many many users are very smart about reading stickies, and even the smart users have dumb moments, but in general, I see a lot of newbies asking questions about things that have already been addressed... like 3 threads in one week about changing usernames)

I personally like the idea of not being able to smoke in public places(which our state enforces) just because cigarette smoke makes me sick if I'm around it. I'm not saying that smoking in general has to go, but I agree with it being banned from public places.

Any other reasons besides a personal reason? As it does violate the rights of the public businesses....v.v

Nice to see ya back in the running shtona...what ya been up to?

It's mostly just personal reasons though I would hope business owners would be concerned with the health of their employees and customers. I mean, yeah, they could keep it up to the owners of a business to decide whether their establishment is a smoking or non-smoking place, but it seems unfair to others who go there that, if they're concerned about the health risks, they might have to be stuck in a smoker environment. If everyone involved, customer or employee, could avoid places that allow smoking, it wouldn't be a big issue but that's not always the case. The customer can pick and choose but employees can't always do that because if someone needs a job so the can support themselves and/or family, and the only jobs available are in smoker friendly businesses, they're going to have to take a job at one of those places, making them forced into that sort of environment.

Plain and simple, I think the health risks rank higher so I agree with the ban. I don't expect everyone else to agree with that, but that's just how I see it.

I sure as hell hope they do ban smoking some day. It causes so many unnecessary illnesses and deaths. and its nice to breath clean air. Not to mention: What a waste of money in every shape imaginable.

And what about the other people's right to breathe smoke-free air?
I think its a good thing. People still have the right to smoke.

I think if the person ruining their lungs is a loved one, then it should matter you because you don't want to loose loved ones to something so easy to stop...I know that to quit smoking is NOT an easy task but I mean that it's easy compared to other ways of dying. I mean, smokers should have the right to if that's what they truly want to do, but it does matter to the people who care about the smoker's health. So I can see where KittyCat18's coming from.

@Fabby: Smoking also pollutes the air. So while people should have the right to ruin their bodies, it is also polluting the world. And it should be someones right to breath in fresh air at a public bus stop. I honestly couldn't care less about the persons lungs. They do it to their self. I strictly care about my own. Any person should be able to breath in non-intoxicated air, do you honestly not agree?

And what would be the big deal if smoking was banned? people would actually (and I'm talking about smokers as well) be able to live in a world with out worrying about breathing in that nasty shit. of course there would be some that would do it illegally without anyone knowing, but thats no different then what people do with drugs. it should at least be banned from public places. do it at home. I think thats reasonable. cant live that long without smoking? then ya shouldnt have started in the first place.


and yes, its the smokers responibility, but are you honestly saying that someone shouldnt attempt to help them make the right decision? I'm not talking force. I'm merely saying guiding them. encouraging them to quit. You obviously know what smoking can do to you. Cancer. so yes, it should be somewhat part of the families decision. But it really all does end up the smokers choice. sadly enough.

@KittyCat18 and Scarebear: I would like you to address the quote above please. Your reasoning is not very sound from what I understand so far....so please answer so I can know where you are coming from.

Thanks,
Tutela de Xaoc