I, for one, am glad about the ban on smoking that went into effect here in Ohio...

[WCGreen]

Before I became an ex smoker, 22 years or so ago, I would lite up anywhere I liked...

I could care less if it bothered someone else...

It was my right as an American to smoke whenever and wherever I wanted...

Even after I quit, I was fine with other people smoking whenever and wherever they wanted...

But now, after I have developed COPD (not related to smoking, bad rearing it seems was the cause), I want to be able to enjoy a smoke free night out...

I love music, live music and there was very few venues that were totally smoke free...

I love to go out to eat, and there were very few completely smoke free restaurants available...

Smoking sections are not the answer, smoke doesn't recognize human designated boundreis....

So now that I can head off to a bar or a small hall and hear good live music, I feel whole again...

Since I can't perform because of my delicate condition, watching is all I have left...

That is all....

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Yes, indeed........this is an important message.........

I have no problem with people smoking......

As long as I don't have to breathe it too...

Their rights end where my lungs begin!

I was delighted to see Ohio go smokefree........

For your sake, and for so many folks..........

Enjoy your happy times in public venues!

[TechBear_Seattle]

2. Since the smoking ban went into effect in Washington State

I have been able to enjoy going out again. It used to be that my allergies kept me out of pretty much everywhere; not any more!

[aquart]

13. Ah, but the dear smokers didn't give a rat's ass about that.

They will, however, insist that, after making the air unbreathable, if you asked them nicely, they would move away from you, or stop for a moment.

Have they been bewailing their outcast state here? Poor dears. Poor dears.

The karma is looking exceptionally fine this evening.

[LisaM]

3. The ban has been good in Washington state.....

even though I voted against it, I really enjoy being in smoke-free environments (I voted against it because of the 25-foot rule). However, it's been great. One thing in particular I like is that I had friends who would object to certain venues because they allowed smoking; it was always a hassle trying to figure out which places were and weren't smoke free. That debate has ended. Even some of my smoking friends like that aspect of the ban.

[SeattleGirl]

10. That 25 foot rule was the main reason I voted against it, too.

However, the non-smoking environments are nice.

[tandot]

4. I quit 12 years ago and back then, it never crossed my mind that

I might actually harm someone else. As a smoker, I never noticed how repulsive my breath smelled and tasted and how disgusting the smell of cold smoke was. Or how the house smelled when you opened the door and how yellow the curtains were.

The first few years it was extremely hard to not start smoking again whenever I smelled smoke or saw someone smoking. I wasn't able to quit at the first try, since friends and coworkers still smoked. There were too many triggers all around me.

Now the smell of cigarettes just makes me physically ill. I get nauseous and lightheaded, and it makes my sinus problems worse. A friend of mine has asthma and had attacks triggered by cigarette smoke. It doesn't take much to make me sick. Just walking behind a smoker is enough. I usually change over to the other side of the road.

I am glad we moved from OK to CA where there is a ban on smoking in public places, restaurants, and bars.

We have lots of DUers who smoke. They know the risk and it is their choice. Most smokers are very considerate of us non-smokers. Probably more considerate than I was when I was still smoking.

[alarimer]

9. I just came to my parents' house for a visit

My mother is a heavy smoker. I could smell it the moment I walked in, even though she wasn't here. On my last day here I will probably wash all my clothes, yet they will still smell like smoke when I can get home, just from sitting in a suitcase overnight.

[tandot]

16. I wouldn't be able to spend more than 5 minutes in a smoker's home

We are renting a small duplex and the neighbor adjacent to us smokes. She has asked me to come inside on a few occasions and I usually make up excuses to keep the visit as short as possible.

When I get back out of there, I am nauseous and lightheaded. On days where my sinuses are acting up, I make excuses not to go inside her home.

The bad thing is that our bathrooms are adjacent and there must be a hole somewhere. When we get home from work, we always notice the smell of cold smoke in the bathroom. I don't mind hearing her burp, pee, fart, and crap...but I really mind having the smoke seep through the walls. I'd rather have the smell of her sh*t seep through than that of her smoke.

edit typo

[alarimer]

26. Some people really are affected by it

I don't have a bad reaction usually; it is just very noticeable. I don't think smokers understand (or maybe they don't want to) that for some people (non-smokers) cigarette smoke (and cigar smoke too I guess) does have an impact on their health. For me, it is just extremely unpleasant but then I go out of my way to avoid it too.

It is not that other things do not affect one's health too. We all breathe the same, sometimes very dirty air. We all have bad habits (well most people anyway) and everything we do does affect the world around us. But all those things do not negate the damage that smoking does to smokers especially but to others as well.

[AirmensMom]

5. Wish they'd ban it in TN.

And artificial fragrance, while they're at it. Guess that'll take a while longer before people realize how toxic it is. I'd love to be able to go to a concert or movie.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

6. My dear AirmensMom!

There are a couple of organizations who are most likely working to ban smoking in Tennessee......

Americans for NonSmoker's Rights........

and

Action on Smoking and Health........or ASH.......

I'll bet you could google them, and find some local branches.....

Hey, if Ohio can do it......So can TN!

Nice to see you today........ :hug:

[alarimer]

7. We passed a smoking ban in restaurants by a large margin

Something like 70-30 as I recall. The first ban was passed by the city council. The pro-smokers didn't like it so they got up a petition to put the ban on the ballot. I guess they thought they would win. Boy were they wrong. The tide has really turned in the right direction as far as I am concerned. I don't understand why it is so difficult to accept that your right to smoke should not interfere with someone else's right to breathe. And I think there is some evidence that second-hand smoke (besides being disgusting) does affect people in different ways, especially those with respiratory problems.

Smokers like to say "Well if you don't like it or can't handle it, stay home." They at least have the ability to do their habit somewhere else (like outside) but why should people with asthma be forced to avoid many places because of the smoke? Why not make it a safe, pleasant environment for everyone? If a city or state can regulate the food in a restaurant or the cleanliness in a bar, why shouldn't they be able to regulate the air quality inside such buildings?

[lapfog_1]

8. California has been "smoke free" for 9 years now.

And it's hard for me to remember how it is to go to a restaurant or night club and have it filled with cigarette smoke. And the smokers here have adapted as well. None of the horrible things happened that the pro-smoking lobby said would happen did (bars did not close shop or lay people off).

[MurrayDelph]

11. There is a sign at the Burbank airport

(just where all flights exit to get their luggage)that says:

"Welcome to California: America's non-smoking section!"

[Hell Hath No Fury]

12. It was a long progression here in SF...

to get to a ban on smoking indoors.

Back in 1982 it started with a local law that said if one person in a workplace complained about smoking onsite, the office could disallow smoking altogether. I worked for a law firm at the time where the senior partners would smoke these super-stinky stoggies that just about drove us out of our filing center. We all hated it, but no one wanted to be the person to tell the head honchos to stuff their cigars.

We then went to segregated areas in restaurants and in other public buildings -- there was nothing like asking for a seat in the non-smoking section and being taken to a booth where you are separated from the smoking section by essentially nothing! The person on the otherside from you would be puffing away -- yup, that sure helped!

We next moved on to smoke free workplaces with an exception for bars, but even that was done away with around 6 years ago.

Do I like the ban? Yes, I love it! It is now a pleasure for me to go out to clubs, restaurants, and even bars. I remember one night with friends in college, before the ban, when we went to Hamburger Mary's after a performance -- everyone but me was a smoker and the restaurant was literally thick with smoke. Around 20 minutes into dinner I couldn't stand it anymore -- I excused myself and went outside to sit on the curb to clear my head. I never made it back to finish my burger -- my head was so congested I couldn't stand the thought of walking back into that atmosphere.

For years I allowed myself to be miserable so I could be out in public or spend time with friends at clubs or restaurants. Today, public suffering is optional for me. :)

I'm glad you -- and many others -- are benefiting from the new legislation. Get out and ENJOY for a change!

[karlrschneider]

14. How wonderful! Is it easy to drive to those smoke-free places without

getting on a road near a diesel-engine powered vehicle that belches out sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and CO2 at the rate of 900 cigarettes per second?

[tandot]

18. Having lived in OK for over 10 years, of course it is better here in CA

In OK we had "diesel-engine powered vehicle that belches out sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and CO2 at the rate of 900 cigarettes per second?"

P L U S

the cigarette smoke.


And, as opposed to Oklahoma, California is leading this nation in cleaning up pollution:

http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_vehicles/big_rig_cleanup/california-leads-the-way-diesel-pollution-and-public-health.html

"In addition to implementing tighter emissions regulations, California has also implemented two landmark incentive programs to provide funding for replacing older, dirtier engines with cleaner alternatives. Since 1999, the Carl Moyer Memorial Program and the Low Emission School Bus Program have resulted in significant reductions of diesel PM and NOx pollution. These programs provide a model for the country, and other states are following California’s lead in providing incentive funding for cleaning up diesel exhaust."

[Hell Hath No Fury]

20. I drive a scooter to work in SF every day.

I have found myself often directly behind such a vehicle as you described -- is it gross? Yes. Do I get as sick as I do when I am around cig smoke? No, not even close. :shrug:

I, for one, hope the State/Feds finally start regulating pollutants from cars and trucks the way they should be. Health issues that stem from cig smoke or gasoline pollutants ALL suck.

[karlrschneider]

23. The pollutants are about the same, the 'aroma' is just different.

The smell of jet airplane exhaust almost gags me, literally...and I fly one for a living. It's not an issue most of the time but out on the taxiway behind 5 airplanes is a very stinky place to be. As long as we burn hydrocarbons, the whole world is exposed to the combustion products - there is no way to eliminate them.

[johnnie]

15. I don't go out much anyway

I think most places should be smoke-free. I was only against the bar owners being told they had to comply. I know for sure that some of the smaller local bars will be closing and those are the only ones I go to.

I think that if they would have done something different to give the clubs and bars a way to go smoke free or not, many would have gone smoke-free. I know many players that hate playing in bars because of the smoke, and they feel better about it. I can understand that and I think many owners can too.

I know there are clubs that will go smoke-free when the artist asks and you know that too, because I sent you to one..lol. I really think it could have been handled better. I can almost guarantee that my corner bar will go under, or they will become private. And I know there are many more that will be in the same boat.

[we can do it]

17. I Am With You - Smoke Totally Ruins My Contacts and Makes My Eyes Burn

even if I wear glasses. It totally screws up my sinuses. I could care less what anyone does on their own as long as they don't feel the need to immerse me in it. It is nice to go out in a haze free room.

[Bonhomme Richard]

19. I smoke and play gigs in a local bar and........................

I like being able to play without all the smoke around and it isn't that big an inconvenience for me to go outside during my break. Then again, I don't smoke inside at home either.

[Celeborn Skywalker]

21. I mostly agree with you.

I do think some bars, clubs, and pool halls should be able to allow smoking though.

[durrrty libby]

22. I agree......smoking bans are a good thing

I'm sorry to hear about your copd, but what does "bad rearing it seems was the cause" mean?

[ShaneGR]

24. Wait until the bars start closing....

Not like cities such as Cleveland are really doing that well anyways. It does crack me up that a city like Cleveland built all of its new stadiums on cigarette taxes, but the people who paid for them cant even go have a smoke in a bar.

[Greyskye]

27. That argument?

"It will drive the bars out of business!"

They said that in California almost a decade ago. Strangely enough, the smoking ban didn't hurt business at all. In fact, quite a few bars and restaurants reported increased profits. See here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoking_ban#Effects_on_businesses

[mongo]

25. I am in favor of reasonable bans

But the one in effect in Ohio now means that we can't smoke in our breakroom with seperate ventilation in our own store even though all our employees smoke, and no one went into that room except to smoke.

And from what I've heard the rule about not smoking near entrances is being interpreted as 25 feet.

That technically means that you can't smoke anywhere in an urban retail district on the street.

Want to ban smoking inside restaurants and bars? Fine by me. Not allowing an employer to make a reasonable acomodation for their smoking employees -- bad.

[pinto]

28. Locking.

Sorry, but we've had enough threads about smoking for today.