Smoking ban or not???
By ladyluna
@ladyluna (7004)
United States
March 9, 2007 6:03pm CST
So my state is jumping on the 'Smoking Ban' bandwagon. But, they are excluding casinos and cigar bars.
I personally believe that non-smokers should not have to be exposed to smoke if they find it offensive. However, smokers should have a place to go as well. I think that business owners should have the right to decide the atmosphere of their establishment. After all, it is their business. What do you think?
A couple other questions:
1. Should the state & federal government benefit from the tax revenue of tobacco sales, yet ban the act of smoking the product that they are taxing?
2. If cigarette smoke is offensive, and merits banning ... what about perfume or automotive exhaust? Both are comparably offensive to cigarette smoke. Should our legislators ban perfume next? There is no limit to things that offend people. Where should it end?
9 people like this
3 responses
@SageMother (2277)
• United States
10 Mar 07
It should be left up to the individual establishment whether to allow smoking or not.
Most people who don't smoke don't drink or gamble either. It is ridiculous to cater to those who probably don't go into gambling or drinking establishments anyway. I can't wait for people to start opening private clubs for smokers. As it is, many business are suffering from the smoking bans and I hope they go out of business for not fighting harder to keep those bans from taking place.
If non smokers don't want to go into a place that has a smoking allowed sign on it, then that would make alot more sense.
3 people like this
@ladyluna (7004)
• United States
10 Mar 07
Hi Sagemother,
Interesting point about correllating smokers with drinkers & gamblers. I like your idea of signage indicating "Smoking" or "Non-Smoking" establishments.
I have a relative whose bar business is suffering because of a statewide smoking ban in another state. So, I concur about businesses that traditionally allow smoking suffering from these new laws.
More importantly than just this particular ban, what is going to be banned next should worry us all.
5 people like this
@emeraldisle (13139)
• United States
20 Apr 07
As to the non-smokers, gambling and drinking I do know in our area the smokers are way more then the non-smokers at the bingo halls. I know when I went to the Indian Reservation Casino the smoking section was packed but the non-smoking section had half to a quarter of what the smoking side had. Same with the Bingo halls that are seperate from the reservations. They aren't as busy. So I can see why many would assume that the smokers do drink and gamble more. I have seen this also at the bars back when smoking was allowed in this area at them. The law has hurt several bar owners in the area to where they had to close. There wasn't enough non-smokers going to them.
@Lady_Godiva (51)
• United States
10 Mar 07
I agree with you 100%. If non-smokers dont like the smoking thing then thats fine but I do think that businesses should be able to choose. Denny's, which if one of my favorite places to eat, keeps a smoking section for those who want to smoke and it is closed off from the non-smoking section. I understand the not smoking infront of major buildings and stuff like that but when it comes to businesses they should be able to choose. Its just fair.
2 people like this
@sigma77 (5383)
• United States
9 Apr 07
I have been a non-smoker for over 30 years. I don't know if all this banning of everything is good. It seems that more and more of our rights are being taken away. I don't so much care if someone smokes, because I know I have the choice to not be around it. If there is smoking somewhere I might want to go, I can always find another place to go to.
You are right about other "offensive" fumes and chemicals we are often exposed to. The main thing I don't like is that if people choose to smoke for a long time and then later in life get ill, often it will be the taxpayers who might have to pay the bill if they don't have insurance.
But there is no denying that the government is on some crusade to pass all these laws and restrictions. And I don't like the government telling me every little thing I can do or not do. That to me is socialism. Yuck!!!
1 person likes this
