Smoking Ban

Jeremy · Post by **Jeremy** » 19 Dec 2004 23:48

I think the thing about second hand smoke is that if you work in a pub for 6 hours you are breathing in that smoke for six hours - it's like having a 6 hour long smoke - except not as strong.

If you go outside and have a smoke - you are breathing in the smoke for 2 minutes.

I've got no idea which is worse for you - they both sound pretty bad to me.

It's not just lung cancer - you can get all kinds of different cancer as well as different illnesses and have many parts of your body amputated because of smoking. In Australia - after drop bear deaths - the next three leading causes of death can be caused or made worse by smoking and make up for 58% of all deaths.

It seems to me that smoking is a dangerous and negative past time that does nothing good for society. The governments job is to do what is in the best interests of society - how can anybody claim that smoking is in the best interests of Australian or New Zealand Society?

Frenzal · Post by **Frenzal** » 20 Dec 2004 12:14

Second hand smoke is worse than first hand smoke mainly because when you inhale a ciggie you breathe the smoke that passes through the filter which takes some, not all, of the worst stuff out. The smoke burning off your cig while you don't smoke is unfiltered and more poisonous.

How is any recreational drug in the intrest of any country?
If we want to go all communist we ban all passtimes that cause injury, illness or death without sufficient renumeration for society.
If we value our freedom as individuals we allow each other to poison and endanger ourselves however we want aslong as it endangers nobody else; this is the approach i favour.

Frenzal · Post by **Frenzal** » 20 Dec 2004 12:18

I should probably explain... when i say "endangers noone else" i mean "endangers noone else that isn't aware of the dangers and willing to accept them," to me this is the case if you choose to enter a smoking bar.

hacksterbator · Post by **hacksterbator** » 21 Dec 2004 00:00

[off topic] yeah, you gotta watch out for the drop bears! most of the time you don't even see them coming! also i hear their numbers are on the rise![/off topic]

MrRoboto · Post by **MrRoboto** » 23 Dec 2004 06:42

Smoking was banned in public places in my area a couple of years ago.

I have to say I'm all for it. Before the ban, there was no bar, billards room, pub anything like that in my area I could go to and not have put up with smokers there.

And all this talk of having smoking bars and non smoking bars. I can garuntee that in my area at least, the non smoking bars wouldn't last a year, if anybodys started one in the first place.

junkyardjew · Post by **junkyardjew** » 07 Jan 2005 19:43

i got to admit, i like the smoking ban. i've lived in cities that had it and cities that didn't, and i enjoy myself more in bars in the cities where smoking is banned. there are a couple places in ottawa that charge one dollar "membership fees" to become private clubs so they can smoke - and i don't go there.

now, i like the chronic as much (or probably more) than most people, but cigarette smoke makes me sick (as in, physically ill - i think i'm allergic to it or something). so what alternative did i have in montreal? not going to bars, which wasn't a very nice option. i can choose not to drink in a bar, but i can't choose not to smoke if people around me are smoking, and it doesn't matter if they're next to me or accross the bar.

basically i believe in the harm principle - people can do anything they want, as long as it doesn't harm OTHER people. i think you can drink paint thinner if you want, and believe very strongly in the right to assisted suicide, but if what you're doing affects ME, i generally want it stopped. smoke all you want, just don't let me get a whiff.

Jeremy · Post by **Jeremy** » 07 Jan 2005 19:55

yeah I totally agree with you.

I just wanted to mention that my state banned smoking in bars about two or three days ago - not that I've noticed anything so far - but I don't go into many bars around here anyway - and if I do - I prefer to be outside most of the time (because I like breathing clean fresh air).

Dat · Post by **Dat** » 08 Jan 2005 01:59

My aunt has lung cancer now. She never smoked. My Uncle did. Coincidence? I doubt it.

Living in California with smoke free buildings has been great. I really notice the difference when I'm in a restaurant out of state with smokers. Breathing in smoke when you're trying to eat really kills the mood.