[skyhawk133]

Albuquerque, the city sloth and I live in just enacted a city wide smoking ban. If you're not in your car or your house you pretty much can't smoke. I've not personally smoked for years, but wonder what the laws are in other states/countries.

Do you like to dine in places that are completely smoke free or do you enjoy going to a nice smokey bar occasionally?

[MarkoDaGeek]

Minnesota is banning smoking all over, I know that St. Paul along with other cities have smoking bans in place for public places including bars and such.

I think it's a good thing.

[eLliDKraM]

county-wide ban here. i think the bowling alley doesn't feel like a bowling alley unless you're getting tar in your lungs, same with certain dining establishments like the bar and grill. but not being able to smoke outside is pretty damn ridiculous. i'm not even a smoker and i think it's stupid, and that the people behind the passing of these laws are uneducated cock goblin fag asses going about their normal faggot ways.

[no2pencil]

skyhawk133, on 12 Jun, 2007 - 06:59 AM, said:

Albuquerque, the city sloth and I live in just enacted a city wide smoking ban. If you're not in your car or your house you pretty much can't smoke. I've not personally smoked for years, but wonder what the laws are in other states/countries.

Do you like to dine in places that are completely smoke free or do you enjoy going to a nice smokey bar occasionally?

This is a topic of HUGE controversy here in Ohio. They just passed a public indoor smoking ban (public places), & everyone is in an uproar. I didn't mind smoke in the restaurants, but where this helps me is at concerts. I can breath! Before it was so smokey, smoke filled, I smelled like smoke, I breathed smoke, I got smoke in my eyes... but I understand that I still made the DECISION to go. While I didn't vote for the ban, I see it's benefits & it's draw-backs. Everyone needs to remember that smoking is a privilege & it's their decision.

[Amadeus]

It's city wide here in Ottawa, Canada. I smoked for a lot of years, then quit about 4 years ago. I enjoy places that are smoke free, but I'm fine if there's smoking as well...all the same to me.

[William_Wilson]

not a smoker, never have been. I appreciate the public ban in Ottawa and other cities in Ontario.
Where i used to live the owner of the Tim Hortons went smoke free on their own before there was any enforcement, and their profits almost doubled... they were hoping the other businesses in the town wouldn't figure it out, lol.

[Fygar]

Gayer than gay, I think. Should be up to the business. If a person has a problem with it, they can personally make a decision. One of my favourite hangouts in Minneapolis, Hard Times Cafe, isn't the same anymore because of the dumb law. There was always a dude smoking a pipe and painting, few other people playing chess or whatever. I certainly didn't go because of the vegan nachos, rather It had a look and feel to it.

The ONLY reason I'm glad is at concerts when underage kids would be smoking. Because they look queer doing it.

[Amadeus]

I'm also of the opinion it should be up to the individual businesses, just as it's up to individual homeowners.

In Ottawa, when the instituted the ban, the city had more than 40 bars close down due to lost business. The city is used to it now, but there were definitely pains in the beginning.

[William_Wilson]

i agree that perhaps bars and clubs should be able to have it... most people are out wrecking themselves w/ alcohol anyway, what's a little smoke too?

Only problem is the one which occurred in Ottawa, that every average restaurant applied for a bar license. Which makes family restaurants obsolete.

[1lacca]

No smoking inside public places, or only at the designated areas.
I am not a smoker (smoked occassionally for a year only) but I am ok with places that doesn't ban smoking. Anyway, I think these laws are a perfcect example of something that would be really useless if people would care just a little bit about others, and would smoke only if they ask in advance wether it disturbs someone, or would not keep throwing their cigarettes everywhere (unfortunately it is done by a lot here, even on playgrounds, what I really find lame).

[William_Wilson]

it's true this is a big debate every time it comes up, but i feel that the overall ruling is correct. smoking bothers some people who don't, not smoking does not bother those who smoke, thus the enforcement of the bylaw.

Another example:
It is the same as noise complaint laws. Being loud at 3am disturbs your neighbours. Being quite at 3am does not... thus laws were created.

[fyrestorm]

I appreciate this law, I have a severe allergy to cigarette smoke and had to stop bowling, now I can go bowling again because there won't be smokers inside, the same with bars, I had to stop playing pool because of the smokers. I appreciate it.

[Amadeus]

My biggest complaint has always been that it treats the symptom, not the disease.

A business, in most cases, is a privately owned enterprise. If it is privately owned, then the owner of said business should be allowed to make the decisions about what is and is not allowed in his privately owned business, as long as it does not break any law. Smoking is not against the law.

A privately owned bar is not a public place. A privately owned restaurant is not a public place. They are places to which the public has access should they wish to abide by the rules and regulations of that business.

If the government wishes to enforce a no smoking atmosphere, they should take the required steps to address the cause - outlaw cigarettes. The current statues are by-laws, not laws.

Either let the business owner decide, or pass an actual law.

My $0.02

[Kayne]

no2pencil, on 12 Jun, 2007 - 10:04 AM, said:

skyhawk133, on 12 Jun, 2007 - 06:59 AM, said:

Albuquerque, the city sloth and I live in just enacted a city wide smoking ban. If you're not in your car or your house you pretty much can't smoke. I've not personally smoked for years, but wonder what the laws are in other states/countries.

Do you like to dine in places that are completely smoke free or do you enjoy going to a nice smokey bar occasionally?

This is a topic of HUGE controversy here in Ohio. They just passed a public indoor smoking ban (public places), & everyone is in an uproar. I didn't mind smoke in the restaurants, but where this helps me is at concerts. I can breath! Before it was so smokey, smoke filled, I smelled like smoke, I breathed smoke, I got smoke in my eyes... but I understand that I still made the DECISION to go. While I didn't vote for the ban, I see it's benefits & it's draw-backs. Everyone needs to remember that smoking is a privilege & it's their decision.

Also in Ohio so..

There are a lot of problems with it. It really should be up the owners of each place wheather or not they want to allow smoking there or not. Poeple really don't have to go there if it bothers them that much. Just needed more places before that didn't allow it. In this area at least, there were very few of them around. I'm a lot happier not having it around in most places now, but since my mom smokes I'm still stuck with it untill I can move out to my own place.

[tody4me]

I haven't been a smoker, didn't vote for or against the ban when they came up here in wisconsin, but i have always been with a smoker. I don't think that it's right for those that do smoke to pass on second hand smoke to those that choose not to smoke. On the other hand though, if you around others that do choose to smoke and you want to smoke in front of those that have made the choice I don't think it's right to not be able to do so.