National Smoking Ban

Should there be a National Smoking Ban (U.S.)?

  • No! There shouldn't even be state/city smoking bans!

    Votes: 25 46.3%
  • This is something best decided on the state level.

    Votes: 12 22.2%
  • Yes, credit a national ban on smoking in public!

    Votes: 17 31.5%

  • Total voters
    54
Joined
Jul 3, 2005
Posts
2,678
I recently read an article about how Hilary Clinton supports a national smoking ban. Personally I despise smoking and was overjoyed when places I've lived passed smoking bans. It was so nice coming home from a bar and not having to wash the smell of smoke out of my hair, and not having to seal the clothes I wore away until I could wash them.

That being said, I wonder about the financial impact of a smoking ban. I think bars and restaurants will end up being fine, but I do wonder about tobacco farmers, not to mention all the state and federal revenue generated by obscenely high taxes on smoking.

Then there is the issue of state's rights. I think there are already way too many federal laws that deal with issues that are most appropriately dealt with on a state level. So while I would support every state passing smoking bans, I would not support a national smoking ban.
 
only_more_so said:
I recently read an article about how Hilary Clinton supports a national smoking ban. Personally I despise smoking and was overjoyed when places I've lived passed smoking bans. It was so nice coming home from a bar and not having to wash the smell of smoke out of my hair, and not having to seal the clothes I wore away until I could wash them.

That being said, I wonder about the financial impact of a smoking ban. I think bars and restaurants will end up being fine, but I do wonder about tobacco farmers, not to mention all the state and federal revenue generated by obscenely high taxes on smoking.

Then there is the issue of state's rights. I think there are already way too many federal laws that deal with issues that are most appropriately dealt with on a state level. So while I would support every state passing smoking bans, I would not support a national smoking ban.

Let's call it . . . Prohibition!!!! It worked so well before.
 
MarshAlien said:
Let's call it . . . Prohibition!!!! It worked so well before.

Except this is only in public! There are plenty of places it is illegal to drink in public, and dry counties. Of course, the irony is that "drinking in public" means drinking on the streets and not in bars, whereas smoking in public means smoking in bars and doesn't include the streets!
 
Oh boy! Oh boy! Oh boy!

I'm going to be rich!

Do you know what that will do to the price of tobacco? How desperate the smokers will be to get their hit?

I'm off. Have to set up production facilities and supply lines.

Also.

Do you know how much your taxes will go up to make up for those funds no longer taxed from smokers? How many more taxes will have to be spent to enforce this?

It's gonna be crack all over again, man. :devil:
 
oh, yay! Let's pass yet more laws telling people what they can and can't do! That's exactly what we need!

:rolleyes:
 
Nah, no law banning it--but it should be taxed high enough so that the money from the tax takes the burden of smoker's health care (for that ailment and directly related ones) off of the rest of the public through inflated health insurance and direct costs of fixing what smokers ruin through their filthy habit.
 
sr71plt said:
Nah, no law banning it--but it should be taxed high enough so that the money from the tax takes the burden of smoker's health care (for that ailment and directly related ones) off of the rest of the public through inflated health insurance and direct costs of fixing what smokers ruin through their filthy habit.

Like it isn't already?
 
cloudy said:
Like it isn't already?

Obviously not, if people are still buying cigarettes and my insurance premiums are still underwriting their treatment--and I'm still getting piles of junk mail asking me to contribute to the fight against lung cancer.
 
sr71plt said:
Obviously not, if people are still buying cigarettes and my insurance premiums are still underwriting their treatment--and I'm still getting piles of junk mail asking me to contribute to the fight against lung cancer.

I'm sure you have a habit or two others would find disgusting. I'm sure they'll get around to legislating those, sooner or later. Oh, but that's different, right? Because it's you, duh.

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.


The last damn thing we need is more restrictions.

Look, I'm a smoker, but I get it that not everyone is. I smoke in my home, in my car, but won't in yours. I won't smoke in restaurants. You don't like it, I get it, but that doesn't give you, or anyone else the right to tell me what I can and can't do.
 
BY the way, to clarify, this would be a ban on smoking in public places, not a total ban on smoking. So you could still smoke in your home or in your car. Probably even smoke in open spaces, just not in restaurants and bars.
 
only_more_so said:
BY the way, to clarify, this would be a ban on smoking in public places, not a total ban on smoking. So you could still smoke in your home or in your car. Probably even smoke in open spaces, just not in restaurants and bars.

States already do that, so why the need for the feds to throw more money at something that's already there?

The "open spaces" thing bothers me. You can't legislate the damn air, people. Get over yourselves.

Maybe I don't like the aftershave you use. Let's legislate that! It makes me sneeze! I'm allergic!

The way you look at my boobs when you walk by offends me. I know, let's legislate that!

Your kids gave me a headache when I was trying to read in the park today. Let's legislate that, too!

*sigh*

This is the nation of the perpetually offended. Welcome to the club, you're now a full member.
 
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only_more_so said:
BY the way, to clarify, this would be a ban on smoking in public places, not a total ban on smoking. So you could still smoke in your home or in your car. Probably even smoke in open spaces, just not in restaurants and bars.

Ahhh but there are already states where they ban smoking in your car or house if there are children present.

Cat
 
cloudy said:
Look, I'm a smoker.

I never would have guessed. :D

tobacco is an addictive drug. It's only legal because of historical circumstance. Smokers who can't/won't stop are drug addicts--and they should fully pay for their own addiction and for any harm it does to others. They should pay through the nose until they wake up.

Just my opinion, of course--or rather, the opinion of a son of a father who smoked and died of lung cancer--and passed on derivative health problems to my two younger sisters (even though he came to realize what his smoke was doing and quit ten years before he died. At least he wasn't a dummy wallowing in denial until the end).
 
sr71plt said:
I never would have guessed. :D

tobacco is an addictive drug. It's only legal because of historical circumstance. Smokers who can't/won't stop are drug addicts--and they should fully pay for their own addiction and for any harm it does to others. They should pay through the nose until they wake up.

Just my opinion, of course--or rather, the opinion of a son of a father who smoked and died of lung cancer--and passed on derivative health problems to my two younger sisters (even though he came to realize what his smoke was doing and quit ten years before he died. At least he wasn't a dummy wallowing in denial until the end).

And you conviently cut out the rest of my post. Quelle surprise.
 
Lets ban cars!

They spew megatonnes of gunk into the air every year. It gets into our lungs, kills thousands every year.

Eventually it ends up in our water and soil and then in our food.

Plus I don't like the way it makes the air smell. And my clothes for that matter.

:p
 
I don't believe the National Governemnt has the authority for this sort of action. (I'm skeptical they have the authority to ban marijuana, although I'm no legal scholar).

I really like California's smoking ban, but I also realize that we have the luxury of being able to step outside the vast majority of the year. I think this is something each state/city should be allowed to decide for itself.
 
rgraham666 said:
Lets ban cars!

They spew megatonnes of gunk into the air every year. It gets into our lungs, kills thousands every year.

Eventually it ends up in our water and soil and then in our food.

Plus I don't like the way it makes the air smell. And my clothes for that matter.

:p

I hate having to wash my hair after I go outside. Filthy things.
 
cloudy said:
States already do that, so why the need for the feds to throw more money at something that's already there?

The "open spaces" thing bothers me. You can't legislate the damn air, people. Get over yourselves.

Maybe I don't like the aftershave you use. Let's legislate that! It makes me sneeze! I'm allergic!

The way you look at my boobs when you walk by offends me. I know, let's legislate that!

Your kids gave me a headache when I was trying to read in the park today. Let's legislate that, too!

*sigh*

This is the nation of the perpetually offended. Welcome to the club, you're now a full member.

Some states already do that, but there are a number that are still holding out. PLus the bans vary greatly state to state. As Cat pointed out, some states have banned smoking in cars when children are present. There have been court cases where parent's are banned from smoking in their homes because of their children (I don't think that was a law, but an individual ruling for a specific child's welfare, but I could be wrong). California's ban extends 20 feet from any public entrance (in theory) which I think is a crock because the smokers usually stand upwind of the entrance anyway. Some bans are in restaurants only, but in bars not serving food there is no ban. Others allow smoking in specially designated parts of the bar, or in separately ventilated areas, etc.

As for the kids... I wish there were a leash law some days. If people can get fines for their car stereo being too loud, parent's should be able to be fined for their children disturbing the peace!

BTW, how should I look at your boobs?
 
only_more_so said:
Some states already do that, but there are a number that are still holding out. PLus the bans vary greatly state to state. As Cat pointed out, some states have banned smoking in cars when children are present. There have been court cases where parent's are banned from smoking in their homes because of their children (I don't think that was a law, but an individual ruling for a specific child's welfare, but I could be wrong). California's ban extends 20 feet from any public entrance (in theory) which I think is a crock because the smokers usually stand upwind of the entrance anyway. Some bans are in restaurants only, but in bars not serving food there is no ban. Others allow smoking in specially designated parts of the bar, or in separately ventilated areas, etc.

so....what's wrong with these bans already in place?
 
fuck, if they can SERIOUSLY consider banning baggy pants in Atlanta, nothing is safe.
 
In Ontario the ban extends to outdoor patios of bars if more than fifty percent of the overhead area is covered, by umbrellas or awnings say. :rolleyes:

They did allow separately ventilated rooms, for about three years. Owners had to install them at their own expense. And remove them at their own expense. :rolleyes:

All because a small bunch of people won't face up to the fact that they're going to die. And probably unpleasantly at that. They think that by never ever being exposed to tobacco smoke they'll live for fucking ever. :rolleyes:
 
rgraham666 said:
In Ontario the ban extends to outdoor patios of bars if more than fifty percent of the overhead area is covered, by umbrellas or awnings say. :rolleyes:

They did allow separately ventilated rooms, for about three years. Owners had to install them at their own expense. And remove them at their own expense. :rolleyes:

All because a small bunch of people won't face up to the fact that they're going to die. And probably unpleasantly at that. They think that by never ever being exposed to tobacco smoke they'll live for fucking ever. :rolleyes:
sorry, i had to go outside, five miles outside the city limit for a smoke so i wouldnt bother the inhabitants


what did you say?
:rolleyes: :kiss:
 
vella_ms said:
sorry, i had to go outside, five miles outside the city limit for a smoke so i wouldnt bother the inhabitants


what did you say?
:rolleyes: :kiss:

Are you serious? :eek:

Humans. :rolleyes:
 
rgraham666 said:
Are you serious? :eek:

Humans. :rolleyes:
rob, sweetie, im an A-S-S-H-O-L-E.


honestly, fuck this. they banned smoking in bars...which i can *sort* of understand but dayum...


im giving all my tea back to the government. i dont want any more. they take the FUN out of every fucking thing.
 
sr71plt said:
Nah, no law banning it--but it should be taxed high enough so that the money from the tax takes the burden of smoker's health care (for that ailment and directly related ones) off of the rest of the public through inflated health insurance and direct costs of fixing what smokers ruin through their filthy habit.


You know, that's brilliant thinking. In fact I say we go farther and tax the living shit out of smokers. Raise those taxes til a pack of year old generics cost thirty bucks a pop. And while we're at it let's tax ALL the burdens of society. I say we tax the shit out of welfare recipients, workers comp recipients, social security (oh wait they've all but sdone away with it already) disability, medic-aid, Canadians, Mexicans....

OH!!!! And the FAT. Let's tax those people so much they can't afford to eat. That'll solve two problems at once.

Look, if you go someplace and people are smoking, leave. Don't patronize the place. Open your own bar and make it smoke free. Whatever. But for christ's sake stop poking your fucking wart infested nose up everyone else's ass. I'm fucking sick of hearing people don't like something so they want a law to ban it. Well, I don't like those people and they're top on my list of things to ban
 
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