Smoking In Public

[FreeSpirit]

OK simple question. Should smoking be banned in all public places?

 

The practice has been adopted in Dublin and New York City over the past couple of years, and although trade in pubs and restaurants are down, I effectively feel that its a good idea.

 

I personally hate the smell of smoke-and the less places Im exposed to it, the better.

What does everyone else think?

[Ryan]

yes it should be allowed, i used to smoke and i got pissed off when people in the street came up to me and went "oh could you put that out" its like NO im not going to put it out just for you! and in pubs, if you think your going to a smoke free pub your crazy.

[MrFill]

Smokers are arrogant in their not wanting to put cigarettes out - if I wanted to get lung cancer, I'd smoke myself, but surprisingly I don't smoke, because I don't want cancer.

 

If you want to give yourself an illness, then please do it in the privacy of your own home.

[WWE]

Yep. I think it should. People who smoke are idiots and it does my head in... it makes me cough sometimes and I hate the smell. People only smoke to be "cool".

[Saz]

I'd be very careful of not mistaking arrogance for addiction there fill.

 

Smoking is a drug and it is almost impossible to quit, campaigners should be looking for ways to help people quit rather than the "look! You'll die!" attitude at the moment. Smokers become more introvert.

 

Let's say playing the trumpet was addictive, we'd be here debating if Trumpet blowing was detrimental to our hearing and people shouldn't do it in public places. They have a right to play the trumpet, the people who don't want to hear trumpet playing want to ban it.

 

A trumpet is a little thing you say? So is smoking to smokers, they don't see the problem because they are addicted to it.

 

I used to be a smoker myself but i quit over a year ago and my life has turned itself around, but that's just for me.

 

Besides, let's force people to smoke at home... onset of rises of respiratory diseases in kids who live with said forced to smoke at home smoker.

 

saz

[Paul]

I ahte the idea of all pubs being non smoking!

I DO belive that a certain percentage of pubs should have to be smoke free, but give everyone a choice.

[PHIZZLE]

Its banned over here for the last year and it seems to be going well

[Weeski]

It should definately be banned, i don't mind if people smoke just not around me.

[Danny Styles]

yes.. smoking is a sick habit and smells... i hate going to pubs becasue i always reek of smoke when i come out and i run the risk of getting cancer from some smoke.....

 

people who have the addiction... tough it's their fault.. maybe if they ban smoking in public places people will quit

 

Please don't use offensive language on the forums.

 

Chris2K

Edited October 29, 2005 by Chris2K

[Saz]

yes.. smoking is a sick habit and smells... i hate going to pubs becasue i always reek of smoke when i come out and i run the risk of getting cancer from some faggots smoke.....

 

people who have the addiction... tough it's their fault.. maybe if they ban smoking in public places people will quit

 

Their fault eh?

 

So after years of cigarette, TV, film and social Dogma, in the end it's their fault?

 

Did you know that it takes just 2 cigarettes to get you addicted?

 

Saz

[Inno]

I prefer pubbing in Dublin, where smoking IS banned. Makes a huge difference, especially to the smell of your clothes in the morning.

 

Persoinally, I don't smoke - so I have no problem with banning it at all.

[Weeski]

I've had two and i'm not addicted...

[Saz]

But you tried the second even though it tasted like crap...

 

Nicotine does funny things to you, i know, I was under its grip for a long time!

[Chris2K]

yes it should be allowed' date=' i used to smoke and i got pissed off when people in the street came up to me and went "oh could you put that out" its like NO im not going to put it out just for you! and in pubs, if you think your going to a smoke free pub your crazy.[/quote']

 

If I asked you to put a cigarette out and you turned round and said "No, I'm not going to put it out for you!", I'd find an unpleasant way of doing it myself. Why in god's name would you be so rude about it, have you never heard of courtesy?

[JobberJoe]

How to stop them - Wait for them to take a puff and try get them to choke on it !

 

Or spit in their mouth... not nice but effective ! Hate smoking... disgusting habit that isn't really acceptable under any circumstances ! Could only benefit from it being banned in public places ! !

[Brick]

I agree it should be banned in public. Ideally they would just quit. I know it's a drug and it's hard to give up but my dad gave up booze, ganj and cigs in his life so it isn't impossible.

[MrFill]

There are enough ways for people to quit smoking, so those who don't try to quit deserve my wrath and ire.

 

It is their choice to spend their money on their cancer sticks, but if I said that I was addicted to punching people in the face, then should that be acceptible because smokers should be accepted because they're addicted?

[A.C.]

I quit in a little over 3 weeks, I think. Whenever my new job starts anyway. I quit for a few weeks earlier in the year and it didn't go badly but I sort of sidled back into the habit without even noticing! So... new start etc.

 

OTT smoker-haters are fun. I agree that one should be consciencious of others when smoking. If I want to have a smoke at the busstop and it's raining? Tough - I'll go and stand in the rain. If someone came up to me in the street (I.e.: in an open area where the smoke isn't getting caught and forced on people) then I would ignore them.

[Slim Jim]

If I walk past someone who's smoking, I start coughing really loudly and pretend to have an asthma attack to make them feel really guilty.

[Jimmy Redman]

I dont like smoking, I'll tell you that right now. Its very uncomfortable walking from the train station to school every morning and getting a whiff of 10 different brands of cigs. A couple of my friends smoke, and the amount of perfume they have to wear to cover it up is astounding.

 

Anyway. I think a selective banning would be better, as opposed to a blanket ban. Restaurants I think should definitely ban smoking. I saw a restaurant on Wednesday night (the seats were outdoors), but 90% of people at the tables were smoking, and I would hate to be eating a meal in those kind of conditions. Pubs I dont know. My belief is that here, smoking in pubs is limited to the bars etc., and not in the bistro and other family-friendly places.

 

As for being courteous. When its out in the open air, outdoors etc, I think a smoker has every right to politely refuse to put a cigarette out. But when its indoors, in a car, or at somewhere like a restaurant (even if smoking isnt officially banned), if the person next to them is breathing in more smoke than the smoker, its hard to justify not putting it out. Its all about having respect for the people around you. I also think that smokers should always ask anyone who is with them if they mind them lighting up. Common courtesy, IMO.

[Inno]

The ban in Dublin is, I think, anywhere that is a place of work - pretty much everything bar private houses and the open air.

 

Works for me.

 

Only problem is instead of a cloud of smoke in the pub, you now have to walk through a wall of smokers at the doors of pubs to get in :D

[Saz]

There are enough ways for people to quit smoking, so those who don't try to quit deserve my wrath and ire.

 

It is their choice to spend their money on their cancer sticks, but if I said that I was addicted to punching people in the face, then should that be acceptible because smokers should be accepted because they're addicted?

 

It's not their choice fill, it's their addiction!

 

Let's take that analogy, how would they be currently trying to stop people from hitting other people.

 

Hitting people increases your chances of getting a broken hand, Hitting people increases your chances of getting hit back, Hitting people will not get you a girlfriend.

 

And so on

 

When it should be:

 

Why are you hitting people? Do you want to hit people? How can we help you to stop hitting people.

 

It's well known that addiction will force the person to become introverted when you throw the facts in their faces, I know, I have been there.

 

Shouting and screaming at an addict gets you nowhere, telling the addict of the concequences gets you nowhere, getting the person to understand their addiction and then help them to resolve the problem will work.

 

Banning the addict from a public place just ignores the problem and to be fair that is what it is, sweeping a national addiction under the carpet as opposed to truely stamping out what is a campaign by unscrupulous businessmen on normal people.

 

So how about this people? Let's try to help smokers quit by being nice as opposed to spitting in their mouths.

 

Try:

 

Asking them how much a packet of cigarettes cost, when they tell you, just looked surprised and just say "wow". They know it's expensive, but you are most likely to get their justifications after that.

 

Say matter of factly "Did you know that every cigarette you smoke creates the craving for the next?"

 

Not saying it's a nasty habit, that makes it sound acceptable, say it's a nasty addiction, which sounds to the smoker like you accept them and they are more likely to listen to you if they feel you understand their addiction.

 

Nobody wants to smoke, all who say they do are just fooling themselves but they are caught in a trap and saying they are stupid for falling for the trap is not helping anyone. So cut them some slack!

 

Saz

[MrFill]

Maybe if the government kept on doubling the tax on cigarettes every year, it'd slowly "break" people of the habit because they can't afford it.

 

It'd also help go a LONG way to bringing the NHS back into line of being a decent health service.

 

Then again, they'd probably just use the money to give themselves pay raises. :P

[Ryan]

If I asked you to put a cigarette out and you turned round and said "No' date=' I'm not going to put it out for you!", I'd find an unpleasant way of doing it myself. Why in god's name would you be so rude about it, have you never heard of courtesy?[/quote']

 

if you asked me to put it out in the street i'd say no but i wouldnt stay near you i'd go somewhere else so my smoke wouldnt affect you, or i'd say if you dont like my smoke why are you standing near me, i dont smoke anymore but smokers & their smoke dont annoy me.

[MrFill]

or i'd say if you dont like my smoke why are you standing near me

The problem I have with this attitude is that often smokers will come and stand next to somebody, when they ask the smoker to stop, they reply with the "don't stand near me then" - it was the smoker who came and stood near me, not the other way round.

 

If somebody was smoking, I wouldn't go and stand next to them and then complain, mainly because I don't want my clothes stinking and to possibly get cancer.