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Should cigarette smoking be allowed in some bars & restaurants?

Should cigarette smoking be allowed in some bars & restaurants?

  • Total voters
    107
Amandi said:
I know the question wasnt directed at me but I am going to give my opinion. They are too dangerous. I realize you are Libertarian. You have your way of thinking and I have mine. I believe society has the right to enact laws for it's protection.
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How is ownership alone dangerous?

And by "enact laws", you mean force their will on others.
 
Amandi said:
With ownership comes the possibility of using it.



Well... yes.
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If we are talking possibilities, then everyone is a criminal, including you. You could easily blow up a car or oven. You could make bombs out of household products. You COULD be building a death star right now.

I believe in innocent until proven guilty.
 
Phil_Osophy said:
If we are talking possibilities, then everyone is a criminal, including you. You could easily blow up a car or oven. You could make bombs out of household products. You COULD be building a death star right now.

I believe in innocent until proven guilty.
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I understand where your belief comes from. I feel some things have too much potential for damage or the potential for too much damage to wait for their misuse before banning them. And please dont tell anyone about my death star or I might have to use my orbital mind control lazers.
 
I particularly like the designs that are at some airports and cafe bars. Smokers go to a small area surrounded with glass. The amount of smoke in there should be enough for free smoking but hey, why not light up another one :confused:

Anyway the entire area has a clear view on smokers that enter the smoking area. To me it looks like it is designed to resemble a zoo or the most wicked amongst us. It is a free show to see them and be entertained until time comes to go away. It looks like:

>>And over here you have people who are willing to put smoke directly to the blood in their lungs even though there are alternative and less damaging ways to nicotine. See, that is called a "cigarette" and see how they light them up and inhale poison. Observe, see! Amazing creatures!<<.
 
Inside buildings/businesses/confined spaces, I'm 100% fine with and supportive of 100% smoking bans for all people, all the time.

Outside, in open spaces smoke whatever you want.

This falls squarely into the "your rights stop where mine begin" camp.

I'd also support laws where smokers could be pulled over and fined for smoking inside their own cars if there's a child or children inside the car at the same time. I hate seeing a child in a car seat while the driver is smoking. I could easily be convinced that's child abuse.
 
What people do in their privately-owned business is no one's business but theirs and their customers.

If I want my bar to have smoking, it is NONE OF THE GOVERNMENT'S BUSINESS.

If patrons want no smoking, then don't come into my (theoretical) bar...simple.
 
Dragonfly said:
I'd also support laws where smokers could be pulled over and fined for smoking inside their own cars if there's a child or children inside the car at the same time. I hate seeing a child in a car seat while the driver is smoking. I could easily be convinced that's child abuse.
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I'm willing to go with this because children don't have to choice of whether or not to get in the car with a smoker. It's a completely different principle from entering into a building where you know smoking occurs. With that said let me restate my position that I do support a requirement that a prominent sign be posted that states smoking is allowed in an establishment.
 
DA60 said:
What people do in their privately-owned business is no one's business but theirs and their customers.

If I want my bar to have smoking, it is NONE OF THE GOVERNMENT'S BUSINESS.

If patrons want no smoking, then don't come into my (theoretical) bar...simple.
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If people want to smoke...go the F outside. Problem solved for all.

There's no rational "need" for smoking.

People don't have to smoke to survive, or work, or be productive, or squat.

It's not about the government either....it's about health, well being, and respect for people who don't smoke and don't want to be exposed to smoke.

I say this as someone who once smoked, and quit.

No matter how you slice it - smoking is an offensive, and unhealthy habit.

Take it outside. Everybody wins that way.
 
Dragonfly said:
If people want to smoke...go the F outside. Problem solved for all.

There's no rational "need" for smoking.

People don't have to smoke to survive, or work, or be productive, or squat.

It's not about the government either....it's about health, well being, and respect for people who don't smoke and don't want to be exposed to smoke.

I say this as someone who once smoked, and quit.

No matter how you slice it - smoking is an offensive, and unhealthy habit.

Take it outside. Everybody wins that way.
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There is no 'rational need' for TONS of things people do.

If I want to smoke in a bar and the owner/other patrons don't mind...then it is no one else's business.
 
DA60 said:
There is no 'rational need' for TONS of things people do.

If I want to smoke in a bar and the owner/other patrons don't mind...then it is no one else's business.
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As a patron I do mind. It really doesn't have anything to do with the smokers health but rather the stink of it. I don't want to eat out of an ashtray.

Too much attention as been on the dangers of smoking and second hand smoking . The smell of a burning cigarette is what really makes people angry.

From a businessman's view do they really want to allow smoking and lose the non-smoking customers?

People are simply going to have to learn how to go one hour while eating without smoking a cig. As the number of smokers continue to decrease there is no way the law is going to change.
 
maquiscat said:
This has nothing to do with the OP. I'm willing to bet that you can't stand smokers that smoke in places where it's not banned.
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It's an additional comment, yes, I see you can read.

And you're right, but I don't complain about them since they aren't breaking any rules for the sake of their habits.

DA60 said:
If I want my bar to have smoking, it is NONE OF THE GOVERNMENT'S BUSINESS.

If patrons want no smoking, then don't come into my (theoretical) bar...simple.
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Fair enough.
 
DA60 said:
There is no 'rational need' for TONS of things people do.

If I want to smoke in a bar and the owner/other patrons don't mind...then it is no one else's business.
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You keep forgetting employees.....

It is other peoples business. You can't control your smoke.

Go outside. Win-win. Period.

Have you ever cleaned the windows inside a smokers automobile?
Have you seen the disgusting yellow-brown buildup that collects on the windows over time?

That's the crap non-smokers don't want to deal with.

You don't have the right to infect everything around you with caustic and dangerous residue. Not to mention quite stinky residue.
 
Dragonfly said:
If people want to smoke...go the F outside. Problem solved for all.

There's no rational "need" for smoking.

People don't have to smoke to survive, or work, or be productive, or squat.

It's not about the government either....it's about health, well being, and respect for people who don't smoke and don't want to be exposed to smoke.

I say this as someone who once smoked, and quit.

No matter how you slice it - smoking is an offensive, and unhealthy habit.

Take it outside. Everybody wins that way.
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Equally solved by you not frequenting establishments that allow smoking. Quit acting like you're entitled to other's property and labor.
 
radcen said:
Should cigarette smoking be allowed in some bars & restaurants?

Most states have blanket bans against smoking in all bars and restaurants. No exceptions. As a result, you often see smokers huddled in small groups outside partaking in cigarettes.

I am not, and have never been, a smoker but to me this in inherently unfair. IMO, the state should set aside special permits for a small percentage of bars and restaurants where smoking be allowed. To pick a number, I would say 10% to 15% of bars and restaurants should be allowed to have smoking inside. Have them post a large sign at each entrance notifying potentials customers, so everyone is fully informed and able to make their own choice. No one needs to go in and act surprised.

I don't see the need to make them age-restricted to 18+ or 21+, but I could live with that compromise.

What think you?
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All bans should be lifted so long as it is a legal substance to use. It should entirely be up to the business owner and not people who have no stake in the company. People have a choice to enter a smoking establishment or not. And that is the key word there. Choice. Non-smokers have a choice to enter an establishment that allows smoking or not. Thier life is not dependent on going out to a restaurant...much less a bar. As such it is entirely their choice to visit one. It is also their choice to go to one that is voluntarily non-smoking or one that is voluntarily smoking.

Personally I find it troubling that people believe that they have a right to control other peoples lives to this extent just because they don't like the smell of cigarettes or think that they will get lung cancer due to second hand smoke because of the studies they hear about. Never realizing that those studies were done on people who are mostly chain smokers themselves or lived with chain smokers along with working in a smoking establishment. None of the studies I have ever seen are of people that visit a bar or restaurant for an hour out of an entire week. They are all on the extreme side of things.
 
Dragonfly said:
You keep forgetting employees.....

It is other peoples business. You can't control your smoke.

Go outside. Win-win. Period.

Have you ever cleaned the windows inside a smokers automobile?
Have you seen the disgusting yellow-brown buildup that collects on the windows over time?

That's the crap non-smokers don't want to deal with.

You don't have the right to infect everything around you with caustic and dangerous residue. Not to mention quite stinky residue.
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If the employees don't like it - then quit.
 
Dragonfly said:
What???????

The one's who are acting like their entitled to something are the smokers.
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Absolutely not. The militant nonsmokers wish to impose their will over the rights of property owner to mandate which legal activities are allowed. It's not your property and it's not your business, but you will assume ownership of it in order to get your way instead of engaging in informed consumerism to affect change.

You have no right to other people's property or labor.
 
maquiscat said:
So what positive health effects does bungee jumping have?
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Not sure. Perhaps confidence? Feeling alive? Challenging yourself to over come fear? I have never doe it but I have done various extreme sports. I will bet that nobody dies due to second hand bungee jumping though.
 
Kal'Stang said:
Personally I find it troubling that people believe that they have a right to control other peoples lives to this extent just because they don't like the smell of cigarettes or think that they will get lung cancer due to second hand smoke because of the studies they hear about. Never realizing that those studies were done on people who are mostly chain smokers themselves or lived with chain smokers along with working in a smoking establishment.
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Actually, generally those surveys are stacked in the first place.

Generally they are part of a survey taken by anybody with cancer or a lung ailment. My wife had to answer one both times she had cancer (thyroid, then ovarian-uterine).

The first time she said no, because I did not smoke. The second time she said yes, because I smoked.

Now is there a link between second hand smoke and uterine cancer? Not that I am aware of, but we both know that she became a "second hand smoke" statistic. And a friend of mine died of emphysema a few years ago, she never smoked or hung out with smokers. Even the doctor said it was likely caused by living her entire life in LA in the 1950's through 1980's, when it had among the worst smog in the world.

Do I believe the smoke is safe and harmless, no. But do I believe it is some kind of stalking killer where one whiff from 10 meters away will give somebody cancer? No, no more then smelling pot from that distance will make somebody high.
 
Ikari said:
People seem to really hate freedom. They seem to hate how people exercise their choices and feel they need to make others conform to their ideals so that their daily convenience isn't interrupted. It's kinda sick if you ask me.
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Just stirring the pot here..

So in your opinion, people should not have the freedom to go to a restaurant without putting their health at risk? Businesses should decide that for them? If they wish to not have their health put at risk, they should be forced to find a new job/eat somewhere else?
 
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