Quit Smoking or Quit Eating
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I’m not here to pass judgement on anybody, but there’s some bad news for you smokers: the state of Washington passed Initiative 901 this week, effectively banning smoking from bars, restaurants, bowling alleys, etc. For non-smokers like myself, this is relatively good news. When I lived in California, I took the “no smoking in public places” for granted. I got used to walking into restaurants without being asked if I wanted to sit in the smoking or non-smoking section. No matter how far away I sat, I was still too close to airborn cigarette byproduct. Unless all of America’s smokers up and move to a single city, I see it as just a matter of time before all states pass smoking moratoriums in public areas (at least, where food and beverages are served). I’m sure most smokers have already tried to quit smoking - like I’ve tried to quit coffee, time and again. Then again, coffee really doesn’t hurt people around me (unless I drink too much of it and start flailing about). Pretty soon, you may have to quit smoking - or quit going outside altogether.
We all have certain freedoms in our society, but the line is finally being drawn between personal and public noxiousness. I fart all the time at home, admittedly - I’m human. But I’m not about to do it in the middle of a restaurant. That’d kinda be rude, wouldn’t it? Not to mention, it might ruin your appetite? Now, I’m not trying to draw a direct parallel between farting and smoking - but you have to admit that both of ‘em ain’t exactly lemony fresh. No smoking means no smoking, and there’s not much you can do about the law (except change it, quite possibly, in the next election). I’ve never been a smoker, and I don’t really see it as a habit I’d pick up anytime soon. Please, I do enough damage to my body with the vices I already have! Smoking, in and of itself, isn’t bad - and it’s perfectly fine in your personal space. That said, I’m sure your computer hardware will thank you should you decide not to smoke around it - because they can get gummed up, too. I’m not making that up, either. This isn’t just about your health or my health. PCs need clean air as well!
[tags]smoking,no smoking,smoking ban,quit smoking,stop smoking,nicotine,addiction,cigarette[/tags]
3 Comments
norm
April 18th, 2007
at 3:42pm
I’m also a nonsmoker, BUT No! Smoke free in privately own businesses like bars, restaurant, bowling alleys, etc. should be up to the person that put the money into the business if you don’t like it go some place that wants to be none smoking not forced into it AFTER they have invested THEIR TIME! and THEIR MONEY in to it! The exceptions should only be where you may HAVE TO GO hospitals, airports, train stations, and all government builds.
Jes
January 5th, 2008
at 3:08am
They passed moratorium 1 year ago in Hawaii. I am a smoker but I am quite pleased that even I no longer have to smole ten cigarettes at a time when in a bar (even when I am not lighting up).
Beyond ‘who invested the money’ is another very important set of people. These are the employees who mus smoke everyones cigarettes all day long. Further the less smoking in public places, the less kids will end up as smokers. They see less and less role models smoking and so less will choose to smoke. They wont get seduced into the addiction I have that I very well wish I never had. I am 39 and a still trying to quit smoker. ARGGG.
Hawaii is going to pass another smoking law this year, No Smoking in a car with minors in it! To hell with your rights, your killing youre children with that malarkey. Poisoning kids is not a right and smoking in a house with kids or smoking within 25 feet of a minor shouldbe illegal to. I’d just as soon they outlawed tobacco, its far worse than marijuana. Plus I would then find quitting MUCH easier.
michael stoneman
August 23rd, 2008
at 9:28am
In the end the government has become to powerfull. And we have let them get to were they are today. The founding father never intended the federal government to get so powerfull that it could mandate and controle a business owners preferances.
I dont see why people cant seem to get it threw their head that the country is not going to stop smoking. Not to mention when you actually look at the studies all these people totating oh lunger cancer this, second hand smoke that. The information the spit out is the biased twisted information fed them by the media.
When you actually look at the CDC data and other studies data a white male who smokes only has a 8% chance of lung cancer were as a non smoker only has 1% chance. The government labs could not even cause cancer in mice that they left sitting in a cage pumped full of ciggerate smoke. Hmm thats a hell of alot of second hand smoke.
The truth of the matter is the human race has yet to figure out WHERE cancer is coming from. We now the biological process that produces it, but were not sure why our cells are reacting in this manner. But since we cant figure it out even with all of our tech and knowledge we are afraid of it.
Do to our fear we iggnorantly blame what ever we can to explain were it comes from. All this is only leading us in steps backwards from discovering the truth. Does ciggerates increase the chacne of getting cancer? Yes but so does every thing else. Tuna, Liqour, food, water, the air you breathe.
Lets stop being ignorant and thinking if we ban ciggerates that everything will be all better.