Rant...

pmckeealaska

I agree with the idea that some non-smokers have gone overboard with the whole smoking thing. However, I feel zero sympathy for smokers who feel put out because they have to leave a building to smoke or because they get taxed for their habit. Bottom line is, smokers are addicts. If you dont want to get taxed, stop smoking. And as far as employers forcing people to stop smoking, that is well within their rights. I certainly wouldnt want to have to pay the higher prices for healthcare just because some of the folks I employed were addicts. What, should they pay for healthcare for folks that are addicted to heroin? It is the SAME thing. If you choose to engage in activities that you know are bad/dangerous for you, then you should be the one to pay for it, not the rest of society, and this includes fat people, alcoholics, bungee jumpers, etc. I choose to drink on occasion, and I have no problem with paying the taxes for it.

masanz1

Our work has a no tobbaco policy. No chewing or smoking unless in the designated area. I quit chewing 4 years ago because of it which is a good thing. The only ban I believe on smoking should be restaurants and bars. We have laws in Oregon where you cannot smoke within x amount of feet of some buildings. This puts you roughly in the middle of the street so you can get hit by traffic and cause other issues.

Skynut wrote:

You can always start chewing tobaco, as long as you do not spit ON anyone they should just STFU.
As for the rest of the sugestions, they are comming.
The fat tax will have a nice sounding name like excersize motivation tax.
Alcohol is already taxed and will continue to rise.
Dangerous sports will be protested and many will be outlawed because so many people feel like they should decide how to keep you safe.
DNA testing will become manditory and you will be charged acording to your healt risk assement.
Then we can add the constant monitoring of your blood and it's contents to insure you are doing all you can to be all you can be.

BIZILL

banned public smoking is a good thing to a certain extent as discussed here. outdoors in a park is rediculous. if a non-smoking person who only frequents a single given park that has not banned smoking and goes to an insurance company to obtain coverage and tests positive for nicotine (ain't gonna happen), then that person can go ahead and persue a non-smoking outdoor movement as well. i can see this scenario happening in a bar, where there is so much smoke as it is. but please draw the line there and go no further.

VR3

Heres what I have to say about smoking...

It smells horrible...
It makes things look horrible (ever taken a picture off the wall of a smokers house (that smokes indoors))?
It ages you
It causes cancer
It costs alot of money
I dont like it

Now all of those things before I Dont Like It are facts, but that last one is my opinion and thats all that matters to me. Ban it, please - in every way. Make it 100% illegal, cars dont bother me, I dont gotta eat and breathe around a muffler. People who smoke around me when Im breathing and eating become that muffler though...

MacLeod

Demi has it. It boils down to private property rights. If a dude owns a restaurant and wants to make it a non smoking joint, thats perfectly fine. Same should be true if a dude owns a restaurant and wants to allow smoking.

And I dont buy the second hand smoke theory either. People that smoke 2 packs a day for 30 years MIGHT get lung cancer. How the hell are you gonna get lung cancer by breathing some stray smoke? You also gotta realize that second smoke has already passed thru a filter and thru the smokers lungs. There aint much of anything left in it!

Im a non smoker and hate eating in restaurants that allow smoking, but I believe in private property rights more than I hate eating around smokers.

bobman1235

Vr3MxStyler2k3 wrote:

Heres what I have to say about smoking...

It smells horrible...
It makes things look horrible (ever taken a picture off the wall of a smokers house (that smokes indoors))?
It ages you
It causes cancer
It costs alot of money
I dont like it

Now all of those things before I Dont Like It are facts, but that last one is my opinion and thats all that matters to me. Ban it, please - in every way. Make it 100% illegal, cars dont bother me, I dont gotta eat and breathe around a muffler. People who smoke around me when Im breathing and eating become that muffler though...

Maybe you should outlaw body odor too. Get a clue, Sid, honestly. I wish they'd outlaw kids with uninformed opinions from speaking their minds.

I quit smoking a couple years ago and now dislike being around it (when sober), but it's called personal rights. If someone wants to smoke in their own "zone" without bothering your sensitive nose they should be allowed to.

aaharvel

what bob just said.

BUT they do need to improve the dividing lines of what designates a "Smoking" and "Non-Smoking" area.

aaharvel

steveinaz wrote:

So what is the "second-hand smoke" bandwagoneers doing about vehicle emmissions, which are thousands of times more concentrated and dangerous?...NOTHING. Wanna know why? Because they LIKE their cars, so thats an acceptable risk. People are a trip, "I don't want to smell your smoke, because I've got a 1000' bungee cord jump this afternoon...." Sheesh.

Sorry that don't wash with me.

sorry but being vulnerable to 2nd hand smoking in indoor facilities and driving a car outdoors isn't in the same game, league or sport.

aaharvel

steveinaz wrote:

You missed the 60 minutes look at this huh? Can't remember the names of the companies involved, they spoke with employees on the show. Employees were given a altimatum; take 90 days and quit or be terminated. The Company did agree to provide smoking cessation classes (how nice). Guess how they're going to verify that you've quit? DRUG TESTING. That's right. Not only do they want you not to smoke at work, they don't want you to smoke, period.

Are you ready for your Cholesterol test and body fat index? Better prepare...you will be next.

i missed the 60min. special but i did see a thing where an older guy did test his employees for tobacco or something to that effect. As much as I disagree with that, it's his company and they have to sign the agreement upon date of hire. They know what they're getting themselves into when they sign on the dotted line. That might have been the 60min. you're talking about Steve, but i'm not sure. Sounds familiar though.

aaharvel

steveinaz wrote:

Are you ready for your Cholesterol test and body fat index? Better prepare...you will be next.

nah. my cholestrol's fine and my body fat is 10%.

ohskigod

the private business thing is a moot point. there are tons of code they have to follow. nonsmoking is just another.

also, correct me if I am wrong, but businesses are not private, they are open to the public and subject to a littany of laws based to that effect. again, nonsmoking is just another

Tour2ma

HBomb Too wrote:

Eat dinner, down huge glass of milk, smoke cigerette which makes for a damn fine HOCKER :>)

LOL... smoking while drinking milk is the essence of hardcore.

Smokers should pay higher insurance premiums.

None of the restrictions bothered me... that is until they started banning smoking in bars. That's just un-American...

I-SIG

steveinaz wrote:

Why are ONLY smokers targeted?

They're not, Steve. Don't forget we are owners of the "G" word too!

Wes

Dennis Gardner

Steve, you must have missed the memo: Its part of the master plan..............get rid of all the smokers, dippers, drinkers, fatties, smellies, uglies, & bitchers.

Someday the whole world will look like the Playboy Mansion.;)

steveinaz

Yep true Wes, another targeted hobby! LOL!

As far as companies policies go, I have no problem with a company that states UP FRONT their policy. What I'm referencing is companies with 10, 20, 30 year employees getting fired because the policy has CHANGED.

I wonder if you all would feel the same if your company started a "no-alcohol" policy...huh?

steveinaz

Dennis Gardner wrote:

Steve, you must have missed the memo: Its part of the master plan..............get rid of all the smokers, dippers, drinkers, fatties, smellies, uglies, & bitchers.

Someday the whole world will look like the Playboy Mansion.;)

Ed Zachry Dennis, we'll all look like little fit Kalifornians. **** Germany I say!

LOL!

George Grand

Steve, if you and I lived near each other we'd be locked up in hours. I smoke outdoors. I smoke in my garage with the door open in freakin' February so my house won't smell like cigarettes.

This pig f9cking country is overweight to the gills. I have to watch you hang a handicapped sign in your windshield and get a good parking spot because you never met a cheeseburger you didn't like? People being paid disability money because their scrawny legs will no longer support their lard asses? It's taking twice as much jet fuel to haul your **** around the sky than it is mine, and I'm paying the same price for a ticket that you are? They ought to make you buy two train or plane tickets if you overlap into my seat. In today's paper I think they said that 30% of service age kids are not eligible for military service cause they're obese. So MY daughter is eligible to be drafted someday because she CAN exercise some self-control?

I'm gettin' really nuts over this ****.

Tour2ma

George Grand wrote:

I have to watch you hang a handicapped sign in your windshield and get a good parking spot because you never met a cheeseburger you didn't like?

LOL... I have faith that Wal-Mart will put an end to obesity... either that or they'll have to expand their shopping go-kart fleet.

VR3

Bob,

Blah blah blah...

I think smoking should be banned, ouch - you think my opinion should be banned. Atleast you can put me on an ignore list (which I recomend you do btw) - I cant put smokers on my ignore list, I could - but that dosnt really help with the stinch...(sp)

George Grand

When my regime comes into power......

If you sell spandex to a fa-fa-fatty, you get the **** kicked out of you, and then a fine.

Screw it, I'm on a roll...... If you wear jogging **** out in public, you best be jogging. Automatic fine. Sweats? Who was the scumball that started this ****? My grandparents (they raised me) made me dress up to get on the farking New York City subway. NOW? I get on a commercial airliner and have to hold my nose as the great unwashed (literally) are dragging bad air past me as they go down the aisle. You know that one's the worst cause you're already seated and they're standing, so your nose is right at zorch level. Wash yourself you ****!

George Grand

AND I'm gonna blow my own horn. The military gives standardized physical tests now. You get your waist measured, and you step on a scale. Then some people have to run, and some don't. Some don't if you satisfy ANY of these three.
1. Smoker
2. Age 50 or older
3. If you might be pregnant.

So I satisfy all three. Instead of running, I have to quick step on the simulated stair step thing for three minutes. Then as many push-ups as you can do, and then as many sit-ups as you can do in one minute. I'm giving them fifty push-ups and 40-45 sit-ups. Then they take all your numbers and put them in a computer. The computer spits out your "age". Well last year I was 26, and this year I was 25. Meanwhile, the 20-30 year old slobs that can't do 10 damn pushups, and are laughing at ME cause I smoke, are getting told by the computer that they're 55-60 years old. Hey fats, wanna Lucky?

aaharvel

Tour2ma wrote:

LOL... smoking while drinking milk is the essence of hardcore.

no ****.

Tour2ma

Vr3MxStyler2k3 wrote:

... but that dosnt really help with the stinch...(sp)

WTF's a "stinch".

Ricardo

I smoked for 30 years and quit six months ago. yeah, yeah, the banning, the nasty looks, the feeling "second class" citizen...I suffered all that and hated it.

But, right now all I can say to regular smokers is: think about taking that important decision of quitting; you'll feel soooooooo good....

organ

They've banned indoor smoking here in Canada about a year and half ago. Bars, restaurants, clubs, etc.

I never had a problem because I'm used to smoking outside. Yes, even when it's -40oC in the middle of winter. I still live with my parents so there's no way I can smoke in the house.

I quit for 8 months last year and it was great(I used Nicorette). Then one day this summer, I was feeling down and didn't care much about anything anymore and asked my friend for a smoke. BANG, now I'm back to smoking 2 packs a week again. Tried to quit twice this year but no luck.

I plan to quit again by the end of this summer. I felt healthier when I was smoke free last year. But DAMN, there's nothing like that first smoke in the morning with a cup of coffee:cool:.

But I agree with what's been said so far. Where do we draw the line?

Maurice

mrbigbluelight

litigated out of Big Tobacco ?

I smoke. I quit for 10 years and started back up. My choice. Would prefer not to but that's my problem.

But, by society's standards, my viewpoint should be warped to this:

"It's not my fault. States participated in selling tobacco for years (ie, Florida) and businesses profited for years in the selling of tobacco (via vending machines).
They promoted tobacco, they should fix me !!"

No, it's my choice. It's my problem to fix.

BUT: here's where the hypocrisy of the Anti-Smoking bunch is exposed. Know where all the money strong-armed out of Big Tobacco to help pay for all the tobacco related health care costs have gone ? Well, you're driving on it everyday to work, Mr/Mrs I-Don't-Want-to-Breath-Your-Secondhand-Smoke person.
It went into highway funds and a myriad of other funds.
Oh, sure, some went into anti-smoking "programs", ie, 2 cent pamplets that say "Don't Smoke".

Let's take all the money that was squeezed out of Big Tobacco and put it TRULY into tobacco-related health care costs. Let's use that money to pay for TRULY effect smoking cessation programs.

BUT: here's the kicker. All that money that you've enjoyed to pay for highways, etc for free (not unlike a welfare queen) will have to come from another source. In other words, we'll have to raise YOUR taxes !!

"Oh, no !! You can't do that !! I just want to ban cigarette smoking in public, because I don't smoke and it doesn't affect ME ! But if you use tobacco money for what it was meant for, than that will affect ME, the non-smoker, by causing my taxes to be reaised !!! Wahhhhhhhhh !"

F1nut

I like this guy, tells it like it is!

StopherJJ1980

steveinaz wrote:

Bob, to an extent I agree with you. My question is, where does it stop? If you are a rock climber, shouldn't you be charged more? You are prone to more injury correct? If you're a bungee jumper, parachutist, motorcyclist, fisherman, hunter, cage fighter, gymnist, ****, straight, meat eater, coal miner....

Get my point? Why are ONLY smokers targeted?

Try and get some health care beyond your basic work plan or life insurance... you bet they take other risk factors into account when calculating premiums.

StopherJJ1980

steveinaz wrote:

So what is the "second-hand smoke" bandwagoneers doing about vehicle emmissions, which are thousands of times more concentrated and dangerous?...NOTHING. Wanna know why? Because they LIKE their cars, so thats an acceptable risk. People are a trip, "I don't want to smell your smoke, because I've got a 1000' bungee cord jump this afternoon...." Sheesh.

Sorry that don't wash with me.

The reason they care about smoke and not emissions is because smoke it annoying. You can smell and taste it around you. Besides nowadays driving is almost a near neccesity, smoking is far from it. And Im sure 99% of people who complain about smokers go bungee jumping right after *dripping with sarcasm*

StopherJJ1980

OK Im gonna be blunt here because I have a few drinks in me. And I expect this to go over about as well as my health care comment a month or two ago.

This whole thread is dumb. Smoking is something you choose to do. I whole heartedly support your right to smoke where ever it doesnt bother other people. But you must realize that it is annoying and bother the S out of some people and youve got respect that. While bars and restaurants are private businesses, they are also public spaces. The gov't is supposed to be representative of the people (a whole other thread of debate) and clearly a majority of the people dont want smoking in public, so the gov't makes a law.

As far as comparing it to other things such as weight or whatever, very few things affect everyone withina 10 ft. radius of you the way smoking does.

As far as health care, well its a business and they'd be stupid not to discriminate against people who choose to smoke.

You dont like how society treats smokers? Tough. Because by the way it is society vs. the smokers. Majority vs. minority. If you are asking for the majority to accomodate you and suffer annoyances because you choose to smoke then THAT is the definition of selfishness and narrowmindedness. Dont demonize the rest of us because you cant smoke wherever you want.