Smoking Bans: Banning Freedom

[Locke]

Stories like this scare me when I stop and think how many of my closest friends smoke relatively heavily.

Yeah, it sucks. A few of my closer friends smoke heavily. After seeing that go down, it's made me realize that I'm going to outlive all of them, and not by a little. If someone who has never smoked a cigarette her entire life has pre-cancerous cells in her lungs at 26, I can't imagine some of these guys you smoke a pack a day...

[Valandui]

But people are forcing you to leave or avoid the place. I feel you hit upon it earlier, that its not to much of a burden on the smoker to merely walk a few feet outside.

As for the subject on hand: I understand the personal freedom, and acceptance of consequences, of it but i feel when you impose your own bad habits onto others then its a problem. And yes, you wont immediately fall down and start decaying the minute you inhale second hand smoke, but i have yet to hear a single positive thing about even being around the smoke. If there is even a extremely small chance of it negatively affecting other peoples health(which lets face it, the subject on hand is), then it shouldnt be allowed.

And for the record, i used to smoke. Until a year ago, i would smoke on occasion when drinking. I still hang out with smokers and even allow it in my car(which is a 2010 GMC truck, thing is a beast, took a baseball bat from a psycho wench with relatively minor damage). I have little problem with lighting up and facing the consequences of my bad decisions later in life, but again, i shouldnt be allowed to effect others with my own choices. I think thats where you have to draw the line.

I completely agree. That's why I said I'm kind of divided on the issue. I can understand and agree with both arguments.

[tylerdolphin]

Yeah, it sucks. A few of my closer friends smoke heavily. After seeing that go down, it's made me realize that I'm going to outlive all of them, and not by a little. If someone who has never smoked a cigarette her entire life has pre-cancerous cells in her lungs at 26, I can't imagine some of these guys you smoke a pack a day...

Its weird though...Im pretty sure its genetic and cigarettes just trigger it. Both of my grandpas were heavy smokers, one until about 70 and the other until 63. The latter was closer to two packs a day than 1. The former used to smoke cigars plus a pack of cigarettes. The one who smoked till 70 died pretty much of old age at 82 and the other is still trucking along at 71 with seemingly no ill effects. On the other hand I know people that got cancer and died in their 50 or live lower quality lives now because of emphysema and such.

Either way, its not a gamble I was ever interested in taking. For all the retarded bull**** Ive ever done, I have only smoked one cigarette in my life and I was blackout drunk when I did that. **** that noise. I look at cigarette filters in the ashtrays and just shake my head...so nasty.

[Locke]

Its weird though...Im pretty sure its genetic and cigarettes just trigger it. Both of my grandpas were heavy smokers, one until about 70 and the other until 63. The latter was closer to two packs a day than 1. The former used to smoke cigars plus a pack of cigarettes. The one who smoked till 70 died pretty much of old age at 82 and the other is still trucking along at 71 with seemingly no ill effects. On the other hand I know people that got cancer and died in their 50 or live lower quality lives now because of emphysema and such.

Either way, its not a gamble I was ever interested in taking. For all the retarded bull**** Ive ever done, I have only smoked one cigarette in my life and I was blackout drunk when I did that. **** that noise. I look at cigarette filters in the ashtrays and just shake my head...so nasty.

Yeah, I think you're right. I had a neighbor growing up who was in her 80s and smoked a pack a day. She sounded like she was choking on a small rodent when coughing, and her voice would make even Hulk Hogan wet himself, but she was alive. She died a few years ago, 91 or something years old. Of course that's the extreme exception. This dude I work with is in his early 30s, but looks late 40s. Claims to have been smoking regularly since he was 18. To hell with that...

[Valandui]

Yeah, I think you're right. I had a neighbor growing up who was in her 80s and smoked a pack a day. She sounded like she was choking on a small rodent when coughing, and her voice would make even Hulk Hogan wet himself, but she was alive. She died a few years ago, 91 or something years old. Of course that's the extreme exception. This dude I work with is in his early 30s, but looks late 40s. Claims to have been smoking regularly since he was 18. To hell with that...

All of my aunts and uncles smoked around us growing up. My sister, my cousin, and myself have avoided smoking since. My cousin in Vegas smokes, but he wasn't really around us. That was enough to make me never do it.

[The Confessor]

As somebody mentioned, this isn't the 70's or 80's anymore. Sometimes as a Society, we actually do get smarter.


I have to ask. Does anybody have an issue with the law banning people from driving with an open container of alcohol? It used to be okay.

I don't see any difference. In both instances, one person is deciding the fate of others around them.
There is ZERO doubt that 2nd hand smoke causes cancer.

I don't think anybody has the right to push cancer on me or my kids.

[CedarPhin]

What's wrong with the open container law?

DUI penalties are too harsh as well.

[CedarPhin]

Smoking inside bars is an issue you've got to let the people decide, not state senators and state reps.

[Dolphins9954]

What's wrong with the open container law?

DUI penalties are too harsh as well.

I totally agree with that. 0.8 is way to low to justify a DUI. My friends and I had a blow device and had some fun with it. I had almost 2 1/2 beers and blew a 0.8 and barely had a buzz. If I ever run for public office my platform will be to raise the DUI limit. Let's see how that goes over.

[Dolphins9954]

As somebody mentioned, this isn't the 70's or 80's anymore. Sometimes as a Society, we actually do get smarter.


I have to ask. Does anybody have an issue with the law banning people from driving with an open container of alcohol? It used to be okay.

I don't see any difference. In both instances, one person is deciding the fate of others around them.
There is ZERO doubt that 2nd hand smoke causes cancer.

I don't think anybody has the right to push cancer on me or my kids.

You take your kids to bars and night clubs?