News, French smoking ban in full effect.

[Mooseketeer]

It took the French long enough but I am glad that I will now finally be able to enjoy the pleasures of Cafes and Restaurants without having to choke. I am sure though that the ban will be ignored by quite a few hardened-smokers...

I hope the 79% behind the ban can make the other 21 % see sense...

Being French I grew up surrounded by people who smoked and was pretty much the only one who didn't so for me a victory of common sense over "coolness" and addiction.

The effects of smoking have been known for decades now, passive smoking is also extremely bad for you so why should anyone be allowed to poison my air for something as stupid as a puff ?

If I started to put mustard gas in the air even in tiny, tiny doses I would be done for attempted murder ( quite rightly so). You are not allowed to drink and drive ( for good reasons), take drugs( for good reasons) or hurt people ( for good reasons). Exactly how different is smoking in public ?


If people want to kill themselves , that is their prerogative but let them do it in private places where innocent bystanders do not have to suffer from it.

I felt like that when I was 6, 12, 24, 35, and still do now. I cannot believe people actually see this as an issue of civil liberties.

People's human rights liberties stop when mine and other people's health and well being are infringed.

By all means smoke like a chimney in the privacy of your own home or private smoking clubs but please let the majority of us who have no death wish live and breathe as we were meant to before Tobacco was introduced to the World.

Pollution is bad enough but something as avoidable as cigarette smoke shouldn't even be an issue.

[Moth]

If people want to kill themselves , that is their prerogative but let them do it in private places where innocent bystanders do not have to suffer from it.

I felt like that when I was 6, 12, 24, 35, and still do now. I cannot believe people actually see this as an issue of civil liberties.

Well you're point is well taken and I agree more than not. The only issue I have is that would it not be more fair for the owner of a cafe to decide for himself?

Public spaces are one thing. The government has a right and indeed a responsibility to regulate such areas. But a cafe is a private business. If you are correct and 79% of France wants this, well, I would think plenty of cafes would simply ban smoking and cater to the majority of the market while a few would allow smoking and cater to the minority.

As I said, I benefit from this as I do not smoke. But what is next? Now in the States, some governments are trying to ban trans fats. More and more, the government treats us like children rather than allowing us to make up our own minds. When does it stop?

So yes, I can concur. But we do lose something while doing this.