Petitioning for the Repeal of the Smoking Ban (Chicago: environment, job)

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

It should not be repealed. Just ammended. There needs to be non-smoking bars and smoking bars. Let people have a choice and freedom.

Agreed. Designate smoking and non-smoking bars/restaurants, simple as that.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by runninfiend

70%-30% could probably be construed as a vast majority.

If Illinois is only 20% smokers, then how much is the law really hurting business owners anyway?

I hear this argument a lot, but it makes no sense. I seriously doubt all of the 20% will stop going to establishments because they can no longer smoke there.

And even assuming they do, you're probably picking up another 20% of new customers who will come because they can finally breathe.

My inclination is to be opposed to this out-and-out ban on freedom of choice grounds, but as a former smoker who is now allergic, I don't particularly care and have no objection to it.

A higher percentage of people that go to bars are smokers than in the general population. If you add the people that go to bars and "socially smoke" and the non-smokers that do not mind smoke in bars, I am sure a decent majority of people that actually go to bars on a regular basis are against the ban. I am willing with confidence that more than 50% of people that go to bars smoke regularly or socially.

[desertsun41]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

And why are you in the Illinois Forum?

Well excuuuuuuuuuusssssssseeee mmmmmmmwwwwwaaa

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by desertsun41

Well excuuuuuuuuuusssssssseeee mmmmmmmwwwwwaaa

It is a valid question.

If you have never had or do not have ties to the area and are not thinking of moving here, I have no idea why you are here.

[NYrules]

Originally Posted by Chicago60614

I stay stick with it. You're not going to please all the people all the time, and a vast majority of people are cool with this law.

Ya I love this law. It has totally helped me quit smoking. I am now smoke free, feeling great, and loving it. Going out with friends on the weekends used to be my weak point always causing me to start back up by smoking OPC's then eventually buying another pack, but now that NOBODY can smoke in a bar or wherever, the other smokers I am out with that night cannot light up either, leading me to not have to deal with the "peer pressure" of seeing everyone else doing it making me want to light up again as well. I say stick with the law. Smokers will learn to adapt just as they have in NYC and CA. This is a great thing for IL.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by NYrules

Ya I love this law. It has totally helped me quit smoking. I am now smoke free, feeling great, and loving it. Going out with friends on the weekends used to be my weak point always causing me to start back up by smoking OPC's then eventually buying another pack, but now that NOBODY can smoke in a bar or wherever, the other smokers I am out with that night cannot light up either, leading me to not have to deal with the "peer pressure" of seeing everyone else doing it making me want to light up again as well. I say stick with the law. Smokers will learn to adapt just as they have in NYC and CA. This is a great thing for IL.

Good for you. How about when they go outside to smoke?That does not tempt you?

No states goal should be to force people to cease a legal behavior that they are getting taxed to Mars for.

If the states want people to quit smoking, let them ban the sale of cigarettes. That will never happen. The smokers are balancing states budgets and cannot even smoke in a bar. What a crock.

[NYrules]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

Good for you. How about when they go outside to smoke?That does not tempt you?

No states goal should be to force people to cease a legal behavior that they are getting taxed to Mars for.

If the states want people to quit smoking, let them ban the sale of cigarettes. That will never happen. The smokers are balancing states budgets and cannot even smoke in a bar. What a crock.

When it is 15 degrees outside like now, or in the summer when you go outside and get chewed alive by the mosquitos, no it won't entice me to want another cig. And the state is not forcing people to cease a legal behavior, they however are being fair to the some 70% of the populous that does NOT smoke. How fair is that a few smokers in a bar can ruin hundreds of non-smokers nights out just trying to have fun? Nothing is more disgusting than going out to a bar as a non-smoker, getting home later that night and realizing that you wreak of smoke so bad that you have to take a shower the moment you get home and wash your clothes and here's the best part, it's not even your fault other than for going out and trying to have a good evening.

My last experience in dealing with a smoking bar was out in Romeoville at some bar/sports bar place and some IDIOT right near me was smoking some disgusting stogie in there stinking the entire place up. It finally made a number of us nautious so we left after only being there a couple of hours where we otherwise would have stayed. So how fair is that to not only us, but the bar owner? There were 8 of us in all (three of us had to leave because of the smoke causing the entire group to leave) all due to one idiot in there stinking the place up, thus causing the bar owner to lose out on 8 potential customers to serve one cigar smoker? Hmmm I'm no mathmatician, but it would look like the bar owner lost some $$$ that night from us leaving, vs. had he told the guy to stop smoking of which the smoker most likely would have stayed and drank as well as us and the state would have made up for any potential tax $$$ lost on cigarette/cigar taxes made up for with alcohol tax on those $6 drinks we were drinking.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by NYrules

When it is 15 degrees outside like now, or in the summer when you go outside and get chewed alive by the mosquitos, no it won't entice me to want another cig. And the state is not forcing people to cease a legal behavior, they however are being fair to the some 70% of the populous that does NOT smoke. How fair is that a few smokers in a bar can ruin hundreds of non-smokers nights out just trying to have fun? Nothing is more disgusting than going out to a bar as a non-smoker, getting home later that night and realizing that you wreak of smoke so bad that you have to take a shower the moment you get home and wash your clothes and here's the best part, it's not even your fault other than for going out and trying to have a good evening.

My last experience in dealing with a smoking bar was out in Romeoville at some bar/sports bar place and some IDIOT right near me was smoking some disgusting stogie in there stinking the entire place up. It finally made a number of us nautious so we left after only being there a couple of hours where we otherwise would have stayed. So how fair is that to not only us, but the bar owner? There were 8 of us in all (three of us had to leave because of the smoke causing the entire group to leave) all due to one idiot in there stinking the place up, thus causing the bar owner to lose out on 8 potential customers to serve one cigar smoker? Hmmm I'm no mathmatician, but it would look like the bar owner lost some $$$ that night from us leaving, vs. had he told the guy to stop smoking of which the smoker most likely would have stayed and drank as well as us and the state would have made up for any potential tax $$$ lost on cigarette/cigar taxes made up for with alcohol tax on those $6 drinks we were drinking.

Ok, make 30% of the bars smoking and 70% smoking. Problem solved. but that would have been too easy for our great government.

Even many cigarette smokers dislike cigar smoke. It is much different than cigarette smoke. The cigar issue is completely different...

[NYrules]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

Ok, make 30% of the bars smoking and 70% smoking. Problem solved. but that would have been too easy for our great government.

Even many cigarette smokers dislike cigar smoke. It is much different than cigarette smoke. The cigar issue is completely different...

THATS 70%+30%??? That=100% SMOKING! LOL Problem solved for you smokers right? J/K

[aragx6]

I like that math!