Quote:
Originally Posted by STLCardsBlues1989
People have a right to put themselves at risk smoking if they'd like to. Why can't we have smoking and nonsmoking bars? And the whole "Dying of lung cancer" thing is kind of a weak comeback in my opinion. True, smoking is dangerous, but it doesn't necessarily mean that smoking will kill you. You could die of any kind of cancer, heart disease, car accident, a number of things. Why can't business owners decide to allow smoking or not?
In states that don't ban smoking in bars, it seems like most bar owners prefer to allow smoking, business wise anyway. Why? If the majority of bar patrons don't like it, why do bar owners allow it? If a patron doesn't like smoking in a bar, don't go there. If it bothers you that much, find somewhere else to go, or just gather with some friends at someone's house.
And please don't try to demonize smokers so much. Yes, what they do to themselves is harmful, but so are many other things we do. Should we try to stop fat people from eating fattening food? Should unhealthy, possibly deadly food, be taxed like cigarettes are? Fast food eaten often over a period of time can cause obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and liver failure. But nobody's keeping fat people from eating? I'm not trying to be offensive here, but honestly, should we allow unhealthy and obese people to continue to eat the foods that may kill them?
And speaking of bars, do you think every patron that leaves a bar, smoking or nonsmoking, is entirely sober? Do bars check? I would guess not all of them do. So, how about rather than worrying if the guy next to you is smoking, have somebody check patrons before they leave and call a cab if they need it.
People don't get enough sleep either, which could potentially kill you. Can you force people to get more sleep? Can you make sure sleepy people don't drive? How?
I'm being extreme, I know. My point is, how can you make sure any potentially harmful activity is avoided? There are bigger things to worry about than demonizing smokers. And it seems silly that somebody can get wasted in a bar, which can be harmful in itself, and go out and do something reckless, and possibly endanger someone else. But, don't you dare try to smoke! Either you'll give me cancer or you'll kill yourself in 30 years!
And most smokers I know are considerate enough to not purposely blow smoke in someone's face. And most smokers I know will sit in smoking areas in restaurants, or will wait until they go outside, but they shouldn't have to go outside to smoke. There should be either some part of the bar/restaurant to smoke in or smoking and nonsmoking bars.
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Ok for your speaking in terms of people leaving a bar drunk and then driving being a danger... You are right, it is, which is why...... it is ILLEGAL to do so. It can harm not only you, but another innocent by stander who had nothing to do with you drinking other than being in your way at some point causing a collision. As for your fat people arguement, which sorry is a rather weak one at that, you are missing the big point to this whole thing. If you stuff your face to the point of being stuck in your bed and needing a fork lift to get you out, then you know what, it sucks to be you, but you aren't risking someone else's life... Well I suppose if your fat _ _ _ falls on the person trying to help you out of bed you could kill them, but overall, your fat _ _ _ is only harming YOU, not an innocent bystander. And as for bar owners allowing people to smoke, well sure why not? It was the social norm as of late, but lets not forget other social norms that have went by the way side decades ago that no one even says boo about anymore such as having spittoons in all the bars and restaurants. Heck why not just bring those back too and put big ole' spittoons on the floor right next to all the tables right? How would you feel to walk into a bar or restaurant today and see spit all over the floor laced with chew and a big ole' spittoon right in the middle of it. Pretty radical and disgusting sounding right? Well that is exactly what people will think about the fact that people used to smoke where food was being prepared and served in future years to come.
So you can't smoke in a restaurant or bar, so what? Go outside for 5 minutes, puff your brains out and come back in. If it is super cold outside, then smoke in your car before coming in and then smoke on your way out, or just go out to your car and smoke in there.
I remember when I was speaking about a past memory and brought up the fact that people used to smoke on airplanes to my neighbor's kids and they were shocked that people used to smoke on planes and said, "thats disgusting, how could you breathe on a plane filled with smoke?" Which is the exact reason that was outlawed. Hmmm, I can see, "how could you breathe in a bar?" being asked in about 10 years.
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01-24-2008, 12:58 AM
...As I`ve said I have respect for people and always go outside, unless in my own home, to smoke. Having said that why am I not shown the same amount of respect and indeed common sense? I can no longer smoke on any train station in the UK. I can stand on the station in the wind and pouring rain, catching pneumonia and inhaling copious amounts of diesel fumes. But light a smoke in the open air and you face the wrath of the oh so self righteous brigade...Common Sense?? It left town with a bunch of freedoms...
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