Quote:
Originally Posted by Luke9686
The problem with bans like these is where does it end. Soon you wont be able to smoke in your car/house. Next you wont be able to play music above a certain level. Then you wont be able to play a certain type of music. Next they will tell you what music to listen to.
You see where this is going, right??
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Yes, but to mention music choices, well, getting a little 'off topic'
"People are like sheep, easily led" but " Even sheep should have brains enough not to follow the wolf"
Anti-smokers have an agenda and are using lawmakers to further their cause. Result- more "don't do this, don't do that " laws.
It has become a world-wide 'witch hunt'. Think colonial Salem,Mass,,or Rebs vs Yankees,,or Adolph Hitler, Henry Ford, and Fr. Coughlin vs. Jewish,, McCarthy and most of the US looking for communists,, Anti-Arabic,, Anti-gay marriage,etc. In later years many regretted having so much hate.
Do NOT read that this is an opinion on any of those issues, please.
In many cases,Public opinion could decide where smoking is not acceptable. Many fast food restaurants banned smoking without need for laws, they wanted to keep their restaurants air family friendly.
And before all these laws, did not people speak up for themselves,as in "please do not smoke near me" Cannot the lawmakers instead penalize those who smoke where signs prohibit such? That's how they enforce handicapped parking. If a sign is posted, and the law broken, then tickets are written.
Smokers have become pariahs, and most already are conditioned to avoid smoking in public buildings.
California is one of the states with least smokers due to public opinion and the native instinct to follow the crowds.
I won't deny cigarette smoke is toxic, its rather obvious. But so also is auto exhaust fumes, fumes from the meat cooking, fumes from wall paneling, inside new cars, factory exhaust, even some dust in the home from many sources, (not to mention those deadly fumes from anything containing peanuts, perfume scents for those allergic, the list can be added to...)
Lexington Kentucky banned smoking in all public places, even bars. To stay in business some bars added outdoor patios. I was in one bar there couple years ago. 100 seats indoors, only 6-7 in the building. About 50 were out on the patio. And one Nazi seated inside the bar needed something to complain about, went outdoors to join friends and proceeded to complain that the fumes were going to kill him and smoking (outdoors) should also be banned. Do the math, would the bar stay in business?
I would favor big warning signs that there is smoking in a building.
States have collected billions in cigarette taxes and penalties from the tobacco companies. Have they banned tobacco sales? What? and lose that revenue? How much of that is spent on smoking cessation assistance? Those prescriptions can be expensive. As a result we see college age or younger kids taking up smoking when they
know it is not healthy.
Lawmakers have not addressed a possible loss of tax revenue when more quit. Instead they raise the taxes "for their own good" to compensate for less tobacco sales. Sounds like it could not be true. But when we all conserved heat and gasoline in the 70's, taxes and utility rates had to be raised to keep the same revenue stream.
We 'did the right thing' then and were penalized for it.