Would You Be In Favor of a Statewide Public Smoking Ban? (Harrisburg: school, taxes)

[TERMINOLOGY]

Originally Posted by Jgar

I am a former smoker by one year this month. I do not like the smell of smoke on peoples clothing as well, but I would never impose these feelings on someone who does smoke. I understand how it feels. Some people do it, and hate that they can't quit. Others enjoy it. Everybody deserves to enjoy their rights. So, how do we do that? How do we please everybody? Restaurants for smokers and restaurants for non smokers? If a restaurant allows smoking, then they should have adequate ventilation to remove smoke from the air. Smoke does smell bad, however, the odor does dissipate after awhile. Whats the big deal? Why are there always "holier than thow" people? I hate the smell of liquor on peoples breath. I hate the smell of garlic on peoples breath. Am I going to complain till drinking alcolholic beverages, and garlic is removed from food? What's next? Breast feeding babies in public places? C'mon people.
What can we do that is reasonably fair for all. I invite suggestions.

Lisak64 had an excellent suggestion. Issue licenses to the establishments that want smoking. Limit the number of licenses by the ratio of the number of smokers to non smokers. We think the number of smokers may be 20% of the population of the country as a whole. The ratio currently in this poll reflects about 28%.

In addition, put the income from the license fee towards some common good. What common good, is another issue.

In addition, what liability if any would the establishment accept in regards to the health of it's clientele.

[ScranBarre]

Just as a reference point I read in this morning's Times-Leader that 24% of Pennsylvanians were smokers as of 2005, and 28% were smokers in my native Luzerne County. This was derived from a story they did about Wegman's making the decision to stop selling tobacco products in its stores starting next month.

[Katiana]

Originally Posted by TERMINOLOGY

But in a previous post you said that you thought that the issue should not be voted on in a referendum. I agree with your statement that the issue should be decided on that preponderance of scientific evidence.

But if the public should not decide via referendum, who should decide?

I'm not sure who you are referring to in the above, but I am the one who made those statements. I know it's a tricky issue in our society. It is usually the legislatures who make these decisions, e.g., pass the laws, and that is how it has to be done in this democracy. I would hope (perhaps naively) that they rely on the tobacco experts at the state health dept or the CDC when they pass the laws.

While I agree with SWB that there is far too much emphasis today on rights, I think the public health has to be considered. Should we really set up a place to make it easier to do something that is detrimental to one's health? I think it's great to make it as difficult as possible to smoke.

In addition, what liability if any would the establishment accept in regards to the health of it's clientele.

Or its staff!

[SirenSong71]

I taught a class of high-school aged italian students ESL about four years ago in NJ. In NJ, you can't smoke on or near school grounds. I had to keep telling them to put their cigarettes out. One of them said to me, "You call America land of the free, but I can't smoke where I want, I can't buy cigarettes, I can't drink and I can't drive a car...how is that being free?!"

He was just fifteen years old.

Sad, very sad.

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by SirenSong71

I taught a class of high-school aged italian students ESL about four years ago in NJ. In NJ, you can't smoke on or near school grounds. I had to keep telling them to put their cigarettes out. One of them said to me, "You call America land of the free, but I can't smoke where I want, I can't buy cigarettes, I can't drink and I can't drive a car...how is that being free?!"

He was just fifteen years old.

Sad, very sad.

What I think is sad is that as a gay male I can't voluntarily join the armed forces to valiantly defend our soil, but in times of war I'm just as prime of a candidate to be drafted against my will into a war I don't agree with. Life isn't always fair, and we see this in the United States moreso than in Europe or Canada.

[Katiana]

Originally Posted by SirenSong71

I taught a class of high-school aged italian students ESL about four years ago in NJ. In NJ, you can't smoke on or near school grounds. I had to keep telling them to put their cigarettes out. One of them said to me, "You call America land of the free, but I can't smoke where I want, I can't buy cigarettes, I can't drink and I can't drive a car...how is that being free?!"

He was just fifteen years old.

Sad, very sad.

Oh, for Pete's sake! Do you believe the Italians have no age restrictions for anything? The kid was just whining, like high school kids do!

[TERMINOLOGY]

Originally Posted by pittnurse70

I'm not sure who you are referring to in the above, but I am the one who made those statements. I know it's a tricky issue in our society. It is usually the legislatures who make these decisions, e.g., pass the laws, and that is how it has to be done in this democracy. I would hope (perhaps naively) that they rely on the tobacco experts at the state health dept or the CDC when they pass the laws.

While I agree with SWB that there is far too much emphasis today on rights, I think the public health has to be considered. Should we really set up a place to make it easier to do something that is detrimental to one's health? I think it's great to make it as difficult as possible to smoke.



Or its staff!

Was referring the following post regarding the public and referendums:

"Public health issues should not be decided by referendum."

You favor the current form of democracy that has your elected officials deciding the issue for you. I agree, but I think democracy should use more initiative in referendum to decide issues.

#1 - It's a truer form of democracy. The people are deciding.

#2 - It competes with the current elected body for supremacy. The elected body, with lobbiest, special interest pressures, must have a stick over its head. And if special interest become to powerful, witch they are, than you smack em with the stick of referendum.

With powerful tools, such as this forum, and the internet, referendum is a better form of democracy. There's no ELECTORAL COLLEGE.

[Katiana]

We have a lot of referenda here in Colorado. In addition, we vote on all our taxes. I like the latter, am not so hot on the former. Sometimes, the public is very uninformed re: an issue, and our current method of informing people, via TV ads, is not the greatest. We do elect representatives to go to the statehouse, be it Denver or Harrisburg, and study issues before they vote. I think some of these referenda are a cop-out by the reps to avoid recriminations.

[samhill]

I think that we here in Pa. are so overly represented by people that only care about being re-elected so that they continue on whit all their lifetime perks that they neither care or even give much thought to the heath & wellfare of the common man. That being said, I am lucky enough to live close to the Ohio line where we go when dining out so we can enjoy a smoke free place. Ohio businesses all seem to be going along without any problems or lack of business. I just can`t understand why Pa. can`t seem to be able to come up with the votes for anything that doesn`t tax or toll.

[Katiana]

Originally Posted by samhill

I think that we here in Pa. are so overly represented by people that only care about being re-elected so that they continue on whit all their lifetime perks that they neither care or even give much thought to the heath & wellfare of the common man. That being said, I am lucky enough to live close to the Ohio line where we go when dining out so we can enjoy a smoke free place. Ohio businesses all seem to be going along without any problems or lack of business. I just can`t understand why Pa. can`t seem to be able to come up with the votes for anything that doesn`t tax or toll.

Colorado has a statewide ban and seems to be doing fine as well. There are a few tiny exceptions, e.g. the smoking lounge at Denver Int. Airport.