News, Starbucks bans smoking within 25 feet of its stores. (unemployed, fast food, gasoline)
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SEATTLE, June 1 (UPI) -- U.S. coffee shop chain Starbucks said it was banning smoking within 25 feet of its stores, effectively including its outdoor seating areas.
AdWeek reported the ban would take effect Saturday and would include electronic cigarettes.
The new rule was receiving mixed reactions from customers, WJXT Jacksonville, Fla., reported.
Good. Time to ban smoking outright. Absolutely no socially redeeming value to smoking. It stinks, its unhealthy, and costs billions of dollars every year.
I'm a smoker and a liberal and I don't mind slinking off to a far-away corner to smoke. However, once I'm in an area where smoking is explicitly permitted, I don't want to be harassed by passive-aggressive theatrical coughing and frantic hand waving.
I have no horse in this race. Smoke does not bother me.
Having said this, it bothers me that states and/or municipalities within states, trumped the right of business to decide if they wanted to be a smoking or non smoking establishment.
I predict a lawsuit and a quick end to this policy after an over zealous anti-smoking Starbucks employee attempts to enforce the ban on a person that is on public property. The only legal action that Starbucks could take against a smoker is to call the police and report the person. The police would then have to waste an officer's time by responding and hope that the person is still there so they can catch them in the act. Starbucks employees don't have the authority to force someone to quit smoking on public property no matter how close to the door they might be.
Do you really believe that a big international company like Starbucks hasn't gotten clearance from their legal department before implementing a policy like this?
Hint: don't waste your time suing Starbucks. You will lose.
I have mixed feelings. I do think smoking should be discouraged. In a different time and place it would be illegal and I think we all know that. Sometimes there is no real rhyme or reason to our laws.
SEATTLE, June 1 (UPI) -- U.S. coffee shop chain Starbucks said it was banning smoking within 25 feet of its stores, effectively including its outdoor seating areas.
AdWeek reported the ban would take effect Saturday and would include electronic cigarettes.
The new rule was receiving mixed reactions from customers, WJXT Jacksonville, Fla., reported.
I don't understand this. How can they ban smoking within 25 feet of their stores? Sure, if they own 25 feet of property surrounding a particular store they can, but where they don't - which I imagine is the case with most of their stores - how can they ban smoking on property that's not theirs?
My guess is they stated 25 feet so they can include the outside patio area. Of course if the property line is 15 feet, there is not much they can do if someone smokes past that line.
If they don't lease or own the 25 feet, Starbucks can't do jack.
FALSE
- If their employees are still on the clock, then they can hold them to this standard.
- If the Starbucks is located in a private development (ie, shopping mall) then they may require a smoke-free zone as part of their lease agreement
- Finally, if the Starbucks is adjacent to public spaces, then there may be local ordinances that can be enforced (no smoking near restaurants, anti-loitering, public nuisance, etc...)
I don't know how this legal, but it's fine by me if it is.
I was very surprised to see so many posters here outraged by this. Is there that large of a smoking community here?
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