Smoking ban enforcement causes stir

Here in Chicago, the bars that ignore the ban have had had NO customer or worker complaints. This just goes to show that these bans are more of an ego power trip than anything else.

State lawmakers should make laws that can be enforced only, not get in the faces of people doing things that are completely legal.

The law should read that if a business wants to have a smoking section or completely smoking they have the right to do so. It should not be an outright ban on indoor smoking completely.

That way those who don't want to smell the nasty smoke can stay outside those businesses and not patronize them.

But how come those who bellyache the most about smokers polluting the air use inscense, scented candles, heavy perfumed sprays, heavy colognes and perfumes on their own persons and don't understand that I am highly allergic to most of those scents and nasty smells?

The days of relaxing and chatting with friends over a glass of wine, scotch, or brandy and enjoying a pipe or cigar used to be the American way...an event.

Now, Big Brother, who can;t manage a checkbook or staff its own agencies (think SSA, VA, DMV offices!!) knows what's best for business and Americans.

The one thing that puzzles me is why NM has such a huge business in beer, wine, half pint and miniature booze sales.....in GAS STATIONS!!!!!! Now THERE is a clear inconsistency!!!

That nasty Kinnickinick. That's what the founding Federalist wanted. Government telling you what and where to smoke a weed. A government Neighborhood Association with less teeth. Smile.

Cigarettes are LEGAL. You can ban them and make them illegal to smoke as soon as you make it illegal to manufacture them and illegal to sell them. That will never happen.

lon wrote:

The days of relaxing and chatting with friends over a glass of wine, scotch, or brandy and enjoying a pipe or cigar used to be the American way...an event.
Now, Big Brother, who can;t manage a checkbook or staff its own agencies (think SSA, VA, DMV offices!!) knows what's best for business and Americans.
The one thing that puzzles me is why NM has such a huge business in beer, wine, half pint and miniature booze sales.....in GAS STATIONS!!!!!! Now THERE is a clear inconsistency!!!

There have always been moral busybodies with double standards. Looks like history repeats itself once again.

I guess some people might argue they go to bars for their health?

PinkFloyd wrote:

Cigarettes are LEGAL. You can ban them and make them illegal to smoke as soon as you make it illegal to manufacture them and illegal to sell them. That will never happen.

Here is reality.

Under these bans the owner of the property is forced to change their legal lifestyle on their own land...even in their private office.

Try to site precedent for this from our nations past that one can be proud of.

If they can now do this to one legal lifestyle...what protects others who fall out of political favor? The precedents are all being set...by the smokers.

"I guess some people might argue they go to bars for their health? "

Right! We have home invasions, elderly men beaten up in parking lots, random murders -- but let's make the police enforce smoking bans in bars! Life is so depressing.

cholla wrote:

But how come those who bellyache the most about smokers polluting the air use inscense, scented candles, heavy perfumed sprays, heavy colognes and perfumes on their own persons and don't understand that I am highly allergic to most of those scents and nasty smells?

Just like there are people out there who bellyache when I complain that I am allergic to cig smoke. I have to walk into building when people are standing at the door smoking and saying it is their right. Well, what about my right to have clean air as I enter that building! I am not the one that is offending, they are offending me. Or when I get in that elevator with someone who just smoked, I have to leave because I cannot be confined so close to them without breathing problems. So who's rights are infringed upon more, my right to breath or their right to get cancer?

Stupid commi fascist law

car wrote:

<quoted text>Just like there are people out there who bellyache when I complain that I am allergic to cig smoke. I have to walk into building when people are standing at the door smoking and saying it is their right. Well, what about my right to have clean air as I enter that building! I am not the one that is offending, they are offending me. Or when I get in that elevator with someone who just smoked, I have to leave because I cannot be confined so close to them without breathing problems. So who's rights are infringed upon more, my right to breath or their right to get cancer?

Oh brother...tell that to those who are allergic to peanuts and perfume. I guess we need a ban on them as well.

This right to smoke free air...let us test your intellectual honesty shall we?

Are you willing to apply the antis position of "no safe level" to all forms of indoor smoke that contain known carcinogens...or only to those of your sides choosing?

generalsn1234567 wrote:

Here in Chicago, the bars that ignore the ban have had had NO customer or worker complaints. This just goes to show that these bans are more of an ego power trip than anything else.

It is all about control...and the smokers are setting the precedents.

Some people are simply too blind to see the obvious.

Freedom wrote:

<quoted text>
Oh brother...tell that to those who are allergic to peanuts and perfume. I guess we need a ban on them as well.
This right to smoke free air...let us test your intellectual honesty shall we?
Are you willing to apply the antis position of "no safe level" to all forms of indoor smoke that contain known carcinogens...or only to those of your sides choosing?

actually peanuts are banned in several places!
I do not want to 'smoke' your free air. I want to breath my free air.
I just trying to point out that there are two sides to a topic and as you are a typical case, you are only willing to claim one side. I did not complain about cancer in me. I complained about my right to breath fresh smoke free air! I do have that right. You however want me to give up that right so you can smoke. I want to know why I have to give up my rights so you can have yours. You are the one that is altering the air to your smoky taste. I am not doing anything to it.

Personally if you want to die from smoking that is your right. Go ahead. But I want to have the right to walk into a building and not gag at the entry way. THAT IS MY RIGHT!

Oh, and I never said anything about 'safe level'. NEVER!

So when I gag on the elevator because some lady has doused herself in what she considers a wonderful perfume, or some guy has enough aftershave on that it announces his arrival before he shows up, that's okay? I'm coughing and having trouble breathing, but at least they're not smoking?

car wrote:

<quoted text>
actually peanuts are banned in several places!
I do not want to 'smoke' your free air. I want to breath my free air.
I just trying to point out that there are two sides to a topic and as you are a typical case, you are only willing to claim one side. I did not complain about cancer in me. I complained about my right to breath fresh smoke free air! I do have that right. You however want me to give up that right so you can smoke. I want to know why I have to give up my rights so you can have yours. You are the one that is altering the air to your smoky taste. I am not doing anything to it.
Personally if you want to die from smoking that is your right. Go ahead. But I want to have the right to walk into a building and not gag at the entry way. THAT IS MY RIGHT!
Oh, and I never said anything about 'safe level'. NEVER!

Yes...that's what we need...a peanut ban. Where do people like this come from?

Your precious bans are based on the concept of "no safe level". This is the position of those who advocate these bans. You did not know this?

Do you buy into the notion of "no safe level" or is this simply an exaggeration? There is "no safe level" of tobacco smoke. Yes..or no?

Are you willing to apply your sides standard of "no safe level" to all forms of indoor smoke that are contain known carcinogens...or only to those of your choosing?

STOP PUTTING WORDS IN MY POST.

I could not care less about safe levels. And if the 'position' of all in favor of the bans is strictly on 'safe levels' then I can't help that. However, that is not me. AGAIN, I don't care about safe levels. I care about my right to breath fresh air!

To you it is a simple little thing of ban it for safe level sake. Fine I get that, but what YOU are not getting is that there are actually people out there that don't care.

You can smoke in your office as long as I never have to enter that room. I don't care. You can smoke in your care with the windows rolled up. You can even smoke where ever you live. I just don't care. However, when you smoke in that nice public place that I have to walk through, I do care. I don't go to bars, so go ahead smoke there. I don't care. But why is it so hard for you to admit that when you do smoke in a public place you are taking away my right to fresh air, because you feel it is your right to smoke around me? Well, it is just as much my right to complain to you that your smoking causes me breathing problems!

As for the idiots with too much perfume or after shave, I can't help them, as I hate them just as much. They smell horrible. However, most cases, I don't want to smell that they are covering up with that smell either.

car wrote:

STOP PUTTING WORDS IN MY POST.
I could not care less about safe levels. And if the 'position' of all in favor of the bans is strictly on 'safe levels' then I can't help that. However, that is not me. AGAIN, I don't care about safe levels. I care about my right to breath fresh air!
To you it is a simple little thing of ban it for safe level sake. Fine I get that, but what YOU are not getting is that there are actually people out there that don't care.
You can smoke in your office as long as I never have to enter that room. I don't care. You can smoke in your care with the windows rolled up. You can even smoke where ever you live. I just don't care. However, when you smoke in that nice public place that I have to walk through, I do care. I don't go to bars, so go ahead smoke there. I don't care. But why is it so hard for you to admit that when you do smoke in a public place you are taking away my right to fresh air, because you feel it is your right to smoke around me? Well, it is just as much my right to complain to you that your smoking causes me breathing problems!
As for the idiots with too much perfume or after shave, I can't help them, as I hate them just as much. They smell horrible. However, most cases, I don't want to smell that they are covering up with that smell either.

Who made you King? I am sick of people believe they have the RIGHT to what ever they desire. Yeah, lets all cow to what you want, to hell with anyone who offeneds your delicate sences.

Since when is smoking a "right"?? It is a privilege, NOT a right. come on people! quit the crying already. people are on here complaining about "big brother" and stupid stuff like that and whine and cry about a smoking ban yet other blatant intrusions on actual rights we have go by without a blip on their radar.

car wrote:

STOP PUTTING WORDS IN MY POST.
I could not care less about safe levels. And if the 'position' of all in favor of the bans is strictly on 'safe levels' then I can't help that. However, that is not me. AGAIN, I don't care about safe levels. I care about my right to breath fresh air!

Show me where in the Constitution you have a right to breath fresh air. You have the right to set the rules on your own property. A ban takes that right away from the property owner of a business. What makes you think you have the right to dictate whether or not an owner can use a legal product on their own property or allow their guests to do the same?

Lynda wrote:

Since when is smoking a "right"?? It is a privilege, NOT a right. come on people! quit the crying already. people are on here complaining about "big brother" and stupid stuff like that and whine and cry about a smoking ban yet other blatant intrusions on actual rights we have go by without a blip on their radar.

I would say that stripping away property rights is far more then a blip on the radar. Where do you get the impression that smoking is a privilege?????
Using your flawed thinking everything in life is a privilege. I would say that every American has the right to use any legal product. What are we kids and the government are our parents and if we don't do what they say they will take our privileges away. I don't know what you are smoking but it is probably illegal!