I[Sarah Oldham] am repulsed by even the slightest hint of smoke. Not only does it reek, but so many pictures and facts bombard my mind. I recall the speakers who came to my grade school with holes in their neck, having to talk through a robot-sounding box pressed up to their vocal chords. I think about my great uncle and aunt who died from cancer due to extensive smoking. I also think of the pictures from my mom’s nursing books; pictures of patients with amputated toes and wounds that won’t heal because of their poor arterial blood flow. I think that smoking is one of the stupidest things a person can do to themselves, especially young adults and teenagers because we have been educated on the subject so extensively. Several of my friends and distant family members are smokers, and they are strongly against the newly popular laws forbidding smoking inside public places. I am a huge fan of this law; if people wish to slowly kill themselves, they are free to do so, but I do not want to breathe in their harmful second-hand smoke while trying to enjoy a meal or a game of bowling with my family.
Once again, I agree with Sarah. :-) Smoking is extremely repulsive. I simply can't see why anyone would want to indulge in "cancer sticks". They're so intensely harmful it's hard to imagine anyone would want to be subjected to it. My grandmother used to smoke 3 packs a day and died of lung cancer before I was even born. The addiction is frightening, she knew she was dying, but she continued to smoke until the day she died. It's amazing that something so small can take away a life, much less many others' lives. I believe that the law banning public smoking is one of the most genius decisions ever made. Applause for the government who finally decided on a way to potentially save millions of lives! It helped to calm the selfishness; for once, awareness was raised to bring the harmful effects on non-smokers to the forefront. I have to say, I'm much happier knowing that I can enter into a restaurant without dying a little.
What are your views on smoking? What do you think about the public smoking ban? Do you think public smoking could have been handled in a different way?
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I am a causally smoker and don't make a habit of doing it but I am in full agreement of a smoking ban. The only problem that I have with these bans like the one implemented here in the State of Ohio is that small private businesses suffer from it. What about "Cigar Bars" or other private drinking establishments that have a large majority of consumers are smokers? What are these small entities to do? When I enter a small bar I expect to smell the smoke but not so much when I enter a bowling ally. I agree with smoking bans but not those that hurt business.
I fully agree with the smoking ban and I hate smoking, but to pose an opposite point of view. When Ohio banned smoking, a lot of people were concerned that it would harm Cincinnati's economy because it would drive business across the river to KY.
I agree with the smoking ban. It is plain and simple to me; people should not have to be subjected to smoke that can kill them just because someone else "needs it". The ban is necessary for the American people's future health.
In West Virginia, a smoking ban was recently enacted for all bars. This ban caused many businesses to go bankrupt. Many bar owners still allowed their customers to smoke. I think that smoking should be banned in places where people have to go, such as government buildings, but private business owners should be able to regulate their own smoking rules. If the government is going to ban smoking everywhere, then they should just make smoking illegal, otherwise let people decide for themselves.
The smoking ban sucks. There are bars and clubs where people want to smoke. Keep it out of government buildings and places people have to enter, if you must, but don't force it upon small businesses. When I go to the Mad Hatter in Covington for a show, I expect to see people smoking indoors. I'm not a big fan of regular smoking, but I recognize that a whole lot of people are addicted to cigarettes, so I don't immediately get all indignant and righteous when around them. Occasionally breathing in second hand smoke will not kill you.
Honestly, getting morally outraged about the health effects of cigarettes is about as sensible as getting morally outraged about someone ordering a large Coke. Both are absolutely horrible for your body, but they've become so deeply engrained in our culture that for the most part, people don't care. If you want to change people's habits, inform them so they can decide for themselves. Restricting their personal liberties just quickly becomes an exercise in futility, hypocrisy, and frustration.
Mike, there is evidence that your claim "occasionally breathing in second hand smoke will not kill you" is not true. The following is from the American Lung Association:
"The current Surgeon General’s Report concluded that scientific evidence indicates that there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke. Short exposures to secondhand smoke can cause blood platelets to become stickier, damage the lining of blood vessels, decrease coronary flow velocity reserves, and reduce heart rate variability, potentially increasing the risk of heart attack."
I agree with Sylvia, just because some people choose to begin smoking and are now addicted does not mean that their bad habit should have negative effects on others. I am in full agreement of a smoking ban. Although some people want to smoke in restaurants and certain entertainment venues, it is an issue of public health. Even though ordering a large coke is not exactly health-conscience, smoking hurts those who choose to smoke and the innocent people around them.
When I use the word "occasional", though, I mean to say that in this day and age, most of us aren't constantly in the presence of smokers. I understand and acknowledge that the children of smokers, and people who have to work with constant smokers are certainly at risk, because they are regularly breathing in cigarette smoke, which is full of all sorts of nasty chemicals and poisons that will undoubtedly kill you if you expose yourself to them on a regular basis.
Perhaps I was a bit too harsh in saying outright that the smoking ban sucks - I am all for keeping it out of public places that families and everyday folk are frequently in. I fully acknowledge that cigarettes kill thousands of people every year, and are, from almost any moral ground, very nasty and evil. (I, like Nick, am still a casual smoker) But to impose the ban upon private businesses is unnecessary and foolish. Here's at least one article I'd ask you to read, just to at least understand the other side of the argument. http://www.davehitt.com/facts/banstudies.html
I personally hate everything about smoking. It smells terrible and harms everyone around the smoker. There is nothing beneficial about cigarettes; they are just a way to shorten your life. I think the ban on smoking is a brilliant idea. Smoking harms everyone around, if people aren't allowed to smoke in public, people won't develop the negative side effects caused by second hand smoke.
I am 100% against smoking. I do not understand why someone would do something that they have been educated not to do since they were in elementary school. All through grade school, I was taught of the harmful effects that smoking has on the human body. So it just doesn't make sense to me why someone would ever start this habit. Not many people at my high school were smokers. So when I came to Xavier, I was shocked at how many students sat outside on the steps and destroyed their lungs.
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