Do you think smoking bans in bars should be lifted to decrease the number of people drinking and driving?
Enacting city smoking bans appears to increase drunken driving, a study of arrests conducted by Wisconsin researchers asserts.
A national study by the Journal of Public Economics found an increase of fatal accidents involving alcohol after communities prohibited smoking, compared to arrests in communities without a ban.
The authors attribute that to people driving to places without a ban, and also to driving farther to find a place within a ban area that has an outdoor smoking accommodation, such as a patio.
Yes, I do think it should be lifted although I live here in Greece where smoking in public is still allowed and I don't think they will be changing that any time soon.
Second-hand smoke is no laughing matter!
According to a recent study, second-hand smoke is the leading or second-leading cause of the following:
1) Being rude to complete strangers,
2) Hating an entire section of the populace, regardless of age, gender, race, nationality, skill in craps, etc.
3) Wasting oxygen complaining about others' generally harmless behavior,
4) Pretending to be allergic to tobacco smoke (I know, some people actually are, but more pretend to be)
5) Annoying the devil out of a significant section of the populace via bans, rude behavior, etc...when often these people haven't caused any inconvenience except in principle.
My personal experience is that the great majority of smokers cause miniscule or no inconvenience to the rest of the population.
Second-hand smoke?
Right.
I think people who whine about second-hand smoke are usually second-hand jerks.
VanDieman, as an ex-smoker I would like to tell you; You stink, seriously you reek to high f*cking heaven, every time you walk past someone -esp. when you're not actually smoking at the time- it's like waving a full ashtry under their nose. You may not know it, but your stench is unbelievable, people don't like you because you smoke, people don't like you because you innocently waft one of the foulest odours known to man about the place. Again you smell horrific, if you want to know how badly you smell stick your nose in a jar full of water and week old butts.
I think that smoking bans are completely necessary because if you look at the number of people who have died due to 2nd hand smoke related causes, and compare it to the number of deaths due to drunk drivers, there is a significantly higher number of people dead from the 2nd hand smoke than the drunks.
On 2008-04-11 02:43:19.123 mynameismike wrote: ^^^ Yeah, cancer and asthma are urban legends, right douchec*ck?
Cancer from second-hand smoke? I don't believe that's common, unless you're somewhere like a bar where -everyone- smokes. Use your brain on that one. And asthma? Asthma runs in my family, (several of my siblings have it) and pollen and stuff is far worse for their asthma than second-hand smoke. Just don't be so damn intolerant.
On 2008-04-11 03:03:03.543 MightyRhinox wrote: VanDieman....
Just for the record, I don't smoke, and never did. I agree smokers stink, but so do a lot of other people. I just don't see it as being a big deal.
One observation I would like to make:
Nicotine is extremely addictive; once you start smoking, odds are you probably won't stop.
I'm -against- smoking--very much so; but I'm not against smokers, nor am I in favor of smoking bans or anything like that.
If smoking is a serious problem (and, judging from the amount of b*tching going on, a lot of people think it is,) why not go after the source of the problem? If making tobacco illegal is too drastic/unrealistic, what about the $10,000,000,000 a year or whatever outrageous amount of money cigarrete companies spend on advertising?
I, personally, would not support a ban on smoking in public. However, I would -fully- support a ban on advertising for a product which causes cancer, asthma-related problems, and endless b*tching.
And why do people smoke, anyway? Because advertising for it is -everywhere,- is my answer.
"Asthma runs in my family, (several of my siblings have it) and pollen and stuff is far worse for their asthma than second-hand smoke. Just don't be so damn intolerant." When my girlfriend stops having coughing fits anytime she walks through a cloud of smoke, maybe I'll stop being "intolerant", but for now, go die in a fire.
On 2008-04-12 06:00:29.94 mynameismike wrote: When my girlfriend stops having coughing fits anytime she walks through a cloud of smoke....
There's your problem, Einstein.
When she stops being a dipsh*t and walking through clouds of smoke, I suspect she'll magically stop coughing so much.
And as for the name calling, grow up and act like an adult.
As a non-smoker, I used to have "bar clothes" - a set of clothes I wore out to bars and no where else because they smelled so completely foul. That's what heavy smokers smell like, all the time. But that's not really the basis of my support of the smoking ban. Its my choice to go t a bar in the first place.
The real issue, in my opinion, are the people who work there for a living and are forced to be exposed to the second hand smoke. Any known work-place carcinogen would quickly be dealt with and the workers protected. Or the establishments would be sued out of existence. Why is smoking so different?
^^^^Because the tobacco industry is of the multi-billion dollar sort, that's why. And our government, laws, etc. are influenced to a high degree by money, lobbying, (which takes lots of time and money), money, and errm, money.
On 2008-04-12 09:31:17.927 VanDiemen wrote: ^^^^Because the tobacco industry is of the multi-billion dollar sort, that's why. And our government, laws, etc. are influenced to a high degree by money, lobbying, (which takes lots of time and money), money, and errm, money.
Of course, they wouldn't be sueing the tobacco industry (people have been there, done that, and won). They'd be sueing the individual establishment that allowed their work conditions to be so dangerous.
Jesus, if you think you clothes smell after going to a bar, try washing them.
My parents smoke, my sister smokes, and she works in a bar, so when I go visit them, my clothes and hair all smell like cigarettes when I leave. That's why I shower and do a load of laundry. It's not rocket science.
On 2008-04-12 06:35:19.817 VanDiemen wrote: There's your problem, Einstein. When she stops being a dipsh*t and walking through clouds of smoke, I suspect she'll magically stop coughing so much. And as for the name calling, grow up and act like an adult.
Yeah, she will, as soon as smokers stop smoking outside of buildings, at bus stops, and while walking in front of her.
And as for acting like an adult, grow a brain first, then we'll talk.
On 2008-04-12 10:42:57.21 HaroldtheBat wrote: Jesus, if you think you clothes smell after going to a bar, try washing them. My parents smoke, my sister smokes, and she works in a bar, so when I go visit them, my clothes and hair all smell like cigarettes when I leave. That's why I shower and do a load of laundry. It's not rocket science.
My point wasn't so much that my clothes smelled, but that smokers smell. They smell like those nasty clothes did, but they smell that way all the time.
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