i think tht it shud b banned coz it drives me mad

I don't think it should be banned. Let people live there lives. Let them do what they want. And dude, who cares if it drives you mad? Stay away from it. Don't smoke. People know the risks of smoking. So let em smoke.

Yes, they are permitted to kill themselves, but what if they raise a child and the child gets messed up by all the second-hand smoke? I'd rather let people start using nicotene like heroin and stop ####ing up me.

I dont believe it should be banned. If people don;t like it, tough. Theres many people who smoke, but the few who don;t are trying to make life hard on all the people who do. Its been passed for public places in some areas of Mass, and thats stupid i believe. for example, In bars, where most people smoke while drinking, its banned, making people go outside (it's freezing up here in Mass in the winter) to smoke a cigarette. now, in public places, its one thing, even if i don;t agree with it, but to go as far as making it illegal at your house? No thanks. thats BS right there, because your house is your own property. If they make it illegal, it'll be worse than pot. many MORE people smoke cigs than pot. they go an make cigs illegal, we will have even less room in jails for people who smoke cigs. well need to create hundreds of new prisons to accomodate people, and all that money to feed prisoners and whatnot will be lost to the prison system. Plus, cig comanies would go ballistic, and the economy could fail, cigs being HUGE money. thats all i've to say. my vote? a big NO all around.

Edited by TED for spamming... Your final warning.

Edited by TED for flaming... Your final warning.

Argh...

Ally, this is the non current events forum, basically a mature discussion forum. If you're going to create a topic, please explain your view more thoroughly and give detail as to why you're for or against whatever you're speaking about. You can't just type a sentence and say " duhhh... I don't like it "

I'm going to leave this one up because it's a good topic, and I'm sure it'll generate discussion. However if I see a topic, or any more posts like you've done so far, I'm going to have to give you a warning point.

Disco, consider this your official warning as well... No flaming.

As for me... I'm a smoker, and I don't like how my freedoms are being taken away from me simply because other people cannot tolerate it. I firmly believe that you should have an option to smoke wherever you are, and that there should be a DESIGNATED smoking area in every facility so those who don't want to smoke don't have to deal with it.

I think restaurants should allow smoking, however their sections should be closed off better than just saying " Smokers go here " ... Just as people prefer not to smoke, I prefer TO smoke. I think everyone should be accomodated accordingly instead of just ousting those who do choose to smoke.

alright, alright, calm down, ally, how is discotrax supposed to know that your mom smokes? Maybe you should have put more information in your starting post for this thread on why it drives you nuts, and then maybe you could have mentioned your mom.

Anyway, I voted the smoking should only be banned in certain public places such as restaurants, stores, and malls and places like that. I go to a lot of restaurants where people used to smoke before it was banned, and without the smoke, it really does make your dinner more enjoyable. But, no, smoking shouldn't be banned in households or private places. It's their choice whether they want to smoke or not in a private place.


EDIT: Ted, sorry, didn't know you were posting too lol xD When I posted this, I saw that you posted saying almost the same thing about ally giving more information lol, only before me *shakes fist*

It's all good dude... I can't always be around to keep these kids in line, so it rules that you're helpin' out.



I could even deal with that... It's just the whole outlawing smoking EVERYWHERE that really bothers me. It's taking away my choice to smoke, and so long as you're outside or away from those who don't like to smoke, I think the choice should be allowed to be made.

As long as your not bothering people, its fine with me. In fact I'm not toio bothered by it. I am with Weed though, that stuff stinks. The evil dead's idea seems fittting for such a crisis. So, no I'm not forit being banned really. I could do without it, but I don't think everyone else can.

What really pisses you off is tha people say that smoking is rude towards other people and the whole deal of second hand smoke when in truth people who dont mind their own business are way ruder than smokers, they are just doing something that to them feels ok and if you have ever observed smokers tend to move away from the non smoking crowd but people keep messing around with them.

For instance, i was on my smoke break at work one day and i lit up a smoke. As soon as i got the first drag these women started to talk about how rude it was of me smoking, dont i know that it kills more to inhale the smoke and a lot of other things behind my back at which point i was incredibly pissed off because i was even careful to let the smoke go to the parking lot and not towards them, but i kept my calm and instead of giving them a lecture and telling them that as they are standing there their husbands are probably shagging their secretary or best friend i just asked "Ohhh, the smoke gets to you? i am sorry" and moved away.

I dont think its fair that smokers are the only ones that have to be polite towards non smokers and they can just say anything a TRUTH dot COM ad tells them. Its a choice and it should be respected. Furthermore, smokers are actually aware of the fact that smoking causes cancer, stop saying it like its a secret only non smokers know of.

Also i think that restaurants have their smoking sections at a prudent distance from the non smoking section, it gets really annoying to get out of the damn place while in a conversation with friends.

i don't think it should be banned at all. if someone wants to kill themselves slowly by smoking, then let them. and if people are worried about second hand smoke, then you probably shouldn't even leave your house because there are lots of worse things in the air then ciggarete smoke.

Honestly, I can't stand smoking for the life of me. I've watched 6 people throughout my life die because of cancers caused from smoking. And now, my best friend's father is literally dying in his bed day by day. The saddest part about this is that he's so hooked ... *sigh* so selfish that he continues to smoke even though he could die any day. He could've fought it back when his lung and brain cancer was just in the second stages. He's now in the fourth stage, and dying because he refused to quit smoking no matter how much money, time, and suffering his family went through.
And now, my mother has emphysema which could kill her, and leave me behind as a damn orphan because she refused to quit smoking back when I warned her so many f*cking times throughout my life. I've warned her since I was old enough to learn about what smoking does to you. She's finally quit (for good, I hope) but it's too late. She's already made it loud and clear that she had a death wish, and now she's throwing up blood all of the time because all the build up of tar is finally removing itself from her lungs.

Anyway, enough about my personal feelings, let's get to politics. As much as I hate smoking, I'd have to say it should only be banned from public places. Why? Because the idea of it being banned all together is unrealistic, it's a very nice dream, but it'll never happen. Tobacco companies are too powerful, so powerful that if we were to get rid of them our entire economy in America would go absolutely off-balance. This is why it would never be banned. A president would never allow it, Congress would never allow it. However, the idea that people should keep their filthy habits to themselves is actually a realistic dream. I've already been to restaurants that don't allow smoking at all, that used to have smoking sections. Even with smoking sections, it's not like the smoke has a mind of its own and knows not to go into the non-smoking section. Smoke gets into the air, and it travels throughout an entire room. Even if one doesn't smell it, they're more than likely enhailing poisons from a cigarette if one is lit in the same room. Second-hand smoke causes cancer as well. There have been people who've never smoked a cigarette in their life, and have gotten cancer because of someone else's filthy habbit.

It will never be banned, the tobacco companies hold too much power, and the industry makes too much money for them to be shut down. Tobacco will be around as long as humans, you'll just have to deal with it.

Banning it in public places is fine, but not within your own home or car or whatnot.

I personally don't think it should be banned anywhere. People say it should be in restraunts and etc., but why? If the restraunts allow smoking don't go there, and the economic drain on the restraunt will cause it to go to a no smoking policy.

People look to much to the government for laws to ban this or that, and I do not understand why. Buisnesses have the right to run a buisness how they wish, and it is the customers right to go there or not. The economy would sort out the no smoking policy.

On a side note, I don't understand why anyone would smoke, my mother has been for 30+ years, and I don't get it.

Keep it the way it is. Prohibited in some and unprohibited in others.
I personally hate smoke. Everything about it, but it isn't my choice.

I smoke,

I say HELL NO, if people want to smoke, its fine with me, they shouldn't have to go outside because some goody goody who is afraid of stuff they put out in the air driving cars feels that its dangerous.

If you ban cigs. then you'de have to outlaw cars to, cause cars do the same thing at an even faster rate.

'Goody goody' you call me, there's no good or bad person here, people choose how they want to live and they have that right to choose whether to smoke or not. Just because some people choose not to smoke doesn't mean you have to nickname them.

Car fumes do not contain as much harmful chemicals as a ciggarette meaning it's not exactly the same thing. If you say this then you might aswell ban any known thing that's harmful to us in anyway.

I'm undecided on this at the moment, I think that smoker's do have the right to do as they will as it's their choice whether to smoke or not, but the thing is for the people that choose not to smoke; it's kind of bad for them too you know, inhaling what's known to be the worser excess of the smoke. Plus it's not a good idea for a child inhaling that smoke rather.=/

That's probably the sanest solution to be suggested in here. Having a smoking area in most places would suit me just fine, everyone gets to do what they want and no-one has to argue about crazy laws. And the idea of banning smoking in homes is just inane...I mean even at the most base level how on earth would that be feasble to enforce, or punish.

Also it does really suck when you go to a non-smoking part of a restaurant, and the difference is a non-smoking sign on your table and the smoking section is the table next to you. Why even bother?

I agree with you completely... Most restaurants I go to aren't sectioned off appropriately, so I generally take the non smoking section so I don't contribute any more to the smoke in the area. I think it sucks that some places don't have two definitely sections, and it really makes it unfair to those who don't want to smoke.

You'd think they'd catch on with all the controversy about smoking these days.

I think they have banned all smoking in public places like restaurants, bars and clubs in New York, and it seems to be a good system. Except the clubs smell a bit differently without the cigs to cover up all the other things. XD

I wouldn't mind this law for public places only.
If people want to smoke, then let them. But second hand smoking is a big problem in big cities. So keep the smoke to yourself. Don't spray it on me please. *_*

I completely dislike smoking,but I still think people should be able to do what they want to do.But only in areas permitted.I think smoking should only be banned in public places so that way people are free to smoke yet won't cause any damage to a large amount of people around them.

Id say just in public places. People really dont want to be coughing with a smoker passing by or getting the stench on their clothing. Banning it totally is a bit unfair if you ask me, its the persons choice whether he/she wants to smoke or not. So we dont really need to get into civil rights with smoking. I heard enough of that with Terry Schiavo. So basically the way it is, is perfectly fine. I see no problems.

they've banned it in pubs over here which is fine whith me being a non-smoker. (and i hate smoke from cigarettes) but in pool halls it still smells of smoke and it would feel different without it, never thought i would say that (slap myself in the face) :whoa:

What bugs is everyone is surch whinners. "Oh I don't like smoke, and instead of doing something ourselves, lets have the government ban it!" Take aways another choice and freedom. So when we the government tells you when you can leave your house, and go home, remember it started somewhere.

And I don't want to have to deal with people smelling in general, wearing crap like Axe, or driving SUV's that output worse fumes than my cigarette.

I'm not getting my way though, am I?



Garbage... The point of going to a bar is the smoke and drink.



Define public... If you're saying that people can't even smoke outdoors, I'd say that's a bit ridiculous. It's the outside, you're not going to have to deal with the smoke unless you feel like walking right by the person who does smoke.

And to all this I say, it's time to smoke. :: goes off for a cigarette ::

i've been avoiding this topic. anyone who knows me will understand why.

first of all i'll answer the question directly. "should smoking be banned?"

my personal opinion= HELL YES
my logical approach to life= only in public places, for now.

WARNING: extremely long post feel free to scroll right on by past this point. in this post i am mostly voiceing my opinions and thougths along with some facts. i am not trying to make you stop if you are a smoker. just to spread any sort of thoughts or possible education that i can.




personal health issues.

i am the kind of person who gets very sick from cigarette smoke. and i do mean Sick. i have actually walked into a room where one cigarette was being smoked and had an asthmatic attack so bad that i vomited on the persons floor. i did not know they were smoking before i walked in and i felt horrible about the mess on the rug.

in my home i demand, as it is mine that there be no smoking. it is my residence and that is my personal rule. cigarettes make me too sick. but the woman i live with is a chain smoker. the home is hers so i have to exile myself to my bedroom, with my air purifier an open window and three circulating fans. she smokes in the bathroom. so when i have to go potty or take a shower before work sometimes i get so sick from the lingering lack of ventilation that i actually puke my mornings to life and spend the rest of the day with a headache so bad i cant see straight.

usually when i ask people not to smoke around me, esepcially if they know my medical history they are more than willing to not smoke or move away from me. one of the kindes things a smoker can do for a non smoker is walk away.

it warms my heart when we are in a restaurant and the question is posed "smoking or non" and the person/people i am with looks at me and says "non" in respect for my health.

one of the nicest simple acts of kindness that has ever happened to me, was being in my boyfriends home at easter. his roommates smoke. it made me ill very ill. i spent most of the time there in his room avoiding the fog. but one day i ventured out when the house was empty and passed out on the couch. i woke up to a few people smokeing and was so light headed i needed some time to just try to orient myself. my boyfriends best friend in the world john was sitting next to me on the couch and said "i'm going to go have a smoke." took his pack and went down to the basement to have one. i have to say, i sort of still tear up at the true kindness and consideration it took for him, in his own home, to exile himself fromthe fun for a few minutes to go have a puff alone so i could breath. a few moments later everyone else though thought, hey good idea, and three more cigarettes lit up in the room. i immediately made the dash upstares to vomit and cry. some people are considerate, but more are not.



back to the point.
smoking bans in public.

i would not mind smoking in restaurants. with seperate smoking secstions completely. but for this to be alright for someone who can become as sick as me from the recycled and non filtered air the restaurant or estamblishment would have to really put in a lot of money to create a properly ventilated area.

two rooms, that do not connect and are seperated completely. the ventilation for these rooms must be seperate. this is not me being a bitch this is a health code matter. much as at a restaurant grease that fries fish cannot fry chicken and tongs that touch beef cannot touch pork. air that is clean cannot circulate with air that is dirty such as smoking air. if the air can be kept seperate and filtrated cleanly then i am all for smoking in restaurants.

my only complaint with public smoking is when it touches my lungs.



banning smoking completely however...

on a personal level i do want cigarettes banned completely. i want them to be illegal more than anything. but this is simply just not feasable.

if cigarettes were illegal i could very likely loose my job. and so would millions of other people.

i work in a gas station. we are a small station and i do the books i know the bottom line numbers. in one day we sell about 200-300 packs of marlboro cigarettes and up to 15-20 cartons. the cigarette overall take in a day today for instance was just about $8,000. the gas overall take was only $7,000. yesterday our feul prices jumped over 12 cents we were dead on fuel sales, so our daily intake was made up in cigarettes sales. grocery and auto were a measly $500. think about that! we dont need to have an open station where i a cashier takes in money from a customer. pay at the pump can replace me, along with a few soda and candy bar vending machines. the only reason i still have a job is because cigarettes sales cannot be properly monitored without a live person to check id's. yet.

to ban cigarettes would kill jobs in not only the tobacco industry, such as phillip morris.

the tobacco farmer would be out of a job.
the factory workers would be out of jobs.
the marketing teams would be out of jobs.
the distributors would be out of jobs.
the retail outlets the sell cigarettes would loose buisness and eventualy people will be out of jobs.

it all comes down to capitalism and how we earn our livings as a society. and i dont want to loose my job. sadly cigarettes keep me from living in my car.



so how can this be solved?

here is my opinion. and a few tossed in facts.
these are the toxic chemicals Added to tobacco. yes comapnies actually put Cyanide (rat poison) into cigarettes as a way to keep the product fresher. most of these liste chemicals can be found inside the filters and the bleached white papers used to tube the cigarettes. smoking is toxic this much we know. however...

if people need there daily intake of addiction, namely nicotine i suggest they use smokeless tobacco, in consideration for my lungs. selfish? it might be. but i like to breath clean air. i really do.





banning smoking will hurt the economy. the only way for the economy to survive is for cigarette smoking to phase itself out. more and more younger people are opting not to smoke. eventually, the hazards of smoking, combined with the pricing of the packs and the findamental longterm health risks combined will cause people to stop smoking. mass marketed cigarettes have only been around for the last 150 years. tobacco itself has been around for centuries. filtered cigarettes for the last 50. eventually mass marketted companies will collapse or else go bankrupt or simply become obsolete. what we will be left with will be the local tobacco farmer and buying the product fresh from the grower as it should be, just like it was hundreds of years ago.

i firmly believe that if a person cannot smoke a full flavored cigarette without the filter they should not be smoking. many of the toxins (i am talking second hand smoke released toxins and side stream and main stream smoke) in mass marketed tobacco can be found in the filter, and the bleached white paper used to tube roll these cigarettes, along with the addatives to preserve "flavor".




so what i think we need, in the tobacco market, is higher taxation on the product so fewer people will buy it. more public banning to help slowly phase out the market, yet still allow people to smoke if they really actually want to, just not around me please. once the big tobacco companies go under and tobacco can be bought raw in it's fresh from the farm, can you imagine how cheap the weed will be? hell if you want, you could just grow your own like my grampa grew his own corn and pumpkins in his back yard.

after all tobacco is a naturally grown plant. i dont see why it cant be grown, chopped and rolled freshly rather than processed, by processed and bastardized by large companies trying to make a buck on the general publics bad health.

People always say that, but you know, smoke doesn't cover an entire area... You can walk around the person smoking.



By making rich people even richer.

i really hate to say this but the problem with, "walking around" a smoker, is basic science and moleculare movement.

see molecules are in a constant state of movement (or was it atoms) anyways the point is this. that nothing will remain still. everything moves. the best way to explain this is to tell you to take a clear glass of standing water that has not moved at all. drop on single droplet of food coloring into the water. you will see within time the entire glass will tbe colored. imagine that coloring is cigarette smoke. it slowly moves and bounces of itself until it has fogged up an entire room. now. do the same thing with a standing glass of water that has a single straw placed in it. drop the coloring and remove the straw. the coloring will swirl and move even fast making the glass colored faster. this is how smoke reacts in a full room of people. it is everywhere. there is no real way to get rid of it.

this is why i wil never go to eat, by choice, in a restaurant where the smoking section is within the same room as the non smoking. the air is more than likely not being filtered properly or at all. and anyone who has been with me while i am eating around a smoker will know this is a very bad idea. projectile vomit rarely mixed with appetizers. and trust me, it's happened.

so ted to get back to the point. moving around a smoker, only spreads the smoke faster. for me it's better to avoid said smoker entirely. in my own home i ban that smokers smoke. in public i just want to breath easily. and should i be in a smokers home i do my best to not be sick or else stay outside and away from the smoke till its time to go home.

...you can't be serious, can you?

Anyways, I'm fine with smoking. There are people who enjoy it, and even though its not my thing, they shouldn't be as restricted as they are.
Although I blame the ruthless propaganda against smoking for that attitude to begin with. I find that people who enjoy smoking are often put in positions for what they do...legally.

However, if you smoke pot, do it in your own place. I hate that smell so much.

Smoking sux!
I don't know why some dudes would even consider doing it.
Personally I think only idiots smoke.
There are so many health problems that effect u overtime and stuff.
It makes u look bad socially as well.
Smoking should be banned its a horrible addiction and most people die from smoking later on in life

That's a grand statement.



I enjoy it.



Coming from a person who cannot utilize proper grammar, spelling, and uses shorthand like " U " because they can't type out " you " ? Interesting.



Yup... Same can be said for many other things that people enjoy... Fast food, hair products, car exhaust, alcohol, etc...

I think it should be banned altogether. I know it will never be illegly to smoke cause thats how the goverment and all those types of people make there money. I live in Flordia, so public resturants don't allow smoking at all. At least I think every resturant doesn't allow smoking. Smoking really is just death in a stick, for the people who smoke regularly.

Smokers know that.

We choose to do it anyway... Can't you respect that? So long as you personally don't have to deal with it, why do so many of you care?



I hear that so often from people, I never understood it myself as the smell of some quality herb is very enjoyable to me. I've had stuff that smells like a rainforest, an evergreen, bubblegum ( well, as close as potsmoke can smell to it ) and numerous others.

The smell of schwag ( regs... think of it like the generic brand of pot, or something ) is definitely something I don't care for though.

( i dont feel like qouting right now, sorry if it bugs you, but my Compy is being a bitch, please understand)

Anywho...

Smokers know the risks of smoking, yes it kills, yet what doesnt? Just about everything we use kills us. But just for some more facts, the japanese i beleive have a life expectancy about 7 years longer than the united states, they consume about 10 times as much ciggarettes than the U.S. does. Lung cancer over there isnt nearly as bad as it in the U.S. Obviously it cant be that bad, its the stuff that we do that adds to the effects of our smoking.

for me the reason why i care is because it effected me too. and still does.

see when someone you love smokes, and you know it's killing them, if you love them then it hurts you too. i cant stand to see someone i love smoke because it hurts just too much emotionally for me. this isn't me just being completely selfish here, though i feel like perhaps it is. the doctors gave my mother an estimated life expectancy of 14 years when she was first diagnosed with breast cancer. if she would quit smoking. she died a year and a half from then. she double her smoking while she was dying. she refused to stop and told me it didn't effect me, so why should i care. it did effect me, the second hand smoke made me sick as hell, and watching her slowly poison herself made me emotionally crippled by it all.

i've come to some realizations since she died. and since daddy died too.

i cant stop strangers from smoking. i can ask them not to around me, for my health. but strangers dont usually care about there own health if there already smokers. this really makes me sad, because i care about everyones health. i really actually do. i dont want anyone to ever have to go through the painful deaths my parents linger through for years. and autopsy's proved that both of there deaths were very much the effects of cigarette smoke.

thats why i care. i dont think i'll ever really be able to respect someone wanting to die, or chosing there death. i can accept it better now. but i cant respect it at all.

I'm sorry that happened. I probably can't hope to understand what you've gone through.

See this is what people don't think about. It's all, "Smoking smeels bad" or maybe "If I want to kill myself then let me do it!" Well, what happens when you hurt others? What gives you the right to do so? If somking affected only yourself, then makybe you could do it. But if you do it around your kids, or end up hurting the people around you, then why do it?

I care too much for my family and friends to do it. I don't want people to go to my funeral and say, "That dumbass could have gone places if he hadn't caused his own death." I don't want to hurt people close to me. And if you are only thinking of yourself, or don't care about who else you are hurting, then that says a lot about you.

I do think about others, which is why I'm curteous enough not to smoke around those who aren't smokers. If you're thinking of eliminating smoking entirely, you should also eliminate other harmful things like hair products, car exhaust, smoke from fires, barbeques, etc. There's so many other harmful products going into our air that people don't even think about, because it's a part of their everyday routine.



I don't.

Dude, I could smoke pot outside, a decent distance from you and unless the wind blows it directly in your face, you won't smell it.



and TED makes a valid argument, if you wish to eliminate cigs, why not work on eliminating vehicles, I'm sure our world is far more polluted from those then they are from cigarrettes.

Maybe someone somewhere reacts badly to car exhaust or whatever, when you get in your car and drive you could be effecting them, but are cars banned? No.

i think it should be banned. smoking is killing people, mentaly and physicly. my mom smokes and she tries to quit, but can't cause its in her system. i tell her to stop, but she just can't. i hate smoking, with a passion.

Im with Bow I hate smoking it is very bad for your lungs. My mom smoked since she was 15 and she still does today. I happy but she is lucky that she doesn't have cancer yet. I hate the companies that makes these damn cancer sticks.

They even have childeren smoking and all they care about is money. These things are dangerous and needs to be banned forever. It is just too unhealthy. Even people that don't smoke are also getting sick from breathing in smoke. That is second hand smoking its one of the most harmful substances to breathe in for kids.

So I hate smoking with every fiber of my entire being, and smoking should be banned.

It should only be banned in public places really. I hate sitting next to someone smoking while I am trying to eat. It's like I'm eating smoke for dinner. Not that I have a problem with smokers, but in some places there should be no smoking.

I don't think it should be taken away all together. Its the smokers choice to smoke and the person should be able to smoke. Like I said before, there are some places where people shouldn't smoke, but they should have the freedom to do it in other places.

My mom has been smoking all of my life and most of hers and I don't give a rat's ass if she quits or not. The only thing that bugs me about that is that she has a really bad back and she has cancerous disks in her back and smoking supposivly is making them wear away so that her vertabrae rub together. It just upsets me because I know that if she quit it would help her in the long run. If she did quit smoking there is a chance that the disks would stop wearing away and she could enjoy walking and doing the things she used to do, over a short 5-10 enjoyment period with a cig.

That's beside my whole view though. I don't mind smokers/smoking. Everyone in my family smokes, a couple of my friends smoke and it doesn't bother me. Even I smoke sometimes, depending on my mood, but I take into consideration who doesn't like to be smoked around and who doesn't really care.

The only place I think it should be banned is in resuraunts or other social outtings and such. If you want to smoke that bad then you can walk outside or far enough away from the place to smoke. Sometimes it just ruins my time when people excuse themselves to go smoke.. I mean I know people say it's addicting but it kinda destroys a moment when someone absolutely has to smoke and they are ignorant about it when we ask them to stay with us and they would rather go smoke. =\

Pot, I don't care about pot. I actually like the smell of pot, and I smoke it myself sometimes. It don't bother me.


edit; So many spelling errors, my english teach would cry. xD;

omfg u stoner!

I suppose I can agree with what you're asking to some degree... And that's what's basically going to happen, one city in my state has laws against smoking anywhere in a public place, and my city may soon follow suit. I really wouldn't mind I guess if they got rid of it in restaurants and all that, but if they remove it from music venues and bars and stuff, where's everyone going to go? I think there should be some sort of happy medium here...

Probably wont go that way though.

well......i dont like smoking but it dosnt affect me. I dont smoke nd consider it but i dont think banning it will make the situation any better.I mean ......look at drugs.They are banned, this makes a guy wanna actually try that stuff or feel its effect.

Ill say that we should have awareness programs about such kinda things.Let our future and present know the ills of taking such things. Anybody can live without these things,can they?

There is a saying "Preventon is better than cure". In this case, simply preventing the people from smoking is not gonna help.It has to come from inside him to stop smoking. To quit smoking is hard but as the saying goes '"where there is a will there is a way".

If anybody wants to quit smoking ........help him out. Hey your making a better future for him. Helping someone do this is like helping yourself and all the people of your country.

People can smoke if they want... if people can have free will, then give them the will to smoke.. granted public places i think are a nono, becuase then ur affecting the people around you. But other than that, yeah smoking should be legal. for some people its a casual thing, others its a bad addiction.. but it cant be helped. its not like people would actually stop if its illegal.

Since when have people stopped doing things altogether cause its illegal? lol

I think that they should ban the sell of it to people who haven't smoked yet because then it will allow the smokers to continue smoking while trying to keep the future population smoke free

How will they know who has smoked and who hasnt? And whats going to stop people from buying cigarettes and distributing them?

while it might sound good, it will never happen.

This just made me think of a really funny radio commercial in GTA: San Andreas for an anti-smoking law, where you hear a woman say something like "God, do you really have to smoke", and then here "Dont you wish it was like this? 'Murderer! I could have children one day *gunshot*'"