Study Show Bar Patrons Eventually Approve Smoking Ban!

As a former smoker, I would like to seperate my opinions on bars and restaurants.

Bars, pubs, saloons, whatever, should still be able to choose if they will allow smokers to light up.

Who is forced to enter a drinking place, against their will? Who is forced to work in a bar, pub, whatever: where smoking is allowed?

I grew up in a cloud of "black & white" movies, and smoke. Yes, smoking will (if you work at it hard and long enough.... kill you).

But now that we've established that fact, let's not insist that we can require everybody to live forever.

Yes, yes I know the argument about how second hand smoke is killing people off as fast as hand guns are, but I'm not yet buying into that "fact".


Ok, I'm drifting here.

Restaurants: No!

Bars: Just stay the hell out of the ones where Humphrey Bogart is still....... "playing it again, Sam"

Well, I smoke (again).

I don't like (usually) smoky bars and restaurants, but I think, smokers should find their place in bars and restaurants as well.

(I don't drink - ever heard of bars and restaurants with a "non-drinking area"?)

As an ex-smoker who worked in a bar, I'm all for the bans, but I think they should be temp set-ups. Maybe 5 years? So that bar owners and goers can have a chance to realize that banning smoking won't cause bankruptcy. Or, better yet, lay a big licensing fee on bars who wish to remain smoker-friendly. A fee big enough so only some will do it. Or, maybe a lottery would be more fair.

What I don't get is the idea that enclosed smoking rooms are illegal. I guess workers still have to service the rooms in the smoke, but make the area fit for only a smoke and people won't linger and make a mess....

Just a few thoughts:

I smoke, but try to be courteous about it.
I personally don't like it if the person next to me is smoking while I'm eating, but, If I'm eating at a bar I know that I know that people may be smoking.
They way I see it is, that it really should be up to the owner of the establishment. Non-smokers, or smokers have the right to go, or not go wherever they please. It's a market environment, the owners should have the right to make a decision based on the preferences of their patrons. My thoughts are not biased by my smoking. I just think that it really is a choice, people aren't being forced to patronize or work in places that allow smoking.

Phoenix, I've said this before, but I'm saying it again. Cigarette smoking is a personal choice. When the government starts to dictate what an individual may or may on do, it's the prelude to restrictions in other areas of our private lives. I have always abided by the law and will continue to do so, but once Big Brother's foot is in the door, other things will follow. For those of you who don't smoke, think of this. What do you do that is not necessarily good for your health. Would you like to see a legislature step in and make a law that says you are forbidden to indulge? For God's sake, folks. This isn't about smoking. It's about personal freedoms. grrrrrrrrrr.

Letty- I agree with you on that. Restaurants and bars are money making businesses. In places where there are no anti-smoking laws, owners have set aside smoking and non-smoking areas because that was what the patrons wanted. That is only good business, to give your customers what they want. In fact, in a restaurant I had patronized, I saw the non-smoking area, over time, go from a tiny section of the restaurant, to almost the entire place.

When I wrote this thread, I wasn't even thinking of the aspect of government vs private action, but IMO you are absolutely right!

As a smoker I don't think smoking should be banned from bars, but it doesn't bother me that I can't smoke in a restaurant since I won't be spending the whole night in there. I couldn't answer your poll phoenix because the two are not separated.

I'm one of those people who don't like anyone smoking around me when I'm eating, so the restaurant smoking ban really doesn't phase me.

Just a little bit out of the topic, and explaining a question, which arose centuries back, but very, very interesting:

Coffin Nails: The Tobacco Controversy In The 19th Century

i am a smoker and in the past when a bar or resturant was no smoking i did not mind, but i really seriously resent regulation by law of what a private business may or may not do. this is going back to the "everyone will wear brown shoes on tuesdays mentality"

dys

So you don't do that (wearing brown shoes on Tuesday) as well?

Walter i have gray cowboy boots and black Nike's

I am also a smoker - wow we have a lot of smokers here!

I enjoy eating at non-smoking restaurants - I think it is impolite to light up when others are eating.

As for the ban on pubs - where food is not served (I refer to full meals not including nibblers/appetisers) I do not think there should be a ban but rather a law whereby a pub-owner decide if a pub will be smoking or non-smoking and must retain the premises completely as such ... no special area for smokers while the rest be for non-smokers.

Workers have the ability to decide for themselves if they wish to work for a non-smoking or a smoking establishment and let that be that. There should be no penalty for a pub to be smoking and all employees should sign a document to say that they freely accept work and the conditions therein, fully knowing the atmosphere could damage their health.

Otherwise the government should just make cigarettes illegal altogether and be done with it! All this while people are trying to get marijuana made legal! Where, I ask will these people be able to smoke their mary-janes if there is not an establishment left that will permit smoking?

The laws about smoking, drinking and other such restrictive anal retentive laws are making me regret my return to the US.

I prefer living in less restrictive places that offer more personal freedoms.

Isn't Boston banning cigarettes in all public places next month?

If so, I'm psyched. I hate cigarette smoke. It really drives me nuts.

Where do you live? Since I can't smoke in pubs I need to find somewhere to invite all my smoking friends (all 55 of them). Plus, please provide a few kegs of beer and some hard liquor. Oh and pretzels and snacky thingies would be good too. Thanks. BTW what should we call your place? I really need a sign or something outside so that passersby know we're getting our freak on.

I live at "Casa de la Shock and Awe."

Plenty of liquor, always have a variety of beer, and a tapped keg sitting since the New Year's bash with your name all over it. Designated smoking area out back. Are any of your female smoking friends hot?

Slappy

I never thought I'd live to see the day I'd say this.....but after seeing, "Casa de la Shock and Awe", I finally gotta hand it to ya, Slappy......you're OK!

Heeven:

No words could have summed up better, this whole topic: "freedom" in pubs and making personal choices about where one sets foot, as your thoughts do.

It's just that seeing such words of wisdom on my monitor while at the same time looking at the face of an ostrich..........well,

........I have decidely mixed feelings about avatars.

Just what the hell is it that avatars are supposed to communicate?

Does anybody know?

Man to salvation army girl: Wanna have a drink with me?
Salvation army girl: I don't drink.
Man: Well, how about a cuppa coffee and a smoke?
Salvation army girl: I don't smoke.
Man: Hmmm. Okay. How about a roll in the hay?
Salvation army girl: Love to.
Man: You mean that you would go to bed with me?
Salvation army girl: Well, Mama told me that you don't have to smoke and drink to have a good time.

The point? A sin tax is a sin tax, right?

Sheeeeeeze