Week 13: Smoking in Public

[Ty Junior]

What are your thoughts on the public banning of smoking?  Is it ethical?  Does the ban infringe on the freedoms of smokers?  Should the government be allowed to limit the rights of smokers if there is no DIRECT harm to non-smokers?  

Other areas of the issue to consider are:

* Public Health vs Personal Freedom
* Outdoor vs. Indoors
* The Issue of Segregation

Discuss below, and don't forget to answer the poll!

[kellyzollo]

I'm not against anyone smoking if that is what they choose to do with their body that being said I don't want to have to smell it or inhale it while I am out in public enjoying time with my family and friends. For a variety of medical reason's I cannot be around a lot of cigarette smoke and I don't want secondhand smoke doing damage to my lungs.

I don't feel that places where you eat, movie theaters or malls are the place to allow smoking. That probably makes me a horrible person, but they are family friendly environments. I'm pretty sure most parents don't want their kids inhaling second hand fumes.

As for direct harm, second hand cigarette smoke to me is direct harm, it can cause lung and heart damage just like regular smoking can.

Right now in Utah they ban it in public places, but have areas set up to allow smoking I think the rule is 25 feet in front of an establishment. They don't ban it in bars or clubs, when we go out with our friends who smoke they kindly pick somewhere that is non smoker friendly and I love that about my friends that do smoke.

In Nevada I worked at the hotel there for a bit and due to the massive amounts of smoke that I was walking by at night I eventually had to quit my job because I couldn't breath and it was irritating my lungs and really endangering my health.

This was kinda wordy, but that is my two cents on it.

Kelly

[Pat]

I don't smoke, but I do believe that smokers should be free to light up while outside. I know in canada they can't smoke within 5 meters of any building, and all buildings are non-smoking.

[livelikemusic]

I think if you're OUTSIDE, it's fine but in restaurants, etc. no!

I'm not a smoker, and the smokes affects me health greatly, so my mom is currently in the process of quitting but her boyfriend isn't helping the situation.

[bexeth]

If you choose to smoke outside, away from others, that is fine and that is your business and that should be allowed. Banning it in restaurants and bars is frustrating, but understandable...but telling a person what to do outside is ridiculous, and I don't like it one bit.

[Dallas]

I really think it depends. Restaurants & bars, absolutely, no smoking.

The decision of outside becomes a question of "what space is public"? It I am in the public space, as a person of freedom, I should be able to smoke. There are the new laws that say you must be X amount of feet away from the door way when you smoke in Canada now. As a non-smoker, I appreciate that because I do not want the second hand smoke, but it IS a public space, there shouldn't be a law about it, because the space is public.

[Ty Junior]

I think the question of whether it is ethical is sort of a mix bag because I can understand the desire to ban smoking out of the interest of protecting the rights of non-smokers, but then we shouldn't have to trample over the rights of the smokers just to get there.  So I ultimately had to say no.

Now I, personally, can't stand the smell of second-hand smoke, and unfortunately, I lived for years with a relative that did it in our home, which was certainly their right.  The best thing I could do at the time was separate myself from it, or limit my breathing as much as possible while the smoke was filtering through the air.  I think if you are in public space, like schools, restaurants, churches, hospitals, etc..., it would be respectful to the clientele that you do your smoking outside, where people have the option to leave without disrupting their day or impacting their plans.  I get that it can be frustrating taking in a waft of smoke in the air on your way out or into an establishment, but often times, you are only exposed to this distraction for about a minute or two.  I think when you began to stipulate where people can smoke outside, you start to segregate the population for their own personal health choice, and that isn't ethical IMO.