Non smoking laws Dictatorship??

[Zoaelite]

Originally Posted by ElGuappo

I am a smoker adn i do agree with the indoor laws, however the outdoors is questionable. as metioned before there are far worse airborn pollutants right outside the door due due the burning of non renewable resources that even as up to date as this week is killing hundreds of animals right outside your back door. due to the gathering of such fuels. how long can we continue to put of the electric car and such? i dont have any interest in driving one ever. but that doesnt mean i dont think they need to make a serious move in the next decade or so and make some with better power and longer lasitng bateries.

Is this not the "Well if everyone else is doing it then my little bit doesn't matter argument"? I dont think specificly its the biggest health issue I just think its a non smoker weighing out smoker decision. I know I don't personally enjoy walking out of a Walmart to 14 people blowing smoke in my face. You also have to realise that people are allergic to some of the chemicals in smoke so these people smoking infront of Walmart are technicly infringing on their rights?

[Beverly]

Originally Posted by Slick Fork

For the record, I think the ban on public drinking is crap as well. Public intoxication yes, drinking no.

ROTFLMAO! When was the last time you drank, either in private or public, and didn't get intoxicated? Duh!?! Drinking ALWAYS results in intoxication to some degree Geez, that's basic Drinking 101

As a smoker, I totally agree with banning smoking every place it can be banned. Tax the living crap out of the stuff, too! The more uncomfortable a smoker is, the more likely they're going to think about quitting. Well, I mean, the smokers who whine and complain about everything will probably whine and complain some more. But, overall, ANYTHING to help a smoker quit is welcome in my view. Smoking is a one-way ticket to an early and painful grave, IMO.

Originally Posted by Slick Fork

It may start with cigarettes, but we all know that obesity is the new smoking so we'll have "fat cops" running around fining you for eating potato chips in public, or daring to order gravy with those fries... don't say you haven't been warned

A huge problem for obese people is Type II diabetes. You might not know much about this horrible disease, but it maims and kills. 30% of people with diabetes don't even know they have it, which makes it even more deadly.

I think ANYTHING government can do to help people stay healthy is good for EVERONE in the long run. Staying healthy helps the individual; it helps family members so they don't have to watch a brother, mother, child become sick and slowly (or quickly) die an agonizing death; and it helps our health care, and ultimately our tax, systems by not having to treat illnesses that could very well be prevented.

Step off the ME, ME, ME! thing and think a little more the broader implications of governments trying to help people help themselves. All things being equal, your taxes may even go down

[Slick Fork]

Ok, if we want to encourage people to quit smoking and "help them help themselves" then here's a real easy solution, take the taxes made from cigarettes and subsidize quit smoking programs. Raise the price of a pack of smokes to $15 or $20. Bring in legislation allowing doctors to refuse service to people who won't help themselves, for example make recieving a heart transplant conditional on the patient losing 50lbs and quitting smoking.

I'm not arguing the fact that smoking is a terrible habit and that lung cancer is a horrible horrible way to go. Likewise I'm not suggesting that eating 10 big mac's every day is a good idea. If we really want to stir the pot there was a study done in one of the scandanavian countries that states smokers and unhealthily obese people actually save the system money because they die sooner instead of lingering on in a hospital like most healthy people do.

I'm speaking STRICTLY to the outdoor smoking bans that are being talked about locally. It is an individuals choice to smoke or not smoke, if they're outside and not hurting anyone else I don't think they should be singled out any more then the guy sitting down on the park bench with the happy meal.

"I think ANYTHING government can do to help people stay healthy is good for EVERONE in the long run. Staying healthy helps the individual; it helps family members so they don't have to watch a brother, mother, child become sick and slowly (or quickly) die an agonizing death; and it helps our health care, and ultimately our tax, systems by not having to treat illnesses that could very well be prevented."

You are assuming, that the government is filled with the smartest and brightest people around and has a better idea of what is best for you and I then we do ourselves. At what point should we expect people to take responsibility for their own decisions? Or are we going to become a society where we rely on the government to tell us what to do, eat, think, drink, etc.

[banditpowdercoat]

But the Govt doesnt want you to quit. They like getting your tax money. Plus, then we'd have to subsidize the tobacco companies even more