Smoking Bans And Why Don’t People Care That Their Rights Are Being Taken Away
This was meant to be a comment on the Smoking Ban in Jersey but it got a little long and I think that maybe this will spark a little bit of debate. (Hopefully)
Point #1) I am not sticking any shit in any ones lungs because I don’t smoke.
Point #2) I think I think people are too focused on the health aspects of this than the fact that the government is taking away your rights. Yes, your rights. I know you are probably sitting there saying they aren’t taking away my rights because I don’t smoke. But despite the fact that you don’t smoke they still have taken away your right to smoke. They have taken away your right to allow smoking in an establishment that you own. You don’t have the choice to allow or disallow smoking because the government took that right away from you. ? I understand that smoking is bad for you but it is second hand smoke any worse for you than the exhaust that gets pumped out of your car?
My question has been this all along, where does it stop? When do people start to care that their rights are being taken away from? What has to be taken away from you before you realize or care that your rights have been taken away? Or do people not care? I understand that this is quite the jagged edged issue and people are having trouble getting past the fact that it is about smoking as opposed to seeing the line that is slowly being erased by the government. You know what line, the line called freedom. I’d rather die free than let them take away my freedom to choose. I feel like dressing up in blue war paint and putting on a kilt now.
Post Script: In an effort to find out about some of the smoking bans throughout the country I came across this rant. I don’t support it and I am sure that some people will not find it funny but I did and so I am going to share it with you, head on over to SnipeMe.com
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Well, I guess my blogspot address won’t show up. Anyways, as a smoker myself, I’m not upset about smoking bans. When they first started popping up in this country, I was. But I’m more concerned about tobacco companies skipping out on criminal penalties for knowledge that nicotine is addictive and for slanting their sales towards children, all the while smokers keep getting stuck with price increases in an effort to offset such costs as highway projects, low income heating, gasoline tax, etc. Why should I pay for it just because I smoke tobacco?
As for smoking bans in public restaurants and buildings, I have no problem with it. When I moved in with my girlfriend, I chose not to smoke in the apartment. It smells so much nicer than my previous two places due to my smoking indoors.
Also, when I go out to eat, it is nice to enjoy the savory flavor of a nice fish or meat dinner without the ashy, nasty carcinogen smoke flavor waffing in over my plate.
I have no problem running outside real quick to have a smoke and I don’t think business will be really hurt because of it.
My $0.02.
I hear ya Chris, it’s the same thing I wrestle with. I am not in favor if goverment telling me what I can and cannot do, and where I can and cannot do it. And it sucks that I really hate smoke. I used to smoke, but thankfully I wisened up and stopped many years ago. I do know there may be a myth about 2nd hand smoke being as deadly as they used to say it was…it still can’t be good for you though. I do know that the next day after being out in Philly in the winter my throat is sore…it might be the booze or staying up late…but being in NY in the smoke free bars is the nicest thing I ever ever experienced (Well maybe not the best, but damn close). I think you can always make an agument that one right taken away makes it easier to take more away…some might argue against that. This is such a sticky topic. Like I said in a comment earlier I just wish Tobacco would just dissappear…poof…gone. So much easier.
Take a look at our workplace. Smoking used to be allowed up until what the early 80’s? Smoking on planes was allowed until the late 80’s? People are used to going outside to smoke at work. I don’t think we are losing much by having to go outside to smoke at work, or before flying. And I am not sure if this is really taking away the rights of the people. Government has usually made laws to protect our health and being. I can’t imagine being a non smoking waitress and breathing in the smoke for 8-12 hours. It’s gotta have some effect, just like auto emmissions which we’ve had to improve in the auto industry by law.
With business(bars etc) and work, you can go elsewhere to smoke than at your table or desk. So in this case I lean towards the ban….But again I just wish people would just stop smoking then we wouldn’t have to deal with this topic.
Well I guess it’s good you can’t picture yourself as a waitress, Ian.
So…when I have a pint of Guinness, how many livers does that affect around me? Livers that didn’t have a choice in the matter? You ask can the government ban drinking so that there will be no more drunk driving accidents? No, but it can ban drinking and driving, as it has.
What I am saying that the government has the right to restrict priveleges that are harmful to a third party that has nothing to do with your bad habit.
Your example about Ted Stevens does not hold water because Senator Stevens is not looking to make society safer. He is looking to restrict television content. The content does not cause anybody physical harm and it does not hurt other people in your house who have to watch it because you are.
Making these public places non-smoking does more than make society “slightly” healthier. Actually depending on which statistics you use, tobacco smoke is the Number One cause of cancer, not these auto emissions to which you constantly refer (which by the way, ARE restricted). And that makes me a communist I guess?
My argument is it can stop when a person’s bad habits don’t cause another unrelated person harm. If you want to kill yourself and your family by smoking in your house, so be it. But I will not let a smoker kill my family because we went out to eat or drink.
As a writer, what Senator Stevens is doing is wrong. It is wrong to sensor the written word or any kind of speech, unless it is harmful.
Maybe you should have voted like I did, but that would have done little to change what is right and wrong. It is wrong that non-smokers with lung cancer are now nearly triple what they were five and ten years ago.
That’s why we need rules about this, and other things like it. And we do need them across the board.