The acceptable areas for smoking just got a lot narrow, but I can’t really argue with this. I mean, I still smoke, though I’m planning on getting around to quitting sometime soon, but even so, I can’t be upset about this. People that don’t smoke have a right to not inhale second hand smoke. That’s the whole point of not smoking right? Still, it’s gonna be kind of sad that I can’t lean back on a park bench and enjoy a cigarette while watching all the people pass by anymore.
This reminds me of something I was told by a guy in Japan. I don’t remember who it was now, but he was saying that in Japan, they banned smoking outdoors, but not indoors. He said the reasoning is that it’s all about choice. If you’re a non-smoker, you can choose to not go into a smoking establishment, but you can’t choose to not walk outside. So, you ban smoking outdoors, but leave smoking indoors up to the establishment owner. To me, that makes a lot more sense.
Given the Japanese stance on smoking, it makes me wonder how much freedom and choice we really have in this country. Smoking isn’t illegal, but pretty soon it might be illegal to smoke anywhere. I remember hearing a story a few months ago about a housing development where people were complaining that they could smell the smoke from neighboring units. Would it be fair to ban smoking in an entire apartment building? I can imagine a no smoking policy for new tenants, but could you really ask people to move out if they don’t stop smoking?
Bradley Farless 
Anyone who cannot see that the banning of smoking is a test case study for later, more radical health care offensives is not looking hard enough. Watching as Governments around the world start to gradually reduce their reliance upon tobacco tax revenue is just like watching an addict slowly wean themselves from the hideous weed.Nobody shouts too loud at the moment, but you wait when you are rationed as to how much salt, sugar and red meat you are allowed to eat … that's when we see the true colours of these personal rights infringements.
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Anyone who cannot see that the banning of smoking is a test case study for later, more radical health care offensives is not looking hard enough. Watching as Governments around the world start to gradually reduce their reliance upon tobacco tax revenue is just like watching an addict slowly wean themselves from the hideous weed.Nobody shouts too loud at the moment, but you wait when you are rationed as to how much salt, sugar and red meat you are allowed to eat … that's when we see the true colours of these personal rights infringements.
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Interesting points. You reminded me of when the city government was crying about people buying cigarettes from outside the state, or from the Indian reservations, and not paying taxes. They claim that's the reason the city can't balance it's budget. So, to me, that says they want people to smoke.
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Interesting points. You reminded me of when the city government was crying about people buying cigarettes from outside the state, or from the Indian reservations, and not paying taxes. They claim that's the reason the city can't balance it's budget. So, to me, that says they want people to smoke.
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