Should Smoking in Public Be Banned?

[Tiff]

As for this, again it's not about walking past a smoker in the street or sitting a hundred yards from a smoker in the park. It's about smoking and then handling children.

And I'll repeat, I've never smoked and HATE the smell. It does cling and I moved to LA years ago when there was no ban here and used to count my lucky stars every time I came home from being out where my eyes did not sting and my clothes and hair did not smell as they had the ban in place a long time ago.

But that's never happened to me because I went for a walk through a doorway that had smokers hanging outside or because I walked behind someone who was smoking.

But I suppose I'm quite a liberal and inclusive person for the most part and find hysteria about these things a little excessive. I think drinking alcohol is very antisocial but I don't think it should be banned. The smell of alcohol is vile and it leads to people being drunken, leery, and sometimes violent. It also leads to people throwing up in the streets and falling over and repeating the same dull conversation again and again and again. I don't drink, but you know what? When I see a few people getting together in a park, within easy walking distance of me or my family in a park with a few drinks I don't go "AAARGH Open alcohol!" and think the worst. I'm just more libertarian and liberal and laid back about things. I strongly suspect people who get easily anxious and worrisome about things like this (or other things which are largely inconsequential and have no evidence to suggest their imminent danger) are more likely to suffer illnesses as I always feel stress and anxiety cause far more illnesses in humans than we are made actively aware of. Also, since anxieties are very easily past from mother to child I try and be as relaxed around LO as possible.

Anyway, I've presented my argument, I think the opposing argument is hysteria and lacks concrete evidence (regarding the concrete danger of second hand smoke in OPEN AIR areas) and I'm out of this debate. I've had one hell of a tough week and I don't really fancy this debate as I've never said this before and I LOVE a good debate but I have started to feel a little like I did at school when the cool girls made fun of my trainers. And I'm 22 years too old to feel like that. But thanks for taking me back ladies.

I don't see smokers and think "Argh! Smokers!" and judge them, to each their own vices. Its when I smell them that it bugs me. Probably the same for you when you see someone being stupid drunk (as I like to call it) rather than just seeing someone have a glass of wine or a beer but are in control of themselves.

 

[Jkelmum]

Yes ...I have very bad asthma and now u cant smoke inside public places i walk ouyt from most shops/pubs/bingo anywhere really to a cloud of smoke that makes my chest tight and find it hard to breath

 

[berniegroves]

I do smoke and I would actualy like to see it banned in public places.
I very rarely smoke out in public because I either have LO with me (I will not smoke anywhere near him or let him see me smoke) and I get very aware since having LO about other children passing near me if im smoking.

The only places I smoke is out on the balcony at home (which isnt often as I cant be bothered so much at home) in the garden at my mums or out back by the bin area at work.
If I do ever smoke out in public its normaly somewhere well out of the way of other people.
I was sat on a bench the other week feeding LO, I was the only person there untill this old guy came and sat down next to us with his wife and lite a ciggerette up I was just so fuming that I couldnt even think straight to have a go at him.


I cant stand people who smoke around door ways, people keep smoking outside the door that leads to the beer gaden at my work and it realy annoys me because the smoke still piles in where people are eating and people still have to walk in and out through it all, its a massive garden so why they cant go down the other end rather then stand in the way of the door is beyond me.
That being said though it also realy annoys me when you are standing out the way and someone walks past you tutting even though its a massive area and they realy didnt need to walk within 2 foot from you.

The problem most times is most people just do not have common sense, they assume because it isnt banned and they are outside that they are free to blow their smoke anyway they wish, if more people had common sense then things wouldnt need to be banned because they would be free to do more things whilst taking responability

I don't smoke but totally agree with Smokey. I think common sense is the main issue, smoking whilst stood around a doorway so that non-smokers have to walk through the cloud of smoke is frustrating. And i agree that people should not smoke around babies or children at all!

On the other side i think non-smokers who specifically walk through a designated smoking area need to consider if they could walk a different way to avoid it.

My pet hate is when i am at theme parks and people smoke outside of the designated smoking areas.....especially when in queues for rides....as there is no escaping the smoke or smell.!
Just my opinion.
x

 

[annawrigley]

Was thinking about this the other day (need to stop letting my mind wander to BnB in my spare time ) and where do you draw the line? What constitutes a 'public space'? Doorways seems to be people's biggest grievance, and I do agree with that I think thats just rude, like smoking on someones doorstep But people also seem fairly bothered about streets, is it just busy streets? How do you define a busy street? If its just you and 1 other person on a street should it still be illegal? If theres 5 others? 10? I just don't see how it could be policed. And if smoking outside your home can be a nuisance to neighbours as has also been mentioned, where can you smoke except in your house? Which a lot of people wouldn't be willing to do, I wouldn't because I have Noah obviously, but even if I didn't I wouldn't cos the smell lingers and sticks to everything and it stains ceilings and walls etc... Just not nice. Also more harmful as its in a confined space, but I guess thats the smokers problem But then if the only place you could smoke is your house people with kids might start doing it when they wouldn't have otherwise Especially if they have neighbours who reported them if they saw them smoking outside. Idk just some thoughts

 

[Tiff]

Was thinking about this the other day (need to stop letting my mind wander to BnB in my spare time ) and where do you draw the line? What constitutes a 'public space'? Doorways seems to be people's biggest grievance, and I do agree with that I think thats just rude, like smoking on someones doorstep But people also seem fairly bothered about streets, is it just busy streets? How do you define a busy street? If its just you and 1 other person on a street should it still be illegal? If theres 5 others? 10? I just don't see how it could be policed. And if smoking outside your home can be a nuisance to neighbours as has also been mentioned, where can you smoke except in your house? Which a lot of people wouldn't be willing to do, I wouldn't because I have Noah obviously, but even if I didn't I wouldn't cos the smell lingers and sticks to everything and it stains ceilings and walls etc... Just not nice. Also more harmful as its in a confined space, but I guess thats the smokers problem But then if the only place you could smoke is your house people with kids might start doing it when they wouldn't have otherwise Especially if they have neighbours who reported them if they saw them smoking outside. Idk just some thoughts

That's an interesting thought. Does a smoker have the right to complain about it being "more" harmful if indoors? I know when I smoked I preferred to smoke indoors. It gets damn cold here in the winter!

 

[annawrigley]

Only thing I prefer about smoking indoors is the warmth, other than that it just makes me feel ill and gross!

 

[PeanutBean]

All valid points Anna. This is why in my first post I was a theoretical yes to a wider ban. For me the particular issue is forcing parents to smoke round their kids at home which I suppose many might do rather than give up. I suppose what I'd really like is for everyone to just give up/never start!

 

[annawrigley]

In an ideal world I agree though

 

[Nibblenic]

When not just have it be illegal. I mean if nonsmokers dont want it outside and even smokers dont want to do it in thieir own home because its disgusting. Surely the best option is to make it illegal.

Not necesselary force people to go cold turkey but maybe be able to get them in a lowering amount from a pharmasist over time. Or increase the age limit by one year every year then in 60years we wont have a smoking population.

Or a combination of both

 

[vaniilla]

I don't smoke so its clearly a biased answer! but I hate people smoking in public, personally I think its like a form of advertising for young people to look at, it stinks, it gets on your clothes/hair and its something that people shouldn't be subjected to, what really annoys me is people that smoke around children, there is just no need for it, we were taking lo to costa a few weeks ago and on the outside table there was a group of about 7/10 mums with their kids and I'd say half were just puffing away with all those kids there facing them in their prams, what people do to themselves is none of my business, people can do whatever they like to themselves but they shouldn't be able to affect others with it. just my opinion!

 

[smokey]

Why is dot cotton/Branning still allowed to smoke in Eastenders, I thought there was a law passed ages ago that no tv show was allowed to glorify smoking.

 

[PeanutBean]

Smokey I'm not sure I think Dot Cotton could glorify anything! But seriously there's a lot of smoking on tv. I'm sure not just US tv either. Wonder what the rule is...?

 

[annawrigley]

Why is dot cotton/Branning still allowed to smoke in Eastenders, I thought there was a law passed ages ago that no tv show was allowed to glorify smoking.

And Becky and Steve on Coro (although they always go on about how bad it is) and Max on Eastenders. And I'm sure there's more... I noticed a few years ago when I watched Hollyoaks that none of them smoked so thought it must be a deliberate thing. But quite a few of them do on EE/Coro

 

[vaniilla]

Smokey I'm not sure I think Dot Cotton could glorify anything! But seriously there's a lot of smoking on tv. I'm sure not just US tv either. Wonder what the rule is...?

I'm sad so I looked this up if you're bored here's a link to the bbc guidelines, https://www.bbc.co.uk/guidelines/editorialguidelines/page/guidelines-harm-alcohol


this is the main bit
5.4.40

We must balance the need to reflect realistically the range of public attitudes and behaviour with the danger of encouraging potentially damaging or illegal behaviour, particularly amongst children.

 

[lily123]

I'm a smoker and i think it should (eventually) be banned from public places.
If we want to smoke on our own time on our own property then fine, but i don't think it;'s fair that others have to breathe in our bad habit
x

 

[amygwen]

I voted yes, but I don't remember when I did
I would say no, mostly because my parents were hardcore smokers at one time and they would never leave the house if smoking wasn't allowed in public places. Here where I live, you're not allowed to smoke within 20 feet of a public place. I like that, because we don't have to breathe in the smoke, but people can still enjoy their cigarettes if they want.

 

[KittyVentura]

Abso-blimin-lutely!! xx

 

[ShanandBoc]

How is this fair.

I open my doors, windows to get some fresh air, and am constantly having to close them again when a wave of cigarette smokes pours into my unit from my neighbor, the smell lingers for ages and my little girl has to breathe it in too

Where are my rights? Im my own home, i cant even escape it

 

[ShanandBoc]

If we want to smoke on our own time on our own property then fine, but i don't think it;'s fair that others have to breathe in our bad habit
x

Agree, but i have to in my own home aswell, see above

 

[sequeena]

I don't think it should be banned, just that people should be more considerate of where they smoke. I'm an ex smoker and always went in a corner as far from people as I could