Should Smoking in Public Be Banned?

[katrina1987]

This is my point but I bet they won't ban driving will they.....?

How exhaust fumes afflict your body (Air pollution lung cancer)
Suspended Particulate matter (SPM)
Main source: Diesel vehicles. Petrol vehicles, motor cycles. .
Effects: Chest infection, aggravates asthma, may cause cancer. Children are more at risk than adults.

Ozone
Main source: Indirectly Oxides of Nitrogen from diesel and petrol. Generates ozone after photochemical reaction with sunlight. Children are more at risk than adults.
Effects: Can induce asthma even in a normal person and aggravate asthma in patients. causes damage to the linings of the lungs.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
Main Source: Petrol and diesel. Sports participants and children are most at risk.
Effects: Headache, drowsiness, lethargy, red eyes and cough

Sulphur dioxide
Main Source: Diesel Combustion ( avoid diesel exhaust fumes 30 times more dangerous than petrol fumes)
Effects: Aggravates rhinitis and asthma.
Oxides of Nitrogen
Main Source: Diesel exhaust fumes, Sports participants and children are most at risk.
Effects: Chest Infections, rhinitis, headache, lethargy, irritation of eyes and aggravates asthma.

Benzene
Main Source: Unleaded petrol emitted from catalytic converters
Effects: A known carcinogen, it has been linked to lung cancer and leukemia and can damage the central nervous system.

Carbon Monoxide
Main Source: Petrol vehicles, motor cycles, Sports participants and children are most at risk.
Effects: Aggravates ischaemic heart disease, affects stamina adversely.
Recent studies in Europe have confirmed that you are three times more vulnerable to exhaust fumes when inside your vehicle in heavy congested traffic.
Lead Main Source: Petrol
Effects: Can affects the central nervous system. Cause renal damage and hypertension. Children are three times more at risk than adults.

 

[PeanutBean]

I'm sure this thread already went round the exhaust fume issue. I think it would be lovely to ban combustion engines however there would need up be sufficient investment in electric infrastructure and subsidies for purchase of electric cars. There are a few significant points here though, number 1 is that smoking serves zero purpose however transport does have a purpose and for some people their car is an absolute necessity. Traffic pollution varies very significantly with time of day, one could choose not to walk by roads during rush hour for example. There are stringent regulations about exhaust which has been improving over the years. A number if the chemicals you mention are contained in cigarettes too plus your post mentions lead which you'd be hard pushed to find in fuel these days. But yes, please ban cars too.

 

[moomin_troll]

OT but smoking might not serve a purpose to u but i could really do with one right now lol

(i dont smoke anymore but after my night and if i wasnt pregnant id of finished 20 in 5 mins)

 

[PeanutBean]

Lol moomin, naturally it serves the purpose of fulfilling the addiction cravings!

 

[annawrigley]

Lol moomin, naturally it serves the purpose of fulfilling the addiction cravings!

Which to someone who is addicted is a necessity

 

[PeanutBean]

Lol moomin, naturally it serves the purpose of fulfilling the addiction cravings!

Which to someone who is addicted is a necessity

Hm, well the value of an addiction is another debate. You could say the same about smoking crack on the street... Not really as contributory to society as getting to work or transporting a whole family.

 

[elephant29]

Lol moomin, naturally it serves the purpose of fulfilling the addiction cravings!

Which to someone who is addicted is a necessity

Hm, well the value of an addiction is another debate. You could say the same about smoking crack on the street... Not really as contributory to society as getting to work or transporting a whole family.

But thats illegal wheras smoking isnt .

I know the legal/not legal debate can go on and on but as it stands here and now, whether its bad for you or not, smoking in public is legal and cant be likened to smoking crack which is illegal.

xxx

 

[moomin_troll]

some people like me find it easy to quit an addiction for a good reason and mine was my children. i was a heavy smoker before zane, never wanted or could quit before but i had a reason so i did and i will never understand why others cant but oh well.

my oh on the other hand couldnt or wouldnt quit and it drove me insane hahaha

peanutbean- im over wanting a fag now lol people should really learn not to piss a pregnant woman off hahaha

 

[PeanutBean]

Elephant illegal or legal is irrelevant for my post. My post was responding to whether an addiction makes something necessary in the larger scheme of things. IMO it doesn't regardless of what that addiction is.

 

[elephant29]

Elephant illegal or legal is irrelevant for my post. My post was responding to whether an addiction makes something necessary in the larger scheme of things. IMO it doesn't regardless of what that addiction is.

I commented due to you saying you could liken it to smoking crack on the street (addiction and being necessary) and as the debate was regarding smoking in public being banned (or not) I took it that you were making a comparison so sorry if I misunderstood.

Personally I do think an addiction makes something necessary. Of course you are able to overcome addictions making said thing not a necessity but until that point being addicted to something and needing it are very real feelings but I suppose that is another debate eh?

xxx

 

[PeanutBean]

Yeah, I'm by no means intending to belittle addiction, in fact hilariously you'll find me somehow supporting pregnant mums who smoke in another thread! The point was really to illustrate how car exhaust fumes and smoking are simply incomparable. Something I am sure we already covered in this thread probably pages and pages ago.

 

[annawrigley]

Elephant illegal or legal is irrelevant for my post. My post was responding to whether an addiction makes something necessary in the larger scheme of things. IMO it doesn't regardless of what that addiction is.

I commented due to you saying you could liken it to smoking crack on the street (addiction and being necessary) and as the debate was regarding smoking in public being banned (or not) I took it that you were making a comparison so sorry if I misunderstood.

Personally I do think an addiction makes something necessary. Of course you are able to overcome addictions making said thing not a necessity but until that point being addicted to something and needing it are very real feelings but I suppose that is another debate eh?

xxx

I agree xx

 

[PeanutBean]

This just takes me back to my original point. There is a significant difference between personal 'necessity' and that serving society. Much as I hate it transport is integral to the functioning of society, even with personal use. An addiction is not sufficient excuse for a person to indulge in anything they like, anytime, anywhere, regardless of others.

 

[PeanutBean]

dp

 

[elephant29]

This just takes me back to my original point. There is a significant difference between personal 'necessity' and that serving society. Much as I hate it transport is integral to the functioning of society, even with personal use. An addiction is not sufficient excuse for a person to indulge in anything they like, anytime, anywhere, regardless of others.[/QUOTE]

I do actually agree...to an extent.

I am addicted to nicotine whether I like it or not. Arguments say I can quit but until i do I still have an addiction to this substance ufortunately. However, I believe that I do have the right to indulge in this addiction anytime anywhere (obviously within reason but for the sake of this debate we are meaning outside) because it is still legal to smoke in public and until then I dont think I or any other smoker should be made to feel 'shamed' for doing this. A lot of people have said they are considerate smokers and I am one of them so why should I not partake in something I (currently) enjoy, in open air, which is perfectly legal?

I know the legal/not legal thing has been hashed out now but I firmly believe that this is the essence of why smoking will not be banned (and should not IMO) in public.

xxx

 

[elephant29]

Yeah, I'm by no means intending to belittle addiction, in fact hilariously you'll find me somehow supporting pregnant mums who smoke in another thread! The point was really to illustrate how car exhaust fumes and smoking are simply incomparable. Something I am sure we already covered in this thread probably pages and pages ago.

Haha I find myself doing that sometimes, agree one thing but put another way disagree with it, haha.

I do agree you cant really compare car fumes (which I know you mean transport being somewhat a necessity for most people) and smoking.

xxx

 

[moomin_troll]

i dont see addiction as a good enough reason for anything because in most cases the addiction was bought on by that person starting something that they already no to be bad for them. but thats just me.

and before someone tells me i dont no what its like, i was highly addicted to smoking, my oh was very addicted to smoking and also drugs and one point and he quit that. and i grew up around to major p*ss heads

 

[PeanutBean]

The legal right to smoke anywhere (currently permitted) is a moot point too as the purpose of the thread was to gauge how we all feel about that and whether it should be made illegal. So naturally were the 'yes' voters to get what they wanted it wouldn't be legal anymore.

I'm glad elephant that you agree about comparing to car fumes. I'm all for whipping up comparisons but they need to be realistic to mean anything and it's extremely difficult to find anything that has a similar sort of impact and indeed invokes a similar sort of emotional response on both sides as smoking does.

 

[moomin_troll]

you could also say it is actualy legal for some to smoke pot, doesnt give them the right to smoke that outside door ways or in bus stops..which is illegal to do but so many smokers still do which really gets my goat!

even when it was legal id never of smoked in a bus shelter

 

[lollylou1]

i dont like smoking but if people want to do it thats fine, i have no problems with it, but i think when u walk out of shops or towncentre into clouds of smoke cos people are stood in the door way is out of order, i think there should be designated areas which i know there is but that they should be where u have to smoke rather than just the offering of a shelter to use if u want!
Lou
xxx