Should Smoking in Public Be Banned?

[Thaynes]

I vote no. Like others have said I am a "nice" smoker. I don't do it in crowds of people, near doors, around children, I even ask my friends if walking with them if they mind if I smoke going so far to walk down wind of them. Now is it fair that I shouldn't get to smoke. Like someone else stated people get mad when they can't smoke. My OH included.
Make smoking areas with a but bucket or something. That will solve the problem. On my campus they have non smoking areas with fines up to 75 for violating it. I choose to smoke and I take the risk. But if you want to complain about smokers why not complain about perfume. Sometimes it can cause reactions in people(like GmaIL). Is it fair to her that other put her at risk. NO.
I'm just saying with restrictions there isn't a problem. If people are that worried then don't go near a smoker with your body or child. You can see a smoker from a distance where as Kathlynn can't see people wearing perfume.

 

[TwilightAgain]

Yes it's disgusting. Nothing pisses me off more than when some randomer starts wafting smoke in your face, or their cigarette. FFS YOU might be happy to die of lung cancer but I am not!! it's downright inconsiderate.

 

[annawrigley]

I doubt anyone is gonna die of lung cancer from a smoker walking past them for a split second. Come on.

 

[moomin_troll]

it annoys me when people jump to the conclusion that people have a certain cancer from smoking. i no of a man who died of mouth cancer..never smoked a day in his life but im sure if he did smoke, smoking would of be blamed for his death.

im not saying smoking isnt dangerous but it just gets on my nerves.

well the other day some rude cow went out of her way to walk infront of me while smoking! i wasnt walking slow, she had to practicaly run to over take me but to do that while smoking is just plain rude.
i felt like shouting at her. so that made me want smoking banned in public

 

[chichestermum]

i think designated smoking areas would be great but they wouldnt work, in the rain yea every smoker would be under there but when its nice your going to get people lighting up outside of the doors of shops etc, luckily we do our shopping onlie so dont have to deal with the hoards of smokers who have finished there weekly shop lighting up just outside of the door, but we do have to deal with it when we go to town, i usually just back out of the door first and ask any smokers to kindly move out the way so i can get my DD out without her being poisoned, usually they will move out the way and dont move back afterwards realising its not right, if they dont then i always make sure my handbag 'accidently' hits them as i get out the door Its alot easier to make people move now, my DD has realised that smoking is dirty (as we repeatedly drum it into her if we see someone smoking) so now she shouts eee your dirty smoking that at people its fun to see how red smokers faces go after being told off by a 3 year old!



(edit) you cant really put a ban on smoking in public as there would be far too many grumpy people around then! but maybe they should put manners on the labels instead of reasons not to smoke, those pics obviously do nothing, people still smoke if they want to!

 

[JASMAK]

I voted yes. I just don't think that people who smoke, nice or not, realize how stinky they are!!! I mean, some move away etc. I think that is nice, but it still blows around with the wind. I will smell it from 50 metres away! It's gross. Makes me feel ill, makes my eyes water, my skin itch. I just don't think it's fair that I have to smell that, and feel that way, because of their bad habit. KWIM? So, I would like to have it banned. Do it in your own home. My neighbour smokes, outside, and we smell it in our house sometimes. I just have to put up with it, but it irks me as my son's bedroom is right there. It's just gross.

 

[Dizzymum]

I'd like a ban in public places. I hate it. If I see someone is smoking, and I know I have to push my Los pram through it, it makes me so mad. Why should my baby have to breathe it in? I try to protect her from harm, but it's ok for some random person to blow smoke in her face? NO. Ban it.

 

[elephant29]

I think this debate could go on forever.

Smokers will always argue that it is their right to smoke in public as it isnt against the law. They will argue that quickly walking past someone when they are smoking is highly unlikely to cause lung cancer or any other smoking side affects. I think that the smoking ban was good because people were suffering due to others and their habit. However, outside this is not a valid argument. The argument is whether people find it unpleasant/annoying to walk past smokers. Unfortunately things i life will annoy us but it doesnt mean we can just ban them all.

Non smokers will always argue that it is their right to breathe smoke free air. To not have to push an LO through a cloud of smoke. Non smokers will generally always lump all smokers together as well. As a few people have commented 'why should I have someone blow smoke in my LO's face'. Obviously the srgument from the considerate smokers out there arent really being heard as people are so passionate about their belief that they close of to it. I'm not saying this is a bad thing but it just means that the other side will never fully be understood.

xxx

 

[OmiOmen]

I said yes. I do not think they should do it in door ways either, I know that not all smokers are like this but a few weeks before I was due with my son a woman stepped out of a doorway to purposely blew smoke in my face.

If people want to smoke then fine, but they should not have the 'right' to do it anywhere they want and force people who do not want to be around it to be. Saying smokers should be able to do it in set places means they still can smoke but saying they can do it anywhere means that those that do not want to be around it have to never leave the house. I can not really see how much more straight forward it can be to make it fair on everyone. Designated places to smoke equals non-smokers not to be forced to be around it while allowing smokers to still do it, surly it is the best balance?

 

[annawrigley]

I don't think any smoker purposefully blows smoke in somebody's face, inconsiderate or not. This is just getting stupid.

 

[dani_tinks]

Thing is I don't really see why smokers need to smoke in public anyway! Your own home/garden.. ok. But why smoke on streets in public places?

 

[OmiOmen]

I don't think any smoker purposefully blows smoke in somebody's face, inconsiderate or not. This is just getting stupid.

That is not stupid at all, some do. I am not saying it is all or even most or even many but it does happen and you saying it doesn't really does not change that some people are inconsiderate. I appreciate that if it has not happened to you that you may think no one would do it, after all it would be pretty silly, but it is frankly naive to think that everyone is a nice and/or considerate person and would not do something like that.

I know for a fact that the woman I mentioned blew it in my face while heavily pregnant on purpose because A) She stepped out of the pub doorway and stood directly in front (and by that I mean inches from my face) of me to do it and B) She then laughed in my face and went back to talk to the man she was with about teaching stupid pregnant women a lesson about stepping around to try and avoid smokers.

 

[annawrigley]

I don't think any smoker purposefully blows smoke in somebody's face, inconsiderate or not. This is just getting stupid.

That is not stupid at all, some do. I am not saying it is all or even most or even many but it does happen and you saying it doesn't really does not change that some people are inconsiderate. I appreciate that if it has not happened to you that you may think no one would do it, after all it would be pretty silly, but it is frankly naive to think that everyone is a nice and/or considerate person and would not do something like that.

I know for a fact that the woman I mentioned blew it in my face while heavily pregnant on purpose because A) She stepped out of the pub doorway and stood directly in front (and by that I mean inches from my face) of me to do it and B) She then laughed in my face and went back to talk to the man she was with about teaching stupid pregnant women a lesson about stepping around to try and avoid smokers.

Oh ok thats shocking then, I really didn't think people could be THAT rude!!

 

[annawrigley]

Thing is I don't really see why smokers need to smoke in public anyway! Your own home/garden.. ok. But why smoke on streets in public places?

Because people don't stay in their houses all day... That's like saying why do people ever eat or drink when they're out an about, just do it at home. It's a "need" that if you're out all day can't really wait until you get home...

 

[dani_tinks]

You need to eat and drink, you don't need to smoke. Maybe if more people only smoked in their own homes they'd be more likely to quit.

 

[OmiOmen]

You clearly live in a nice enough area then. I live in a village that is pleasant enough but it is attached to a small town and one part of the town is not so nice, although most of the people that live there are just good, honest hard working people but some are really not pleasant. So when I go into my local town I often see some shocking sights.

 

[annawrigley]

You need to eat and drink, you don't need to smoke. Maybe if more people only smoked in their own homes they'd be more likely to quit.

If you're addicted you do need to

 

[OmiOmen]

On the addicted note there is always E-cig's which are good for the addiction of tobacco but have less of some of the other chemicals and zero second hand smoke. It seems like a lot of smoker dismiss them based on how they look though.

I have to say though, as a non-smoker who really does not want people to do it around me I feel we have the right to (at least relatively) fresh air but at the same time it is not like the government will ban smoking considering the tax's and how many people do it so it seems fair they should have a place to do it. I honestly think designated areas in public and been strict on people not doing it in places such a doorways or bus stops is the most fair compromise.

 

[annawrigley]

E-cigs are great I don't think many people know about them though, or don't think it would be "the same". It's not, but they're pretty similar!

 

[moomin_troll]

i have to say when i was a smoker, and i was a heavy one at that. i could always control my smoking. if i wanted one and i was in town in the day id go stand in a corner and this is before all the bans.
i also wouldnt smoke near children.

i dont like people being able to smoke in the streets but when someone stands next to me and lights up or walks infront of me n lights up now that pisses me off