Smoking in cars, should it be banned?

[deafgal]

If you are going to prevent people from smoking anywhere due to second hand smoking , cigerette should be banned in general. (chewing tobacco is fine to me if people want to use it)

Our house was always filled with smoke.. All night too. My dad would smoke for hours.

 

[Lightworker]

Re people's right to choose what they do with their lives, I respect that only in so far as it does not impact anyone else negatively.

It is unfair and inaccurate for people to want to be allowed to smoke where they please just because its their right, but then it is society that has to COLLECTIVELY deal with the fall out. Society as a whole bears the burden associated with smoking..this includes 2nd hand smoke, the cost to the NHS or relevant health system, for treating smoking related illnesses, the cost to the economy due to decreased productivity as a result of smoking related illnesses ..it is endless.

People can say that it is their right to do whatever they want, but SHOULD NOT BE our responsibility to pay for the consequences. Your right (and its consequences) should begin and end with you, and you alone.

Check this out, it is an abstract, and I have only skimmed it, and it is years old..but it gives some clue..

https://mitpress.mit.edu/catalog/item/default.asp?tid=10298&ttype=2

 

[deafgal]

just to let you know, cigarette in U.S. have higher taxes, well at least in my state. Which I think that's why they don't want to ban it at all.

 

[Sarahkka]

No way!!

I'm not a smoker, I hate smoking with a passion but your talking about peoples rights to do what they want on thier own property!!
We need to start taking responsibilty for our own actions now. The government should not need to tell us how we live our lives because they are our lives, our responsibilty.

Pisses me off big time when people blame the government for kids being overweight, people dying from lung cancer and alcoholism. Yes I agree to a point they should intervene when common sense prevails such as stopping cheap alcohol being sold in supermarkets and the like but ffs if you over eat you get fat, if you smoke you may get lung cancer. Your own fault!!

Saying that, I want to ram any car up the backside when they're smoking with a child in there... Makes me laugh that they open the window half an inch thinking it's letting the smoke out. VILE.

I agree with you that it would be ideal if most of our health policies were unnecessary because people chose to do the right thing by their bodies. But I think we can both point out dozens of examples of exactly the opposite behaviour within a block of our homes.
Sure alcoholism, obesity, drug overdoses, etc are examples of individual choices that create health problems for the individual, but their effect on others is limited to the financial and emotional fall-out of things like addiction and poor health. However, the physical act of consumption of those things acts on the body of the individual doing the consuming, not on the bodies of those around that individual. This is where smoking is different. Any cigarette smoked is shared toxin exposure whether its second- or third-hand. It might be minimal, but it still there, and it is cumulative.
There are plenty of laws that restrict you from harming other people "on your own property" in other ways. It's simply a matter of re-adjusting our assessment of the risk smoking poses to others, and understanding exposure to tobacco smoke as harmful and something that should and could be avoided.

 

[Sarahkka]

Wow...soon the last place to smoke will be ten miles outside the city limits in the rain. Ban smoking near children and no one would complain about smokers rights, but ban smoking in the comfort of your own car in a car ride alone while someone drives by snacking on taco bell blaring mindless self indulgence?

TBH from a former smoker's pov who the heck cares about thirdhand smokes affect on passengers? I am not a taxi and people do not have to get in my car with me. Don't like the smoke smell in the upholstry? I would say the same thing to anyone who didn't like my collection of newspapers in the backseat. Don't get in my car. I haven't gotten in my Mother's car since getting pregnant because I respect her right to smoke like a chimney in her own car just like she respects my car and wouldn't dare light up in there because we don't want it devalued.

And maybe ten miles outside the city in the rain is the most appropriate place for someone to smoke. I'm an ex-smoker, too. I don't think my "right" to a puff is more important than the right of those around me to avoid toxic chemical exposure from a recreational habit. It's noxious and it affects others no matter where it is done.
(In the next paragraph, I am using the "you" to mean any smoker; I am not addressing you personally, Ramen. )
So, if your car was the ride for a child, the thirdhand smoke exposure is a-okay? Even if you aren't smoking in there at the time, the cumulative effect of your habit creates what many would consider an unacceptable exposure for any passengers you may have later, including children. No, you aren't a taxi, but unless you never plan to give anyone else a ride in your car ever again, you are making health choices for them. As I said in an earlier post, it would be great if we could avoid the nanny state approach, but why should smokers get to choose for everyone else? I don't care if it's your property - you don't live in a bubble and the toxins can't be contained to your personal space.

 

[tina3747]

If you walk outside your house your breathing in huge amounts of toxins just being out in the air!! We can't stop everything that may be detrimental to our health or you honestly couldn't function daily life!
I whole heartedly agree about smoking in public places such as pubs and restauants. That's because they are public places and they do affect everyone. I don't for one moment think that smoking in cars or your own house should be banned... Your not affecting anyone else unless they choose to go into that car or house.

1984 won't be that far round the corner!!!

 

[smelly07]

I am a non-smoker and hate the smell of smoke however... as long as smoking is legal and people are still able to buy ciggerettes i dont see how this situation gets solved, non-smokers do not need to associate with smokers they have a choice to move away, not get in a car or go to a smokers house etc.... smoking is banned in pubs/resturants etc so its a lot better than it was.

 

[Lightworker]

What do you mean you are "not affecting anyone"...

What about the money you will eventually cost the NHS to treat your smoke-related illness?

What about the money you will eventually cost the economy due to time off for sickness?

What about the lives that are being lost due to second-smoke?

Why is it when it comes to smoking bans people always jump on the "1984" bandwagon. How does one equate protecting society from harm to being totalitarian?

BTW...good debate..it was getting quiet in here#

 

[smelly07]

The thing is this wont stop unless smoking is banned entirely(which wont happen), people shouldnt be freely allowed to buy ciggerettes but not freely allowed to smoke them especially in there own home......dont agree with smoking whilst driving but thats more to do with saftey issue.
lots of things around us cause ill health.........car exhaust fumes, do people care if non drivers have to walk out and about breathing in drivers car fumes.....i think not.

lightworker: agree great debate!

 

[tina3747]

So your sitting In a restaurant and you choose burger and chips.
NO!!! your not allowed to have that, nor are you allowed to have pizza, Indian & chinese take sways because YOU choosing that affects our economy!!

There's a million and one thing that drain nhs resources besides smoking . Should we then ban eating bad food choices, no alcohol?!

Lifes going to be pretty boring if you take everything away that's deemed as social!!

And tbh, since the smoking ban how many pubs have closed as a result.. Everything has a knock on affect.

My dad died of a stroke 7 yrs ago, all down to smoking 50 a day. He paid taxes from the age of 15, never had a stay in hospital till he had his reoccuring strokes. It's his fault he died but he was perfectly entitled to use the nhs!!

 

[tina3747]

Next well be banning mac ds...... Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

 

[deafgal]

We do have to be careful about banning any drugs and alcohols. U.S. banned alcohols at one time, and we ended up with mobs. Illegal sales of drugs here is not pretty either.. plenty of violence results from it.

of course, it's one of those "darn if you do, darn if you don't" situation.

 

[babyblog]

I agree tha children should be protected from their parents smoke, ifthe parents cant/ won't protect them then someone else should step in. If it's just adults I'm notnbothered as the have a choice, children don't and I think it is wrong

 

[Ramen]

https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/05/health/05iht-obese.1.9748884.html?_r=1 The Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports claims that it's actually healthy people who cost the most because they live longer and are more likely to die of slow killing diseases than smokers and the obese.

In regards to future passengers, smoking automatically devalues a vehicle and I don't care how much you deep clean that upholstery it never comes out. If someone wants to buy a smokers old car to save some money it's on them not the smoker.

I also don't agree that smoking is automatically banned in restaurants. Stores? Totally. However, it has been taken to the extreme in my country that smoking has actually been banned in bars in some areas. Do you want to know what happened? People drove two towns over to go to a bar they could smoke in. I think making it mandatory hurts businesses and that restaurants should have the right to chose to what clientèle they cater to. If you don't want to eat in a restaurant with a smoking section tell the business owner how you feel by spending your money at a restaurant without one.

As for people complaining about smokers in traffic...really? I don't know about where you are, but if I'm stuck in traffic I'm probably stuck next to at least one diesel truck. I keep my windows in the up position at all times.

 

[Lightworker]

The thing is this wont stop unless smoking is banned entirely(which wont happen), people shouldnt be freely allowed to buy ciggerettes but not freely allowed to smoke them especially in there own home......dont agree with smoking whilst driving but thats more to do with saftey issue.
lots of things around us cause ill health.........car exhaust fumes, do people care if non drivers have to walk out and about breathing in drivers car fumes.....i think not.

lightworker: agree great debate!

yeah, they should just ban smoking outright. Of what use is it..thats my wondering

 

[Sarahkka]

If you walk outside your house your breathing in huge amounts of toxins just being out in the air!! We can't stop everything that may be detrimental to our health or you honestly couldn't function daily life!
I whole heartedly agree about smoking in public places such as pubs and restauants. That's because they are public places and they do affect everyone. I don't for one moment think that smoking in cars or your own house should be banned... Your not affecting anyone else unless they choose to go into that car or house.

1984 won't be that far round the corner!!!

Air pollution from cars, industry, etc is a far more complicated problem in that we are all culpable (so the users of the common are collectively polluting the common through the actions of our industrialised society).
Cigarette smoking is an individual choice, sheerly recreational in practise, that cannot be contained to the individual. It negatively affects everyone who comes into contact with it, even months later.
I don't understand why this idea of private property is so sacrosanct. There are all sorts of things already in place that govern what you can and cannot do in your own home. Generally, if there is a possible negative impact from an activity, there are regulations surrounding it. There are many examples of this: As a landowner in Canada, I cannot cut down every tree on my lot if doing so would negatively impact a watershed that is used by others downstream. As a driver in my province, I am governed by all sorts of laws that protect the safety of myself and others.
Smoking impacts everyone who comes in contact with the smoke. It's a dangerous, carcinogenic substance and a massive infringement on the rights of non-smokers. Why shouldn't we act to protect the rights of the common? And as smoke cannot be contained to damage only the health of the individual, why shouldn't protective measures apply everywhere?

PS I agree! Fun debate!

 

[mum22ttc#3]

If you walk outside your house your breathing in huge amounts of toxins just being out in the air!! We can't stop everything that may be detrimental to our health or you honestly couldn't function daily life!
I whole heartedly agree about smoking in public places such as pubs and restauants. That's because they are public places and they do affect everyone. I don't for one moment think that smoking in cars or your own house should be banned... Your not affecting anyone else unless they choose to go into that car or house.1984 won't be that far round the corner!!!

Agree with all your posts so far

This is what I think it comes down too, you choose.
If you go into a smokers house then it is because you have chosen too, if you don't want to breath in that second hand smoke, then stay out, simples.

TBH if it was made law for smoking to be prohibited from your own property then I cant really see where it would end. Would we have to stop driving as I am breathing in your toxic fumes, would we have to stop drinking both in pubs and in our homes as other people/our children maybe subjected to the negative affects of alcohol, would we have to pass it by government what we watch on our own televisions, as this could also have a negative effect on young children, also what games etc you would allow young children to play (i.e under 18), eventually I fear all our choices/rights would be taken away.

 

[mum22ttc#3]

To add, what is the talk with 1984, I was only born that year so have no idea what this is about?

 

[BlackBerry25]

Most of the time you use health care, it could have been prevented.

Should people get in shit for not getting a flu shot?
Eating bad food and getting diabetes?
Didn't shovel your sidewalk and fell on some ice and broke your foot?


I think that is a crap argument. People that smoke also pay taxes IN FACT cigarettes provide a huge tax revenue, so I am all for them. Go ahead people and smoke, and pay your extremely high taxes on them, the taxes that go to ALL OF US. One group of people doesn't get to decide what another group does or doesn't do. What makes your voice louder than a smokers?

 

[mum22ttc#3]

^^ Exactly, its a case of where do we stop. Shall we make all take aways illegal, just incase an obese person orders from there, creating a strain on the NHS. Shall we make alcohol illegal because a few cant drink responsibly and therefore also drain our NHS. I just don't see where it would end, eventually all that would happen is that we would have no rights/choices left to us, all our choices would end up being governed by the government.

Personally I see it as lame argument, so many things can be applied in this way but we aren't all ready to make them illegal.