I think that each individual establishments should be able to choose wether or not they allow smoking in their own establishment. Now in public places I understand not wanting to smoke, but I think that people should be able to smoke in places where the owner says that it is allowed. Now people might say that they deserve to go anywhere and for it to be smoke free, but the problem is that if you make other people not smoke by law you are taking away other people's rights. You take away the right of the owner of the establishment to say what goes on in his own place. And you take away the rights of smokers to smoke. And if you want to go to a place where there is no smoking, then you go to a place that has made the descision to have a nonsmoking policy. You shouldn't take away other people's rights because you don't like something that you can easily avoid.

I agree with you on your point, but I support representative government and will abide by reasonable legislation which comes from it. It was a balancing of rights and freedoms, and non-smokers were judged to carry more weight. Not how I would have decided it, but it had the support of the majority of elected representatives in the states where it was enacted.

and it is currently the nanny govt's idea of something else to save us from ourselves...lol

Thats the Attorney coming out of him.

They key difference, though, is that technically it's protecting non-smokers from smokers....not ourselves from out literal selves.

Once the government starts trying to protect me from my own solely personal actions, that's when I start storming my representative's office.

drive without a seat belt for a while smoke a little pot in front of a cop don't mow your lawn in sandy, ut

Hahaha, your point is well taken...I still think that the seatbelt issue can be attributable to other peoples' actions. As for pot, I couldn't care less one way or another so I'm just apathetic on that issue.

I don't think that there should be a law saying you have to wear a seatbelt. What insurance companies should do is not cover medical injuries from a crash if people are not wearing their seatbelt. That would encourage people to buckle up, but if they want to take the chance then they don't have to.

What about someones right to want to go some where and not inhale smoke? I mean if its a bar its ok, but if its a place where kinds go as well I don't think so. You do have the right to smoke, you just have to go outside. Usually about 25 ft or something. I mean is it really that hard?

I still think the 25 foot rule is a little absurd. I mean...outside is outside.

From what I understand about the smoking bans, the thrust of the law is to protect employees. Exceptions are granted in the rare case where a business owner has no employees.

The ban in Maryland just went into effect this month and I am all for it. Over the weekend, I had no cable tv because i just moved. So I went to a bar to watch the Maryland b-ball game. I'm a big Terp fan. And at some point, I realized that the air was clear. And it was great. So now I may just go out for a beer now and then seeing as I won't have to come home smelling like an ashtray.

It's a tough call...I love not worrying about my contacts getting messed up, or smelling like smoke, or coughing. But on the other hand, all the smokers are being *****es and all pizzy that they can't smoke so that sort of balances out the ambiance which was gained.

Illinois just went into effect Jan. 1. My boss owns a bar also, and he has said that the law has brought a little more business in on the lunch hour, but the evenings when they use to be open until Midnight, they are now closing at 9 or 10 because the evening crowd is no longer drinking in the establishment because it's so freakin cold out, no one wants to stand outside.

I am a smoker, and I am dealing with the law. I agree that restaurants should be smoke free, but the bar setting should be left alone.

I also disagree with the goverment continually increasing the taxes on cigarettes... it's BS that we are getting the blunt of things.

You have the right to choose to go where ever you want. If you want to go to a place with no smoking then go to one who wants to be a nonsmoking place. No one ever forces you to go to places that allow smoking.

Most places that want to have kinds there already have non smoking policies. Its a general rule if there let smoking go on you don't want to bring kids there so why force them to go then complaine that smokers are there when you knew they would be there anyway?

can anyone say

by the insurance industry

for the insurance industry

Tobias..... I am not a smoker, but I agree with you. The owner of the establishment should decide whether his/her place should be smoke free or a haven for smokers. I believe the government is taking away the freedom of business owners when they make these mandates.

Another thing that is out of whack is the handicap business. Our township's taxes went up dramatically about 10 years ago, because the township had to make all of the pavements handicap accessible. So, our taxes went up to put in handicap ramps on all of the sidewalks. I have never seen a wheel chair bound person use those ramps. Actually, I have never seen a wheel bound person in my neighborhood. The only thing the ramps on the sidewalks do is encourage kids to ride their bikes into the streets without having to stop since there is no curb on the handicap ramp. Prior to these ramps, it was unheard of for kids on bikes to be hit by cars. Now it happens every once in a while. Incidentally, I am not against handicap people. I am just trying to make a point that some government mandates are crazy.

I AGREE 100% We are losing our rights every day!

wow, never thought i'd say this but i totally agree.

wow....i agree again about the seatbelt law too. The government is getting pretty famous for it's excessive interferance and its steadily getting worse which scares me.

I think the seatbelt law might be for the protection of children and disabled people. However, the crazy thing about the seatbelt law is that in the school district where I live, there are no seatbelts on the buses that carry the children to school.