Smoking Ban approved in State of PA

[Bradster]

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/front_page/20080611_Pa__smoking_ban_approved.html

HARRISBURG - After months of debate, the Senate yesterday overwhelming approved a bill to ban smoking in virtually all public places and most work sites throughout Pennsylvania.
It effectively bans smoking in all public places including hospitals, schools and sports facilities. It bars smoking in taxis, trains and buses and in train and bus stations. It also eliminates smoking in all restaurants.

I believe that within several years we are going to see legislation to strengthen the law and place more broad restrictions on all public places in the state," said Greenleaf.

Ok, the smoking inside deal, I’m ok with. Smoking outside of an entrance way I'll even give you that provided we have an alternative spot with an overhang to stay out of the weather. We are human too you know. But to ban it in public, wonder how long it would take me to be locked up for life if that ever happens.

My place of work decided to put out its own policy on smoking. There is no smoking on the grounds allowed now. The funny part is to get off the grounds is like 2 miles. Today a rent a cop stopped me and said "You can't smoke here". I asked why? he said "because there is no smoking on our grounds". To which I replied, "Do you see where i'm standing? this is the road, which is controlled maintained and owned by the borrow, if you have a problem with me smoking on their properpty then you better take it up with them. Its out of my hands on what they enforce".

He looked at me annoyed but what could he do, I was right. he drove away pissed

OWNED

[SaltyPoison]

Yea, they did this in Arizona a few years ago. At the time I was a smoker, but it really didn't bother me. Its great to go to the bar now and not come home smelling like an ashtray. And, almost everywhere now has a patio to hang out on!

[Xzin]

Smoking is horrible and is clearly linked with death. But I will defend your right to do it. Just don't do it around me. It is nice to be able to go into a bar and not have to bring my own SCBA tank just to be able to breathe.

[thinus]

But if you're going to use "second hand smoke" as a reason to ban, you better outright ban alcoholic beverages as well. Because you can't stop someone from drinking and driving unless you remove the substance alltogether. Sames for smoking really.

Uhm, that makes no sense. Driving drunk is illegal. Smoking in public places is illegal. Driving drunk is illegal due to second hand damage done to other people. Smoking in public places is illegal due to second hand damage done to other people. I don't see where there is a difference. The important thing is that they are now legally admitting that second hand smoke is harmful to other people.

And banning alcohol has been tried before, I am sure organized crime would love alcohol/tobacco to be banned.

And I second the opinion of being able to go to a bar/club and come home not smelling like an ashtray. The smoke goes into your clothes and your hair and smells pretty awful to me. Over here in NZ they have made the change a long time ago. There are no more smoking/non-smoking sections anywhere. You can't smoke in most public places period. NZ seems to have a relative small percentage of smokers anyway so I hardly notice it ever. You do still get the smoke waft now and then when the 1 or 2 people at work that do smoke come back from a smoke break and walk by you. We have 1 or 2 designated smoking spots, both outside, at our company.

[Ughmahedhurtz]

My only concern in all this is "Where does it stop?" Once people start generically approving "protect you from yourself" legislation, it opens up a whole host of potential abuses.

[Qlimax]

Smoking is horrible and is clearly linked with death. But I will defend your right to do it. Just don't do it around me. It is nice to be able to go into a bar and not have to bring my own SCBA tank just to be able to breathe.Way to steal that old philosopher's qoute and adapt it ;P "I do not agree with what you are saying, but will defend to the death the right for you to say it"

[thinus]

My only concern in all this is "Where does it stop?" Once people start generically approving "protect you from yourself" legislation, it opens up a whole host of potential abuses.

Its not "protect you from yourself", its "protect other people from you".

[Bradster]

I agree with no smoking inside. For the same reasons non-smokers don't like it. I've always been pretty considerate when it comes to smoking, i always pick a spot out of the way. I keep it away from my so my cloths don't stink, I also wash my hands after every smoke break. There's people that i've worked with for 2+ years and just recently found out I smoked from my rant about the rent a cop today lol.

As far as the new law no smoking in public buildings I totally agree with it. The thing I have a problem with is work places taking it to the next step, then of course if they ban smoking in public entirely, it's unconstitutional.

[Ughmahedhurtz]

My only concern in all this is "Where does it stop?" Once people start generically approving "protect you from yourself" legislation, it opens up a whole host of potential abuses.

Its not "protect you from yourself", its "protect other people from you".So you're telling me, from the context of the rest of this thread, that there is scientific evidence that people have indeed suffered from cancer because of second-hand smoke inhaled at outdoor work sites? Or from bar/restaurant smoke?

[Anozireth]

We've had a law almost exactly like this in Washington for a couple years now. No smoking indoors in public places or within 25 ft of the entrance. I like it, it's nice to be able to go to a bar or go bowling and not come home reeking of cigarettes. :thumbup:

[Pact]

Welcome to Australia for the last 2-3 years.

Smoking is only allowed at least 5 meters from any entranceway, No smoking indoors, and at least 10m from childrens play areas. In bars and clubs there allowed to have a designated smoking area that must be signed. Everywhere else is off limits resulting in fines. (Please correct me on any of that if im wrong)

But overall its not a big drama for people. If you want to smoke youll find a spot.

[Ughmahedhurtz]

Smoking is only allowed at least 5 meters from any entranceway, No smoking indoors, and at least 10m from childrens play areas.
See, that's a very restricted set of parameters for confined spaces, which I don't have a real problem with. It's some of the laws on the books or in the system here in the US that are very vague and do not allow for "reasonable" provisions that worries me. That, and that I trust a politician about as far as I can throw 'em.

[Pact]

Your right, Vagueness is bad for a law if you dont understand it. We had alot of Television and radio ads making us aware of the new change. Most people got it right in being that if your outside and not near kids then your right to smoke.

[Mosg2]

A study a few years ago showed that the smoke inhaled from second-hand smoking has the exact same effects on a person as if they were smoking it themselves--They just get less of it by virtue of not dragging on the cigarette. So yeah, smoking around other people is bad.

For the record, I think it's bullshit that the government is placing limitations on where people can smoke on private property. It's your choice to go to a bar despite the fact that you'll smell like an ashtray afterwards.

[iztehzha]

This is how it has been in denmark for a year :p

[blast3r]

Guess I'm going to have to start smoking crack instead.

[Drizzit]

For the record, I think it's bullshit that the government is placing limitations on where people can smoke on private property. It's your choice to go to a bar despite the fact that you'll smell like an ashtray afterwards.

What about the bartenders and waitress? They sort of don't have a choice. If it is your table you have to wait on them even if you are a non smoker. That is there job and i bet a ton of them are happy that they don't have to go home every night smelling like smoke.

I don't think that they will ever make drinking and smoking illegal. There a lot of taxes on them and making illegal will make us pay taxes somewhere else.

[hardcoded]

Or at least make it legal to hunt and kill drunk drivers. ;)Think of the children!

Do you hate children? Then we must hunt and kill drunk drivers!!

[Saphfyer]

This all boils down to freedom of choice. We are sappose to have the freedom to make whatever choices we want to. People choose to smoke, why ? Because they had the freedom to do so. People choose to work in bars, Why ? Because they choose to do so. People choose to drink and drive , Why ? Because they choose to do so. With the freedom of choices also comes the consequences of our choices, good or bad. Bottom line is our country was founded on the beliefs that people should get to make their own choices on what they want to do, and not be controlled by some monarcy. People wake up, this isnt about smoking this is about taking away your freedom to choose to do what you want to do. Just like everything else the government wants to control you,. think about the gun laws, they took away our right to bare arms. Why ? Because they don't want a revolution. It has nothing to do with protecting the people.
I know this is sounding very patriotic, but its true. Read the book, " A people's History of the United States".

[Ughmahedhurtz]

Of course, the counter-argument to that is "you can exercise your rights to freedom as long as it doesn't infringe on other people's rights to be free from you causing them harm." To which my further follow-up would be that the problem is not that there is a problem with being free from someone else causing you harm -- it is the definition of "harm." How detrimental does something have to be to get on the "BANZOR" list? Not being able to smoke within 100 feet of an open-air section of pavement is a bit redonkulous, don't you think?

I'll give you an example: Saccharin. After 14 years of flaming bullshit by over-cautious, agenda-ized retards calling saccharin a carcinogen, the FDA finally said, "Oops! We were wrong. We take it back. No more ban." Took another 23 years for the laws created from the uproar to be repealed.

I'll give you another example: DDT. It was banned in 1972 after Silent Spring was published and the Great Unwashed picked up the hue and cry and panicked. Prevailing estimates run somewhere between 7 and 60 million deaths attributed to a lack of use of DDT to kill malarial parasites (notably: mosquitos) in Africa (especially sub-tropical areas) alone, despite no substantial empirical evidence to support the supposed broad-reaching detrimental effects to entire sub-phyla of vertebrates.

So, you tell me. Is the science "settled" on all the various nasty things goverments have banned or are planning to ban?

[mikiurban]

I believe workplaces (office buildings, etc), government buildings and restaurants have been non-smoking here in California since 1994, and in bars since 1998. I have had to drive to the Indian casinos so I can get my clothes to smell like cigarettes!

[butta]

It still gets under my skin a bit that businesses around here are held accountable for folks smoking inside, but its against the law to NOT sell alcohol to a pregnant woman if she asks for it. If we're going for obscene government regulation, let's do it without double standards.

[jdraughn]

Well,I for for one can't stand cigaret smoke. My parents smoked since I was a kid so I lived around it for 20 years. I am 30 now and live by myself, but if I even catch a wiff a cig smoke, like driving down the road and I get a bit through my open window, then I will get really bad heart burn. If it's anymore then a whiff, then I will start caughing uncontrollably. I think I may have developed a negative reaction to it from all the years I was exposed to it. I find it pisses me off when I have to inhale other peoples smoke because there is nothing I can do short of wearing a gas mask.

I am glad that smoking is finally starting to go out of style. There are alot of people who still do it, and will continue to pick it up, but I think in 50 years we will find that that hardly anyone smokes anymore.

[Zite83]

My town started it a year before our state Illinois put it into state wide effect... .. alot of rage over it.. but most people got use to it.. 90% of all bars now have a beer garden where we can smoke.. I'm a smoker.. and it didn't effect me to much.. its nice to sometimes go to a bar without haze in the room...

In fact my avatar is me out in one of the newly built beer garden.. Its funny.. Its half the size of the bar inside.. and 90% of the people are out there smoking.. 8% are non smokers hanging out with the smokers cause they have no one to talk to inside.. and the other 2% or either bar tenders.. or people who are in the restrooms....


"Sir... can you please put out that cigarette, I'm trying to get drunk and drive home.."

[voodoogriff]

Yeah they did this in Illinois. Alot of people complained for a while but no one realy talks bout it now.

It was really wierd to fly to Vegas and see everyone smoking indoors. lol

[Los]

At least you guys can get a place to take a smoke. Over in holland it is prohibited by law to smoke in any bar or pub, which points to ridiculous measures. Why not just make all smoking bars and all non smoking bars. You can take your pick where you want to go, same as for staff of such establishments, don't like the smoke, don't start working there. Why is there need for laws in such measures to prohibit the smoking even in what before where designated smoking areas.