Non smoking laws Dictatorship??
 

Well, I'll start by saying I do not smoke...Anymore. I quit 5 years ago, and best thing I have done. BUT, the Can Govt has passed Legislation that as of May 1, there is NO Smoking in any business, or within 10 Ft of a window or doorway to said businesses. Also, its illegal to smoke in cars when there is children in the car(that I kinda agree with)

BUT, heres the kicker, where I work, a Sawmill, there is a set up smoking room. No combustibles, lots of ventalation, in plain view inside the mill. Workers can keep an eye on the mill, and Foreman can keep an eye on the workers when they smoking. But, now, the smokers have to go outside, where they can have 2 walls and a roof, or 4 walls, NO roof, or worse yet, they will go into th dark, dusty corners and hide to have a smoke. this increasing the chances of a Fire. Makes perfect sence Huh?!!? Take away a perfectly good smoking room, Take away a persons CHOICE, and force them to smoke outside. resurants, Bars, which all had separate ventilated smoking rooms set up for the past 5+ years, now NO SMOKING.

Now, I know smoking is bad, but this blanket "you cant do that now" law is BS. Really Dictatorship if you ask me. We no longer have a choice. I really don't play by the rules well, especially when I don't have a choice. Kinda makes me want to start smoking again, just to break the rules

So much for Democracy RIP

Hush Comrade, or I will report you to the Party.

Well ,we've had those laws in place in Victoria forever, and nobody has died from them yet. Also, I think the democratic process is a choice of the majority, which in this case are non smokers, hence, democracy working as designed. We also have laws that dictate that you can't drink in a public place, nobody arguing about that. We also have a new one about urinating in public...just awful that we can't choose where to pee, isn't it?

WHAT?? Can't drink in a public place?? No Peeing either?? Aww man........LOL Guess theres a reason why I don't like city's. Even in the country, we get your city rules forced on us, weather they apply or not. Thats what I think is wrong. The "because we say so" attitude. Its like were all kids or something

nope. I come out of the bar at 3am, and just gotta go, and make the personal decision that I want to pee on the sidewalk, the cops are gonna give me a ticket and fine. Now that's BS.

I can support the ban for restaraunts and bars. The reasoning is that the people who have to work in there are subjected to the smoke and are not freely able to choose not to go in as are the patrons. In a situation like the mill, there could be some leeway as long as those who do not smoke have their own space and are never required to enter the smoking area. Unfortuanetly that would lead to seriously complicated regulations, so the easy solution to impose and to enforce is the total ban. I will say, I do appreciate the requirement for no smoking within a reasonable distance of an entryway. I hate having to run the gauntlet of puffers out front of a pub or business.

Lol
 

Maybe they will give you the option to wipe it up with your jacket or get a ticket ....... not that I would offer such a thing......

Brad stayin' out of Richmond! Not that I really pee on sidewalks, I'm too shy for that. But if I wanted to, now that's the issue. Dictators, all of them!! :)

Ahh, I love the country. "Ohh look, there's a bush, I wana pee on it" LOL

Sometimes I think Democracy is a polite word for Do as I say HAHAHA

Actually, I think it's more of "do what WE say", WE being the majority that elected the rule makers.
But on the issue at hand, I love being able to go into Starbucks and not have to hold my breath. These laws have been in place here for so long I can't remember when the last time there was a smoking section in a public place.

Oh, and here in the city, we have toilets :)

Interesting concept LOL:mrgreen:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Aquattro
Oh, and here in the city, we have toilets

Interesting concept LOL




and they are the "pop up" kind too! Just made for those 3am gotta go moments.

Wouldn't it just be easier to stop selling smokes period?

SSSHHHHHH then non smokers would have to start paying more taxes, and I can't afford to pay more for my beer!

The gov will just add the lost sin tax to our booze!

What about the choices of the non-smokers that, until the bans were made, had no choice but to be subjected to that smoke? What about the children that needlessly were subjected to cigarette smoke because they don't have the rights to say they don't like it?

As a non-smoker, a mom, and one severely allergic to smoke, I'd be pleased as punch if people actually followed the no smoking bans that have been put into place. It's disgusting even walking into the Co-Op store on 17th Ave SE because staff and customers stand right at the doors smoking, standing right in front of the signs saying "NO Smoking Within 5 Metres". Or standing at the bus stop with my kids, while some a-hole smokes a cigarette and blows the smoke in my kids faces.

It wasn't the government that put these bans into place, it was US, the voters. I for one, am damn glad for them and will be even happier when enforcement happens.

The issue that a lot of bars have is the indecisive regulations of the Gov. 2 years ago they decided bars could have a smoking room if they so decided, as long as it met the strict guidelines WCB put forth. I.E. so many sq. ft. per size of bar, doorway of such and such a size, ventilation system of adequate size, no staff required to enter smoking room, etc. Many bars spent a great deal of money on these rooms. (we spent over $10G on ours). Now 2 years later, they decide these rooms are not good enough and can't be used anymore. Make up your mind people!

I like the new(er) laws.

As an ex-smoker I appreciate the non-smoking indoors laws, however... when they start banning smoking outdoors it drives me a little nuts. You're not even allowed to smoke on an outdoor patio anymore, around here there's a talk of a law being tabled that would outlaw smoking in public outdoor areas such as parks, sidewalks etc. Once outside, children are much more in danger of the exhaust fumes from car and truck traffic than they are from the poor lonely smoker sitting on a bench still clinging on to his/her habit yet no one is talking about banning vehicles around playgrounds. I don't like rap music, does this mean that if I find enough people who also don't like it we can vote and ban it? It gets to be a slippery slope when the government starts telling you what you can and can't do on a regular basis. It may start with cigarettes, but we all know that obesity is the new smoking so we'll have "fat cops" running around fining you for eating potato chips in public, or daring to order gravy with those fries... don't say you haven't been warned

Amen. Although the urinating one has been around as long as I remember (in BC anyway).

I have no problem with the restrictions on where you can smoke, but still think it's totally hilarious the Gov't will ban my Nalgene bottle because of BPA since it's better to err on the side of caution but go ahead and smoke just don't do it over there.

Well slick if you think at all that smoking is justified your WRONG.I think a smoker should have to hide and keep there problems to themselves.I smoked for 11 years and am happy I found a way to quit in the form of 2 great kids.They dont need to die for someone to make money.Cigarettes are of no benifit to anyone but the guy who sells them.I watched most of my family die from cancer and dont think they enjoyed there last few days.I can only say that the pain they felt only made them wish they were DEAD.I can only hope that I dont have problems from my wrong choices and the the people who enjoy smoking can die FAST so that it doesnt hurt so much watching them die slowly.I hope they make cigarettes illegal so they save some lives because its not fair sending lambs to a SLAUGHTER.Clint

Take up chewing tobacco and spit on the office floor...get a little jaron your desk spit it to it...maybe then they will let you smoke. I think they should let people smoke within ten feet, nothing more hilarious then people to weak willed to quit smoking huddling outside in minus 40 weather.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating smoking. I smoked for 10 or 11 years as well, and will be celebrating my 2nd smoke free anniversary in about 2 weeks here. I couldn't be happier to be rid of those things and find the smell of them quite offensive nowadays.

I'm in complete agreement with the workplace, restauraunt, all around indoor bans on smoking as it subjects lots of people to second-hand smoke who can't get away from it. My point was that once you get out of the confined spaces of an indoor environment second hand smoke becomes a lesser issue when compared to other inhalants such as smog, vehicle exhaust, pesticide application, etc. You pretty much have to be sitting directly in front of someone exhaling cigarette smoke for it to be a genuine health concern.

Yes it smells bad, yes most people find it offensive but is outdoor smoking a genuine health concern to Non-Smokers? If the answer is no, then the government is legislating out of a desire to play to peoples emotions rather then to make an actual difference. I don't try to push a ban on loud rap music, or really loud motorcycles because while I find them both in poor taste I realize that it's my taste and it really doesn't hurt me to tolerate them. Likewise, I don't expect people to curtail my listening to George Strait or complaining that my horses poop too much even if I ride them through the drive through!! I think that OUTDOOR smoking falls into this gray area and legislating annoyances is a bad road to start going down.

For the record, I think the ban on public drinking is crap as well. Public intoxication yes, drinking no.

ahhh, one word....champix

Myself and three family members quit...

I find george strait makes my horse poop too. :)

Deb Congratulations, it's tough the first year but after that it's all good. You will feel better and SMELL WAY BETTER. I quit in 1986 but now I am very sensitive to smoke and even being around someone who recently had one gives me a headache, stuffy nose and often sinus infections. I had an accident in the early 90's that made me hyper-sensitive to many chemicals and smoke is a really bad one for me. I love the new anti-smoking laws, it's about time. I don't like having to hold my breath as I go in & out of a doorway because people are smoking right there.

I just quit cold turkey! I didn't know about this Champix.

I've got a buddy on Champix right now, he's not smoking anymore but says the dreams the drug gives him are pretty far out there, I just used the patch

No Smoking laws are awesome. I don't have to put up with that smoke at work or at play now. It's great!

ROTFLMAO! When was the last time you drank, either in private or public, and didn't get intoxicated? Duh!?! Drinking ALWAYS results in intoxication to some degree :lol: Geez, that's basic Drinking 101 :razz:

As a smoker, I totally agree with banning smoking every place it can be banned. Tax the living crap out of the stuff, too! The more uncomfortable a smoker is, the more likely they're going to think about quitting. Well, I mean, the smokers who whine and complain about everything will probably whine and complain some more. But, overall, ANYTHING to help a smoker quit is welcome in my view. Smoking is a one-way ticket to an early and painful grave, IMO.

A huge problem for obese people is Type II diabetes. You might not know much about this horrible disease, but it maims and kills. 30% of people with diabetes don't even know they have it, which makes it even more deadly.

I think ANYTHING government can do to help people stay healthy is good for EVERONE in the long run. Staying healthy helps the individual; it helps family members so they don't have to watch a brother, mother, child become sick and slowly (or quickly) die an agonizing death; and it helps our health care, and ultimately our tax, systems by not having to treat illnesses that could very well be prevented.

Step off the ME, ME, ME! thing and think a little more the broader implications of governments trying to help people help themselves. All things being equal, your taxes may even go down :wink:

Ok, if we want to encourage people to quit smoking and "help them help themselves" then here's a real easy solution, take the taxes made from cigarettes and subsidize quit smoking programs. Raise the price of a pack of smokes to $15 or $20. Bring in legislation allowing doctors to refuse service to people who won't help themselves, for example make recieving a heart transplant conditional on the patient losing 50lbs and quitting smoking.

I'm not arguing the fact that smoking is a terrible habit and that lung cancer is a horrible horrible way to go. Likewise I'm not suggesting that eating 10 big mac's every day is a good idea. If we really want to stir the pot there was a study done in one of the scandanavian countries that states smokers and unhealthily obese people actually save the system money because they die sooner instead of lingering on in a hospital like most healthy people do.

I'm speaking STRICTLY to the outdoor smoking bans that are being talked about locally. It is an individuals choice to smoke or not smoke, if they're outside and not hurting anyone else I don't think they should be singled out any more then the guy sitting down on the park bench with the happy meal.

"I think ANYTHING government can do to help people stay healthy is good for EVERONE in the long run. Staying healthy helps the individual; it helps family members so they don't have to watch a brother, mother, child become sick and slowly (or quickly) die an agonizing death; and it helps our health care, and ultimately our tax, systems by not having to treat illnesses that could very well be prevented."

You are assuming, that the government is filled with the smartest and brightest people around and has a better idea of what is best for you and I then we do ourselves. At what point should we expect people to take responsibility for their own decisions? Or are we going to become a society where we rely on the government to tell us what to do, eat, think, drink, etc.

But the Govt doesnt want you to quit. They like getting your tax money. Plus, then we'd have to subsidize the tobacco companies even more

And please folks, lets not forget that smoking is not a 'habit', its an addiction... a very powerful one at that.

Yes, that is true.

Why not just get rid of socialized medicine. If fat smokers had to pay their own healthcare costs there would be a huge incentive for them to quit smoking and go for a walk. There is no such thing as personal responsibility left in this country. Whenever something goes wrong everyone says "The government needs to do something." What the government (WE are supposed to be the government) needs to do is quit acting like our nannies, run the legal, and infrastructure system, look after national defense, and go away.

We are in Canada though so the government needs to be all things to all people. I know I can leave if I don't like it.

So instead of a dictatorship, the 51% majority steps into the place of a single dictator. Not much difference there. People are still trying to run others' lives under the guise of "what is good for your health". People should have the freedom to choose, and businesses should have the freedom to choose.

I mean, lets face it, terrorists probably tell their children to blow themselves up in the interest of "what is good for your health in the next life".

Just keep chipping away at personal freedoms. And then when they find out that something YOU are addicted to or enjoy is "not good for your health" - you can join in on the other side of the coin.

I like the "No Smoking" rules, but when is the government going to really tax the crap out of the tobacco industry and the fast food industry. The answer is they won't. It is both industries that are major contributors to the health issues faced by most individuals faced with smoke or weight related issues. Smoking is an addiction, no doubt about it, I think the fast food industry creates food addictions as well. IMO. It is the society we have all created, before it used to be advertising by the tobacco industry stating how cool it was to smoke, then the fast food industry came along and geared their product to the fast paced youth of the day. Try going into any fast food restaurant and look at the people in there...nuff said. Watch the movie "Supersize me". Don't hold your breathe about the government doing anything because it boils down to one thing.. "MONEY" Nothing else, as most of the players are major contributors to all the goverments in one way or another. So until we have politicians in this country who can't be bought or actually are able to fight the system and they would have to have some major sized kahona's to do that, it will probably not change very much. As a famous comedian said, "I don't want to go off on a rant here" but really whether you are or are not a smoker or a fast food junkie we all contribute in one way or another. If there was no market for it, it wouldn't be around plain and simple. So until everybody in the world says NO, it will be here for a long time.... I can make my personal choices of whether I go to a fast food restaurant or a pub that allows smoking. But I can't tell my neighbor to quit smoking or drinking. Whether its for his/her own good or not. So if you smoke, I hope you quit for your own health, if you frequently eat fast food I hope you quit or at least cut back for your own health. Have a great day people.:biggrin:

I hate rules. I think the government should p*** off. I have a parking ticket from them on my desk right now. Screw them!! I should be able to park where I choose, when I choose. I didn't elect them to give me tickets. Another thing. Heroin. I want to sell it, but they won't let me. Some stupid rule about selling drugs. Well, I'm only trying to sell to my user friends, and they WANT me to sell it. Why can't I do this?? Stupid 51% dictatorship. I wouldn't have voted for them if I knew I couldn't sell drugs. I'd even meet in the middle and sell coke, but no, same rule applies. I don't get it. They grow pot and sell it, and I can't sell heroin??? WTF? I could sell you a Big Mac, but not smack. Is there a difference?? I think not. That's just me though.
And I don't want to dwell on things, but this peeing on the sidewalk thing, it's kinda got me going. Whyt can't I just whip it out and pee anywhere I want? Ok, the women prolly voted against it, but really, if people don't want to look at it, they can just close their eyes. It has no direct health risks, well, unless they touch it. So?? No, stoopid gov won't let me. It's a law they say. Same with smoking and heroin. More laws. When will all these laws end?? Do we really need them?? I say NO!!! I think I gotta move somewhere I can smoke my heroin anywhere I want and pee on anyone that complains about it. Suggestions anyone?? :)