No smoking debate

[Genghis77]

On the news last night they were telling how macular degeneration is caused by smoking and second hand smoke. So besides the lung problems, you can go blind from it.

 

[FrewBrew]

the sense of taste is directly linked to your sense of smell, if I've got smoke lining my nostrils from all the smokers of the world, the food won't taste the same... F smoking in public!

 

[DeRoux's Broux]

the sense of taste is directly linked to your sense of smell, if I've got smoke lining my nostrils from all the smokers of the world, the food won't taste the same... F smoking in public!

tell us how u really feel frewbrew

 

[FrewBrew]

tell us how u rwally feel frewbrew

lonely, sad, depressed... all the classic signs of missing someone you know you can't ever have back... oh wait, you meant about the issue at hand

 

[rewster451]

I'd like to recant what I said earlier. Sure I smoke, but really, when I'm in a place where I can't smoke, I enjoy the food/beer more, save money on cgs, and generally have a good time anyway. I'm ok with a ban on indoor smoking, so long as I can go outside if I'm really jonesin'.

 

[The Happy Mug]

I used to smoke, but have quit for good.

I quit going to bars because of the smoke. There are no non-smoking bars near me, and I prefer walking home from bars. The nearest non-smoking bar is a half hour drive. Forget that!

I stopped shooting pool because I can't find a non-smoking poolhall nearby. Last time I shot pool, I went with friends and ended up with the smoke-stench pillow and clothes, as well as the cough from inhaling that crap.

So, I can't shoot pool either? There are no non-smoking poolhalls near me, and the last poolhall was foggy from smoke. Forget that crap!

Seriously, I'm certain there are some of those hardcore smokers out there to tell us why they deserve the privelage of ruining it for the rest of us, just because they can't go without smoking or can't make it outside.

I'm all for business decisions. I personally find it sad that I cannot find a non-smoking bar or poolhall anywhere near me. I simply will not go to these places, so my voice remains unheard.

 

[Orfy]

I am lucky enough to have never of smoked but I hate the fact when I leave a building I have to hold by breath and walk through a cloud of smelly caner inducing poisonous smoke. I constantly have to wash my coat because of the smell. I think they should ban smoking within 15 yards of entrances.
Sorry if this sound tough but I don't see why I should have to endure it.

 

[SuperBrew]

I, like I believe most rational Americans would be, am opposed to having any local, state, or Federal law that limits recreational activities such as smoking. That being said, Smoking has been banned in restaurants and bars in my area for about a year and a half, and I've gotta say as a non smoker its been great. I didn't realize how nice it was until last week when I visited a friend and went out to a bar that allowed smoking. The smell the next morning isnt what annoys me the most, although I do hate that, its the fact that after 20 minutes in even a semi-crowded bar I had to step outside because my eyes were burning so badly. Thats the thing I hate.

 

[Pumbaa]

Where do you draw the line in reguards to what you allow the government to regulate? Should we start extra taxes or flat out bans of Twinkies? ice cream? beer? spirits? unprotected sex? sky diving? slamming your head into hard objects? or anything else you may enjoy because it could be harmfull to yourself and possibly others?

As for some of the sterotypes of smokers I have seen here . . . .well I'll be polite and wont tell you to kiss my ass. some people are just rude asshats smokers and non smokers alike. I rutinely field strip my dead smokes and pocket the butt until I can throw then into a trash can. Respect for others goes both ways. When I get up and walk outside to have a smoke if I am out to eat or something I dont expect a standing ovation from the rest of the diners, but then again when I am outside in a cold Wisconsin winter freezing my ass off to feed my addiction I also dont expect to have some one give me the evil eye like I have just detonated a nuclear bomb in the parking lot or farted in a church. I also really dont need any advice while I am out there on how I should quit and that I am slowly killing myself . . .cuz if ya start making me think about it, as the snot in my nose freezes, I may just decide your right and start to quickly kill you instead.

Simple solution is

• Ya dont like smoking, dont smoke.
• If ya dont like being around smokers go to places that dont allow it.
• If ya dont like working in a place with smokers find a place where they dont allow smoking to work in
• Dont tell me what to do with my place of business and I wont tell you what to do with yours

Honstly I think smokers put up with WAY too much crap on this issue. Name me one other group who so quietly rolls over and does waht ya ask everytime you ask? Cant smoke inside, ok I'll go outside. Cant smoke within 25 feet of a door ok I'll go out to the sidewalk. Cant smoke on the premisis, ok I'll go to my car . . . I even had a security guard come up to my car and told me I couldnt smoke in it . . . thats the one time I told someone to F' off about it and even then I was parked in across the street from where the guard worked.

If ya dont want to go to a bar or whatever that allows smoking dont go to them, Vote with your $$ and if business owners start losing money they'll change to accomidate you . . . until then STFU and let them run their business the way they want to . . . otherwise you have no reason to bitch when regulations start getting forced down your throat.

 

[DeRoux's Broux]

one question. what if it's a restaurant that i dig eating at? i shouldn't go somewhere i like, so someone can suck tar down? it's not like dribking a beer. i can drink a beer sitting next to ssomeone, and it doesn't interfer w/ them enjoying their beer/meal. smoking affects everyone around the smoker. my beer doesn' stink up a room, or i don't smell like someone's beer when i get home from somewhere. to a non-smoker, it stinks, it's unhealthy (something we choose not to expose ourselves to unlike liver damage :^) )
and eeccchhh. not trying to offend you or any other non-smoker, but it affects everyone around you. plain and simple.

 

[BlightyBrewer]

...but it affects everyone around you. plain and simple.

DeRoux, I think you've hit the nail on the head. Smoking is simply an anti-social habit. Drinking beer in moderation around others is social, as you have rightly pointed out. But going on a binge-drinking session and downing 20 pints, throwing up in the street, starting a fight..is anti-social.

Alcohol in moderation is social to drinkers and non-drinkers alike, but unfortunatley smoking will always be anti-social (and harmful) to the non-smokers, which is why I feel it should be banned in all public places.

 

[El Pistolero]

...which is why I feel it should be banned in all public places.

I agree...except maybe for rock concerts.

 

[Pumbaa]

one question. what if it's a restaurant that i dig eating at?

Then voice your concern to the owner, just like a smoker may to a owner of a non smoking establishment, you may like eating there but it is HIS place. IF he wants your cash he'll meet your needs, if he wants a smokers cash he'll meet theirs.

Smoking is simply an anti-social habit

Depends how ya look at it . . . it crosses all social and economic barriers and I tell ya what, had plenty of good conversations over a cig while freezing my ass off in the snow . . . cuz I was anti-social I guess . . .wait Ihave never seen a smoker tell a non smoker to take his ass outside inot the rain/snow/heat/wind

 

[rewster451]

My roommate doesn't smoke, so I go outside. My favorite bar doesn't allow smoking, so I go outside. I have friends who don't smoke and don't mind the smoke except when they're eating, so I don't smoke while they eat. I always make sure my cig butts make it into some kind of trash receptacle. Do I want a medal? Well, that would be nice, but I'm not asking for one. The point is, if I'm trying to be respectful of others I don't want to be ostracized.

Is smoking inherently anti-social? No way. Smokers are a society in and of themselves. I go outside to smoke with a buddy who smokes and we talk about things on a level we couldn't with fifty people around. It's kind of nice. I'm always conscious of offending someone with my cigarette smoke, but really, is it that different from being near someone who wears an obscene amount of cologne? Should we ban that too? Some people wear so much you can't breathe around them. Do I tell them to go outside? No. I go somewhere where I can't smell them. Sometimes that's really far away.

Having said all that, I do want to quit. Not because of what it does to others, because like I said, I try to minimize that as much as possible, but because of what it does to me. I want to live a long, long time.

 

[Pumbaa]

Having said all that, I do want to quit. Not because of what it does to others, because like I said, I try to minimize that as much as possible, but because of what it does to me. I want to live a long, long time

I'm trying to quit again next week, had 48 hours under my belt b4 I lit up yesterday morning but after X-mas, a funeral, and now my brother in the hospital after a motorcycle accident and in grave condition I figured F' it . . .

Good Luck man, withdrawls suck dont they

My main point is Non-smokers, not all but a very vocal group of them, seem to feel they can force their view and lifestyle on everyone. If they want a stictly non-smoking business fine set one up, best of luck and I hope ya make tons of cash. But last time I checked people in the US were allowed to make retarded choices if they wanted to and then deal with the results.

Legislating peoples personal choices is a very slippery slope. Just about anything you do can be shown to affect someone else no matter what the activity is. If ya want to legislate away smoking have at it, but then ya have NO room to bitch when they legislate away your choices. Hell, ya already have people calling for junk food taxes because of the medical cost of taking care of the fattys out there is jacking up the insurance premiums and costs paid by medicare/medicaid.

Maybe I'm wrong but I thought it was the governments responsibilty to take care of the big issues out there that indiviuals cant take care of themselves, not to deal with the piss ant stuff out there that you can take care of. So until a mass groupr of smokers start tackling people, tieing them up, and holds a gun to their heads forcing them to to be near them while they light up . . .I just dont see much of a issue here

 

[rewster451]

I know what you mean about quitting. I once quit for six months. Then I smoked one cigarette. I didn't go straight into smoking like a bandit right away, but six more months and I was up to a pack a day.
Right now I'm just trying to not put too much pressure on myself. I smoked one cig on Tuesday, maybe five yesterday, and so far one today. I'm waiting for that magic day when I wake up and decide to just go for it and go all day without. Until that happens though, I'll just keep up with the "go as long as you can without one" mentality.

 

[Genghis77]

I quit 17 years ago. I am still on guard against the temptation of lighting up when under stress. That is and will remain the main obstacle in quitting.

 

[rewster451]

Way to go genghis. I know what you mean. The thing is, sometimes longtime smokers invent stress so they'll have a reason to light up. Especially when they're trying to quit. I'm trying the technique of being honest with myself, saying "yes, I want to smoke," and moving from there. I've had five cigs today, and considering that I had too much to drink that's a good number for me. Normally when I drink too much it would be more than twenty. I just want to encourage the mentality within myself to realize that I don't need it, no matter what. I'm going to cut down drastically until I realize, not just in my head, but in my heart that smoking is stupid and it's killing me. I know it in my head. It's just a matter of convincing my "subconscious," if you will, that I can live without it.

It's the hardest addiction I've ever dealt with, and I've had a few.

 

[DeRoux's Broux]

I'm trying to quit again next week, had 48 hours under my belt b4 I lit up yesterday morning but after X-mas, a funeral, and now my brother in the hospital after a motorcycle accident and in grave condition I figured F' it . . .

Pumbaa, my prayers are with your brother, you, and your family. sorry to hear about his condition and i hope for the best.


i'm not a radical anti-smoker, but i just don't feel as a non-smoker, i should be the one to have to make special considerations for someone who does. but, i do tend to stay away from the stuff. no one in my family smokes (except a cigar every once in a blue moon, and outside) i've never dated a smoker, no friends smoke, etc. and if i go eat somewhere, i don't ask to be seated in the smoking section. but, if we end up sitting next to someone smoking, or in the bar, i don't bitch and complain. life's too short. it's just nice not having to smell the smoke or smell like the smoke.

 

[BlightyBrewer]

... is it that different from being near someone who wears an obscene amount of cologne? Should we ban that too?

Oh yeah! And all those totally obscure, ridiculous, crap cologne adverts!!

I'll just keep up with the "go as long as you can without one" mentality.

My wife quit some time ago, but she always had that temptation to light up (especially when stressed) until she had a course of acupuncture. Since then, she says she is not tempted to smoke at all, in fact the smell of it makes her feel sick.

Pumbaa, I hope your brother pulls through. I am a motorcyclist (commute every day), and when I hear of another biker who has been in an accident it reminds me of how dangerous it is out there.

 

[Pumbaa]

and when I hear of another biker who has been in an accident it reminds me of how dangerous it is out there.

Yeah actually made me think about selling my bike for a split second . . . fortunatly I came to my senses and pushed that thought out of my head REAL fast

He's got a shattered left ankle, broken left Tibia, Fibula, Femure, busted up the left half of his pelvis, and multiple internal injuries. They had him in surgery to fix his leg (except for the ankle) and then again for 5 hours to repair a aortic anuerism (sp?), but had to leave him open so they could go back in to fix more crap. Not sure if he screwed up his kidneys or not but they also have him on kidney machines for now cuz of low urine output, but that could be from the anesethias and not the accident. There are no head injuries but he's got enuff **** going on now dont think that he needed any

back to the smoking thing . . .it could taken care of very simply if both sides followed Basic Rule of Life #1: Dont be an *******

 

[Rhoobarb]

Somebody just sent me one of those forwarded emails with a whole bunch of Carlinesque 'quips' and 'thoughts'. One of them I liked and it reminded me of this thread:

"Isn't having a smoking section in a restaurant like having a peeing section in a swimming pool?"

 

[DeRoux's Broux]

Somebody just sent me one of those forwarded emails with a whole bunch of Carlinesque 'quips' and 'thoughts'. One of them I liked and it reminded me of this thread:

"Isn't having a smoking section in a restaurant like having a peeing section in a swimming pool?"

dude, that's a riot! :cross:

 

[Radarbrew]

I smoked for about 20 years. Started in Basic training back when they had"smokers breaks". Never smoked cigarettes though, can't stand the smell. I used to smoke cigars, but decided I liked the pipe better.
I never had a bitch about my pipe smoking, always good compliments on the aroma, etc...
I never smoked in resturants, or a public building, or any place that had a lot of folks, except bars. If I'm having a nice pint, I'm gonna smoke that pipe too. You know what 2 things made me quit? My kids, and I was tired of smoking.
However, I'm all for freedom of choice, and I throw darts at a poorly vented bar here in Alaska, and I miss smoking. But I throw better when I don't and it makes my kids hapy.
I have more money for the homebrewing. Now If we had a close HBS (besides Anchortown), my world would be complete.

 

[Genghis77]

Rewster, I think when you do quit it will simply happen without effort. You just will find you are tired of being manipulated by the habit. I never suffered a bit from withdrawl. But I have known of others that started up again after years. I have to admit the smell of someone first lighting up is still good, like perkyed coffee in the morning. Stale smoke is the most offensive. All considered I think provisions should be made to allow smokers a reasonable environment to smoke. And that is something with a roof at the least, preferably not in freezing cold. Oddly, some of the worst smokers work in the health care fields. But I have no complaints about being subjected to other's smoke in the past few years. Most smokers seem considerate.

 

[Spoonta]

It ****s me you are try to injoy a beer and there is some clown next to you smoken

 

[Catfish]

Sounds stupid, but if you really want to quit smoking you should read this book; The Easy Way to Quit Smoking, by Alan Carr:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1402718616/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I quit, my wife quit, my friends who read it quit. It doesn't bother telling you scary stories about smoking. Check it out if you really want to quit. I quit 3 years ago, no cravings, no problems.

 

[Shovhed1]

I dont smoke, and never did. The smoking that takes place in bars and restaurants does not bother me at all. In fact, I sometimes enjoy the smell of a good cigar. The problem i have with smokers is that many of them are outright PIGS. They dont consider the butts and wrappers to be litter. They flick the butts out the window of autos while an astray is within arms reach. I support a total public smoking ban for this reason. C'mon smokers, clean up your act! All the litter is not helping your cause.

 

[rewster451]

The problem i have with smokers is that many of them are outright PIGS. They dont consider the butts and wrappers to be litter. They flick the butts out the window of autos while an astray is within arms reach. I support a total public smoking ban for this reason. C'mon smokers, clean up your act! All the litter is not helping your cause.

Yes, some, but not all.

I've basically quit now. I had a couple of cigs the last time I brewed, two nights ago, but that was the first time in a week. I didn't even enjoy it. Who knows how long it will last, but for now, I'm tired of smoking. Tired of being manipulated by the habit. (You were right Ghengis. Thanks.) My beer tastes better too.

I still don't care if people smoke around me. They can do what they want, and so can I.

 

[DeRoux's Broux]

I've basically quit now. I had a couple of cigs the last time I brewed, two nights ago, but that was the first time in a week. I didn't even enjoy it. Who knows how long it will last, but for now, I'm tired of smoking. Tired of being manipulated by the habit. (You were right Ghengis. Thanks.) My beer tastes better too.

I still don't care if people smoke around me. They can do what they want, and so can I.

you go rewster!