Do you agree with the smoking bans in bars and clubs?

[MissHoneychurch]

Poll question: Do you agree with the smoking bans in bars and clubs?

that is, if you have them where you live.

We have them here in parts of Germany and I have to admit I am really happy about it. Going out for a drink or dancing and coming home not smelling like an ashtray. Love it.

[Midlodemocrat]

1. Don't have it here everywhere, but love it, love it, love it.

[MissHoneychurch]

2. Same here

The other day I was at a place where it was still allowed to smoke. That night I woke up coughing like crazy because the smoke bothered my throat (I have been sick shortly before). After that I was really happy about the smoking ban.
Last weekend my friend and I went to different bars to have a drink before going to the club. Two of three bars were full - even with the smoking ban. Didn't look like they were missing customers.

[Midlodemocrat]

4. It bothers me terribly. Living with my mom who smoked,

made me extremely sensitive it to. I can smell it a mile away.

Last week, I had the windows open in my office and the painters were on the OTHER SIDE OF THE HOUSE having a smoke and I could smell it two floors away!

[yellowdogintexas]

55. Thank you, I am that sensitive as well. Doesn't take much to

give me sore throat and headache. not to mention the smell in your clothes

[meegbear]

3. FUCK NO!

They totally fucking blow!

[MissHoneychurch]

5. Blowing in the wind

:)

[Omphaloskepsis]

6. I like having a ban here.

And I'm a smoker. Most places have outside areas for people to smoke.

[MissHoneychurch]

7. Exactly

and before the ban even though they had extra spaces for the non-smokers (which were always hidden somewhere in the back and cramped) the smoke came there too and you couldn't avoid it.

[Fox Mulder]

8. I love it.

[DarkTirade]

9. I like it but I don't agree with it. :P

No option for that one. I like it because it means I can go to a bar without smelling like smoke, and breathing that crap in. I don't agree with it because the bar is a private establishment, and I think they have a right to choose whether they'll allow smoking or not.

[MissHoneychurch]

10. You got a point there

but barely any bars ever considered the non-smokers. There are a lot more people who don't smoke these days than smokers. And still the non-smokers had to breath the smoke all the time.

[DarkTirade]

14. Exactly.

I just wish it was a trend to have non-smoking bars rather than a law. :)

[LynneSin]

12. Technically bars are not private establishments

It's a public place that anyone can enter. It's no different then me going to the mall or the grocery store. Someone owns those buildings but they are still public place.

Now there are some bars with private members-only enterance - I guess if they want to be smoked filled then that's their priority

[DarkTirade]

15. The employees can kick someone out, that makes it a private establishment in my book. :)

[LynneSin]

19. I use to work at Victoria Secrets and I've kicked people out

If someone is mis-behaving or is a nuisance to other patrons - hell even a church could boot you out.

[DarkTirade]

44. Exactly. And that is because someone is in charge of that business

and they are allowed to choose who they allow to come in.
Now if someone is misbehaving in truly public place, the only people allowed to kick them out would be the authorities.

[petronius]

49. That's the option I was looking for, too

My objection isn't based as much in the 'owner's rights' idea - I just feel that smoking and drinking are activities that tend to go together, depite the fact the I only do one. So, if smoking is appropriate anywhere, it would be in a bar...

[DarkTirade]

50. Exactly. As much as I like not having to deal with the smoke, I don't like infringing on someone

else's ability to kill themselves slowly by breathing in noxious bits of burned tobacco and various other chemicals. :P

[Bennyboy]

11. I smoke and I love them.....

So there. I do not have the right to poison other people. And no matter how you slice it, when I light up around others that is exactly what I am doing.

Most of the bars in CA have outdoor smoking sections and I love that. It actually creates a different dynamic in the bars, where smokers hang together. lots of times there will be no one in the bar and everyone will be outside....

[LynneSin]

13. They have the same thing here in Delaware even when it's freezing out

They have propane heaters out there setup for the smokers.

[quip]

25. And soon those areas will be banned, too

Here in my community, smoking on ANY city property is banned, including parks, and the municipal golf course!!!! I can't smoke out of doors on a big, ol' golf course! WTF?

I fully appreciate the rights of non smokers (I am one) but the whole smoking ban thing is going WAAAY too far. And as DarkTirade mentioned, banning it on PRIVATE property is beyond the pale. Wait and see; they will try to ban it in our own houses next....

:scared:

[MissHoneychurch]

27. I agree with you

it is totally over the goal to even forbid it outside. For me that isn't protecting the non-smokers but surpressing smokers. Totally uncalled for.

And there is already one city in California, that wants to ban smoking on your private property.

http://cbs5.com/local/belmont.smoking.ban.2.449632.html

[quip]

28. And so it starts.

And there is already one city in California, that wants to ban smoking on your private property.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=MnqP8lBUwgs">Dominoes begin with one....

[pokerfan]

48. I think it was also Belmont

who wanted to ban smoking outdoors while standing on your own property. All it would take is a complaint from a neighbor and the authorities show up. First offense would be a warning. Further offenses would result in fines.

[MissHoneychurch]

52. Let the neighborly surveillance begin

and the telling on each other. Hey, I don't like my neighbor, let's inform the authorities and let him pay ..... It is a scary thought.

[unpossibles]

16. mixed feelings, but overall I like it

I don't like that some of the smaller hole-in-the-wall bars have either had to close or become "smoke-easies" (I've seen both), but I have to say it's kind of nicer inside, and as a smoker I kind of like having to step outside - it helps conversation when the bar is noisy, and is not bad. Also, makes me smoke less in winter, and I am a pretty light smoker. I just wish it had been done more as an incentive than a full ban, as some places I've been, 100% of the customers and employees smoke.

[HamdenRice]

17. Grudgingly, I have to say it's great. It made me quit smoking

By the time they instituted it in NYC, there really was no where else I could smoke. Couldn't smoke at home. Couldn't smoke at work. So after work I would go to my favorite pub, and smoke almost a whole pack in one sitting, then go home.

When I couldn't smoke in the pub, I found a pub with a backyard where all the last smokers in Queens congregated. That got tired and finally I quit.

So the ban works. I feel 1000% better as a non-smoker. When I see anyone smoking a cigarette, I gag. I can't believe I ever smoked.

[MissHoneychurch]

18. Congrats on being able to stop to smoke

and for admitting that it the ban that made you quitting.

I never smoked, never even tried it.

[HamdenRice]

22. I had quite before for years

It was off an on, but intensely when on. Each time I quit, I felt that I had given up something that was extremely pleasurable. I always craved, even when I had quit for years.

This time, I have no craving. I can't credit the ban with that change, but it certainly helped spur me to try again.

[LynneSin]

20. I figured the price of smokes in NYC alone would have me quitting

:scared:

[kwassa]

21. I agree with smoking bans everywhere

It is an amazing piece of our culture that a cancer-causing addictive substance responsible for a ongoing high death toll is allowed to be marketed and sold to the general public.

and yes, it makes everyplace more enjoyable. I quit going to bars years ago because of the smell.

[Deep13]

23. I'm with you on that.

Public health should come first.

[MissHoneychurch]

24. One word

Lobbying

[quip]

26. For that matter, compare the ongoing death toll of smoking with that of

alcohol-related deaths. By that metric, should we ban alcohol consumption? We tried that once....

Part of freedom to me means being free to be a moran. So if you want to drink, smoke, whatever, that's your choice. And you should have to face the consequences of your choices, too.

[kwassa]

37. Since you asked for that comparison ....

http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:tVnVN8-zrOAJ:www.med.upenn.edu/tturc/pdf/USA_Figures.pdf+toll+smoking+statistics&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=us

Smoking kills more people in the United States each year than car accidents, alcohol, AIDS, murders, illegal drugs and suicides combined.

and the charts accompanying it show that about 430,000 people a year die from smoking-related illnesses, whereas 81,000 a year die from alcohol-related causes.

[LynneSin]

42. There's that silly arguement

Last time I checked - driving drunk was illegal. Hell in Delaware (and many other states) they can ticket you for driving buzzed (under the .08 limit but still registering). But somehow smokers think that just because I can go to a bar, get shitfaced and drive a car that somehow, someway this equates being allowed to smoke in bars.

I can drink & drive just like I can smoke in a bar where smoking is banned. Thing is - if I'm caught, the there are penalties involved. AND those penelties are created based on the severity of the crime. If I were to smoke in a bar where it's banned I'd be penalized by a fine. If I get behind the wheel of a car drunk but get caught - I could lose my license, have my car insurance sky-rocket (once I'm able to get it back) and possibly face jail time. I know this much - I don' drink & drive in Delaware - they have check-points setup everywhere.

So part of this so called freedom you want includes EVERYONE!! You shouldn't have to drive on a road where possibly someone after a hellbender drinkathon is behind the wheel driving and I shouldn't have to sit or more importantly WORK in a bar where I have to suffer through second hand smoke (you think those laws are for the patrons - WRONG! They are for the employees who work there day-in and day-out).

[Marrah_G]

29. I no longer go to clubs or bars

I do go to casinos though :)

[MissHoneychurch]

30. Is smoking allowed in casinos?

I don't go there so I don't know.

[Marrah_G]

34. Yes

There is a hotel, restaurants, bars, shows, bands and of course gambling. I don't have to outside to smoke especially if it's cold! There are non-smoking sections as well.

My favorite is Mohegan Sun in CT! When I don't have time for an over-night I go to Twin Rivers in Rhode Island- They have a really good Irish restraurant there.

[Orsino]

31. I like places of business to be smoke-free.

They ought to cater to smokers by providing an escape hatch and covered outdoor smoking area, not by allowing nasty smoke indoors.

[Froward69]

32. Your car puts out more toxins than smoking

So do the ambiance candles... Here the ban went into effect. more than a few bars allow with a donation to the fine fund. those who rat out those bars get banned from those bars. just after they have their picture taken. then those who report get their picture faxed or e-mailed to other bars and banned for for miles around. What goes around comes around. Alls fair.

Another I have heard of is to allow them to stay, get drunk, and report them the second they leave and get into their car to drive home. name, license plate, type of vehicle and color, as well as what direction, how many drinks etc. then the snitches get the DUI they deserve. with owners and bartenders as witnesses. they then get banned from the establishment they ratted upon. (so much for Dudley-do-right.)

A few bars without patios have gone under since. The police, county sheriffs have pretty much stopped enforcement because of the reasons stated above. (They have harsher crimes to investigate.)

[kwassa]

38. I don't puff on the tailpipe of my car

Call me crazy, but I just don't like it.

[Froward69]

41. nor do "second hand" smokers,

the base group behind the ban...

[SacredCow]

33. Since I don't smoke, I am enjoying it to no end. BUT....

at the same time, I don't like the idea of government being able to tell private businesses that they can't allow something that's perfectly legal to go on in their establishments.

It wouldn't surprise me if somewhere down the line, bars and clubs that wanted to allow smoking would have to get a tobacco license. Just another way for the government to make a little extra for the war purse.

[huskerlaw]

35. Love it!

Here in California we actually have whole cities that are smoke-free. Meaning that people can't smoke *anywhere* in public...even outdoors. That sounds a little bit harsh, but we have a lot of restaurants and cafes with outdoor seating that encroaches on the sidewalk. Walking past those can be really unpleasant, as all of the smokers would just request to be seated outside.

I absolutely love the smoke-free restaurants and clubs. It makes dining and going out SO much more pleasant. And not coming home smelling like an ashtray? Priceless.

[guitar man]

36. I don't like the laws

here, we have smoking bans in restaraunts, which I don't mind a bit, but not in bars. Lo and behold, some non-smoking clubs are springing up, (gasp) by choice!

I gig with my band occasionally at a place in downtown Tulsa called the Continental Club. The main part of the club is non-smoking, which is nice since I can actually sing without gasping for air like I do in some other clubs.And I'm a smoker.

There is an enclosed "patio" area with tables and chairs that is closed off from the main room where smoking is permitted. All in all it is a good solution.

I think this is one area where it is best to let the market decide, and watching the non-smoking establishments coming onto the scene, it seems to be working.

[Iggo]

39. California native, here.

We went through this years and years ago.

When I was a smoker (I smoked 22 years,) it kinda pissed me off. But now that I'm an ex-smoker (4 years now,) I've gotta say it bothers me a helluva lot less.

[Rambis]

40. Like it

I have one friend that comes to visit twice a year and he smokes more than he doesn't. We always meet at the smokiest pub there is and I feel like crap for three days after. I smoked for 20 years as well but never noticed then:) I have to plan my clothes and coat carefully. I wear a pair of glasses that I can hop in the shower with when I get home because if I don't the frames even smell.

[MissMillie]

43. LOVE IT!!!

It's so nice to be able to go out, have a drink w/ friends, dance, and come home w/o smelling like an ashtray.

[fizzgig]

45. i smoke and they don't really bother me

my city has had a ban for several year and there were a few bars just outside the city limits that were still smoking. all the employees and probably 95 percent of the patrons smoked, so i was a bit miffed when the state passed its smoking ban. that said, it's really not a big deal.

come jan. 1, there will be only two places you will be allowed to smoke inside - the two smoking lounges at the airport. they've banned smoking in the casinos and since i don't go there it doesn't bother me.

but i will take issue if they ever try to get rid of the smoking lounges in the airport

[alarimer]

46. Very much so.

Municipalities have the right to regulate other things that go on in bars, clubs and restaurants- occupancy limits, health standards (no bugs or rats), etc. So why can't they regulate air quality? The argument that bars are private and can allow smoking if they want is like saying that bars are private and they can have as many cockroaches as they want. Nonsensical.

[Joe Fields]

47. It depends on what the bar owner wants.

I don't think something like that should be dictated by city ordinance. It should remain up to the bar or restaurant owner.

[Critters2]

51. All bars and restaurants here starting in January!

I can't wait!

[chaska]

53. Hell yes, I'm for it. I'm a (non-smoking) musician.

[johnnie]

54. The bar down the street from me closed because of it

It was the one I would go to once in a while because it was within walking distance. Almost everyone smoked in there including the owners and workers. It was just a mom and pop corner bar who's customers were from around the neighborhood. The lights have been off since August.

This morning on the local news they were having people write in to see what their thoughts were about the smoking ban here in Cleveland and they said that many owners were saying that business was down on an average of 20%. Of course the nasty weather hasn't come here yet so I'm sure that percentage will rise. I've talked to a few local musicians who said they can tell business is down. Although they like playing in the smoke-free environment, they are getting less jobs because the owners can't afford them.

Oh well, don't really go to bars anymore anyway, I leave that up to the kids.

[Oeditpus Rex]

56. I'm happy to keep my smoke away from others

I find it somewhat odd that this needs to be legislated, kind of like I find it odd that seat-belt use needs to be legislated. But, alas, apparently both do.

Such is the human condition.



Okay, I'm gonna go ahead and say it: What I find most disconcerting about bans on smoking is that they seem to give tacit authorization to hate. I may be the most considerate smoker you'll ever know, yet I often feel charged with killing babies or something by the many DU threads on this topic, and I resent that a great deal.

[Mojambo]

57. I don't necessarily agree with the principle, but I do personally appreciate them. n/t

[CreekDog]

58. Wish I could vote "Love it"

Because I'm spiteful.

[KitchenWitch]

59. LOVE it!

[idgiehkt]

60. in wombs I do

My nephew is being born right now (I'm having to watch these dogs, we have a new stray I don't want to leave alone for too long, so they are gonna call me when he comes out) and his mama smoked through the whole pregnancy. So I guess he is gonna go through withdrawal for a few days.

Bars and clubs...whatever the owner wants to do. It's up to them.

[bigwillq]

61. As a smoker

I have to admit that I actually like it but I think it should be left up to the individual bar/club/restaurant.

[GOPisEvil]

62. I have mixed feelings.

On the one hand, it is a serious infringement on individual rights. On the other, I can go check out some music, have a drink or hang out with friends in a bar and not come home smelling like ashes.

[GreenPartyVoter]

63. I like having smoke-free clubs, but I think there should be clubs where

smokers can still do their thing.

[XemaSab]

64. LOVE IT

California is smoke free indoors, and as an asthmatic I LOVE being able to go get a beer without worrying about my lungs.

FWIW, my favorite pub in Santa Barbara has a smoking deck in the back, which strikes me as entirely fair. I just don't go out there. :P

[Genevieve]

65. No- It's wrong

Why should governmentt have the right to tell a business owner that the patrons of his/her establishment are not allowed to smoke: and let that be "punishable by law".

If a restauranteur or a bar owner want to allow smoking at their establishment - then so be it. And if it bothers you, don't spend your money there.
Same for business owners who do not want smoking in their restaurants -- they are well entitled to run a smoke-free establishment.

This is way too much government butting into our private lives "for our own good".

And, no, I am not a smoker - I hate cigarettes.