[Vaquero]

I being an ex smoker, I like the idea of smoking and no smoking sections in food establishments....(I don't like smoke in my face while I eat)

after that I believe the government should have a hands off policy.

Tobacco is a legal substance. The governments that are taxing the hell out of tobacco products really don't want them made illegal, it is just too big of a cash cow for them to ban.

That is where the hypocrisy lies. If those who would tax the living hell out of tobacco for the so called good of society were to ban tobacco as a dangerous substance, I could understand it. That is not their intent. BIG tobacco has BIG pockets and these politicos only want to pick them.

[Madame Dufarge]

I don't like smoke in my face while I eat)

As a smoker, neither do I.

In the not too distant past (when adults were still in charge of the public marketplace) before the Smoking Nazis gained full sway and "health"hysteria wasn't pervasive, there was actual established etiquette regarding smoking.

Not blowing smoke in peoples' faces in general was one of the rules, and not smoking while someone else was eating was another one.

[SheLion]

That is where the hypocrisy lies. If those who would tax the living hell out of tobacco for the so called good of society were to ban tobacco as a dangerous substance, I could understand it. That is not their intent. BIG tobacco has BIG pockets and these politicos only want to pick them.

The sad part of this (and many are unaware of this) is that smokers are paying for all the abuse, control, restrictions and bans just by paying the taxes on cigarettes.

Yes, that's right.  SMOKERS ARE PAYING THROUGH CIGARETTE TAXES FOR ALL THE BANS AND RESTRICTIONS.

Not Big Tobacco and NOT the government.  The Smokers! 

[Publius6961]

BIG tobacco has BIG pockets and these politicos only want to pick them.

I wish people would stop saying that!

Smokers have big pockets. Big tobacco simply serves as a tax collector. They couldn't care less, so long as they can preserve a certain level of profit margin.