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City Council Readies New Smoking Ban
The Wall Street Journal ^ | February 2, 2011 | Michael Howard Saul

Posted on 02/02/2011 1:29:37 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Attention Times Square denizens and those out for a stroll in Central Park: It will soon be time to put out your smokes — forever.

The New York City Council is slated Wednesday afternoon to approve a ban on smoking in parks, beaches, marinas, boardwalks and pedestrian plazas like Times Square. The legislation marks the most ambitious expansion of the city’s antismoking laws since Mayor Michael Bloomberg convinced the city lawmakers to approve a ban on smoking in indoor workplaces and park playgrounds in 2003.

“When this legislation is passed, all New Yorkers will be able to enjoy a walk in the park or a day at the beach without having to inhale secondhand smoke,” said Speaker Christine Quinn when she and the mayor unveiled the proposed legislation in September. ”This bill will save lives and make New York City a healthier place to live.”

Studies have shown that outdoor tobacco smoke levels can be as high as secondhand smoke levels indoors and there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke, Quinn and officials in the mayor’s health department have argued. But opponents of the legislation have accused the mayor and the council of infringing on their rights and have disputed the level of risk associated with secondhand smoke.

City Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. proposed compromise legislation that would carve out areas of parks and beaches where people could smoke. But his legislation appeared unlikely to win the day.

“It still has a lot of support,” Vallone said. “I’m disappointed leadership chose to move the original bill and not my compromise.”

(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; US: New York
KEYWORDS: beaches; bloomberg; parks; smokingban
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1 posted on 02/02/2011 1:29:40 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
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To: Eric Blair 2084; SheLion; Gabz; Hank Kerchief; 383rr; libertarian27; traviskicks; bamahead; CSM; ...

Nanny State PING!


2 posted on 02/02/2011 1:30:53 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (up)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

And wait until they totally take away your soda and snacks and fries and force feed us fish pills and kelp.


3 posted on 02/02/2011 1:34:38 PM PST by Sacajaweau
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Where CAN you smoke then? Really.


4 posted on 02/02/2011 1:34:51 PM PST by swain_forkbeard (Rationality may not be sufficient, but it is necessary.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Straining at gnats and swallowing camels, Scribes, Pharisees, Hypocrites! Then these governmental clowns wonder why they are becoming increasingly hated. They worry about smoking outside and their City and State are going bankrupt.


5 posted on 02/02/2011 1:36:24 PM PST by AEMILIUS PAULUS (It is a shame that when these people give a riot)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
my pre-written response to all things Bloomberg:

Bloomers is a Crony-capitalist, nebbish, poor little rich boy, self hating jew, tiny buttwipe of a man...the only reason he is probably not a fag (the jury is still out) is that he has the greatest aphrodisiac of all time, billions of dollars....he decries the 2nd amendment, but whines about how the enemy’s first amendment rights to worship are being usurped....even though Islam is NOT a religion but a murder cult.. © Vaquero 2010-2011

6 posted on 02/02/2011 1:37:49 PM PST by Vaquero ("an armed society is a polite society" Robert A. Heinlein)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

These prople are insane.


7 posted on 02/02/2011 1:37:52 PM PST by Cementjungle
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
I don't smoke, never have and find it disgusting. That being said, it shows what a little Napoleon we have in Bloomy as mayor. First it was just no smoking in offices, then restaurants, then bars now not even outside!!! Add to that the trans fat regs, the salt regs and the mandated calorie posting on any menu item. Oh, and lets not forget that term limits were ignored just so he could have a third term as mayor.

Yeah, Bloomy for President!!! God help us if that happens. In fact, I'm a little leery of Guilanni because he basically put the billionaire dictator into office.

8 posted on 02/02/2011 1:38:07 PM PST by YankeeReb
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Just like Nazi Germany!


9 posted on 02/02/2011 1:40:37 PM PST by Seruzawa (If you agree with the French raise your hand - If you are French raise both hands.)
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To: swain_forkbeard

**Where CAN you smoke then? Really.**

NYC DOES have a proper smoking area... it’s called ...

NEW JERSEY!!


10 posted on 02/02/2011 1:41:11 PM PST by gwilhelm56 (NY... Can't afford to Live Here... Can't Afford to LEAVE!!)
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To: Sacajaweau
And wait until they totally take away your soda and snacks and fries and force feed us fish pills and kelp


11 posted on 02/02/2011 1:43:17 PM PST by Vaquero ("an armed society is a polite society" Robert A. Heinlein)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Hell, the 18th Amendment worked so well. Didn’t it?


12 posted on 02/02/2011 1:49:31 PM PST by Repeal 16-17 (Let me know when the Shooting starts.)
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To: gwilhelm56

And then New York will whine and cry about the lost revenue....they will never get it.


13 posted on 02/02/2011 1:55:19 PM PST by kevslisababy
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
"When this legislation is passed, all New Yorkers will be able to enjoy a walk in the park or a day at the beach"

Except, of course, if you're a smoker...

However, public sex by faggots and dykes will be considered "Personal Freedom", and protected from prosecution.

14 posted on 02/02/2011 1:59:33 PM PST by traditional1 ("Don't gotsta worry 'bout no mo'gage, don't gotsta worry 'bout no gas; Obama gonna take care o' me!)
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To: Seruzawa
Just like Nazi Germany!


15 posted on 02/02/2011 2:00:08 PM PST by Vaquero ("an armed society is a polite society" Robert A. Heinlein)
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To: kevslisababy
And then New York will whine and cry about the lost revenue....

The CITY will...the lowest-level footsoldier in the Mafia will be vacationing on the Riviera from the smuggling profits.

16 posted on 02/02/2011 2:00:19 PM PST by nina0113
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
When this legislation is passed, all New Yorkers will be able to enjoy a walk in the park or a day at the beach without having to inhale secondhand smoke,

I have walked past members of certain religious/ethnic groups on the streets of New York whose strong odor made my eyes water. A whiff of cigarette smoke would have been much more desirable.

17 posted on 02/02/2011 2:06:12 PM PST by Prokopton
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To: kevslisababy

**New York will whine and cry about the lost revenue**

http://www.nysenate.gov/news/new-analysis-shows-new-york-city-losing-150-million-year-internet-cigarette-websites

OH WELL... the gasoline used to go to the reservations for my cigs plus the cost of the Indian Cigarettes... still saving about $35 per carton ...

Liberalism provides the exact Opposite of their stated intentions.


18 posted on 02/02/2011 2:15:08 PM PST by gwilhelm56 (NY... Can't afford to Live Here... Can't Afford to LEAVE!!)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Studies have shown that outdoor tobacco smoke levels can be as high as secondhand smoke levels indoors and there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke

I call BS

19 posted on 02/02/2011 2:20:40 PM PST by Just another Joe (Warning: FReeping can be addictive and helpful to your mental health)
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To: swain_forkbeard

I don’t really care if people smoke tobacco, alfalfa or huff on a tail pipe for 10 minutes every hour or so, you get the same amount of carbon monoxide. As long as they deny them medical insurance then I am fine with it as long as they don’t smoke near me.

64% of our heart surgery patients smoke vs 21% of the population. We have had about a 50% drop in heart procedures in the past 2 decades which coincides almost perfectly with the drop in smokers from 42% to 21%. I can not find any strong statistical relationship between cholesterol and/or statins with the decline in heart procedures, but the change in smoking habits is a very good predictor of having a heart surgeon in your future.

So if you smoke, fine, I just don’t want to personally pay higher premiums because you and the junkies in Central Park need a carbon monoxide fix followed by a half million dollars of medical care.


20 posted on 02/02/2011 2:22:09 PM PST by TxDas (This above all, to thine ownself be true.)
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