If they would just ban the consumption of alcohol in bars as well, I could take my kids...
The anti-smoking nazis up here in Ontario, Canada, are at least honest and have admitted that their complete ban of smoking in "public" places with no provision for separately ventilated smoking rooms has nothing to do with concern over the effects of second hand smoke. They've actually stated that their desire is to make smoking as inconvenient as possible so as to encourage smokers to quit. IMHO that's not their place, even with the socialized medical care we have here. Actuarial/economic studies have shown that smokers are NOT an overall drain on the public purse with the level of taxation on cigarettes that we have here.
ps I'm working on quitting, but I still think the law should at the very least make some provision for separately ventilated smoking rooms if a business owner wants to provide them. It IS their business, after all.
WOW!!! and actual voice of reason.
Of course it didn't take the resident FR nico-gnatzies to come out of the woodwork.
ping
Folks, this argument never wins. You must get something new. Actually, smokers need a full makeover. They need to become as polite as cigar and pipe smokers if they want any chance to stop this wave of public smoking bans.
Good. I'll go out to eat more often. Smokers suck.
January 10, 2005
Update from the States: Tobacco Taxes and Smoke-Free Policies in Action
The past few years have produced unprecedented advances in tobacco-control policies, particularly with excise tax increases and the implementation of new clean indoor air laws. The gains that have been made in both of these areas recently have continued in the 2004 state legislative sessions.
Since 2002, 33 states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, have increased their excise taxes on tobacco products. The average state tax on a pack of cigarettes is now over 74 cents per pack, nearly twice what it was just a few years ago. The highest tax in the country is in New Jersey, at $2.05 per pack, while nearby New York City has a combined city and state tax of over $3 per pack.
Although there have been fewer increases passed in 2004, some of them have come where they were most needed: in the heart of tobacco country. In February, Virginia increased its tax to 35 cents per pack — low by national standards but much higher than the 2.5 cent per pack tax that had been on the books since 1964. And in May, Alabama increased its tax by 26 cents per pack.
These increases will not only help ease states’ financial woes, but, more importantly, serve as a strong incentive to reduce tobacco consumption. Studies show that for every 10 percent increase in the price of cigarettes, youth smoking goes down by seven percent and overall smoking goes down by three to five percent.
Similar progress has been made in passing comprehensive clean indoor air laws. This July, a new law will go into effect in Idaho banning smoking in most workplaces, including restaurants. Idaho will become the eighth state with a strong statewide law in place. California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine and New York have banned smoking in all workplaces, including restaurants and bars. Florida and Utah, like Idaho, have strong state laws that exempt bars. These states join hundreds of cities across the country that also ban smoking in most public places.
As with tax increases, recent advances with smoking bans have come in the heart of tobacco country. Although opponents challenged it all the way to the Kentucky Supreme Court, a new law banning smoking in all public places, including restaurants and bars, went into effect in Lexington, Ky., in April. In many ways this is the highest profile smoking ban in any city in a tobacco growing state.
With the combined state and city smoking bans, over 30 percent of the country’s population now live in a jurisdiction covered by a comprehensive clean indoor air law. Exposure to secondhand smoke causes nearly 40,000 deaths per year, almost all of which are ischemic heart disease deaths.
There is now a massive amount of evidence showing that smoke-free laws do not harm business or employment in bars or restaurants, and may actually have a positive influence. The latest such evidence comes from New York City, where a report found that in the one year since the city’s comprehensive smoke-free law took effect business receipts for restaurants and bars have increased, employment has risen, the number of liquor licenses has increased, virtually all establishments are complying with the law, and the vast majority of New Yorkers support the law.
With the positive outcomes from both excise tax increases and smoking bans, one can expect to see a lot more of both in the months and years ahead.
On the plus side, I convinced my Wife to roll her own as well. WOO-HOO!
I would suggest starting by banning them in restaurants first.
It's about time someone slaps down the freedom grabbers.
This time it's smokers - what will be next?
This seems to be happening in a lot of nations - Now - if drinking was also gone after with such gusto - others might understand it better as a true "health" issue - Drinking is well documented to cause problems - but is the urge there in all these nations to ban drinking - No - (I know, it was tried once in America - and failed - ) - But this is today - and the reason being given is health - Considering that - this drive to do away with smoking in all these places does not ring true - that is for it being done for "health" reasons -
With pushing the same sex issue - that seems to be also taking the same path as the smoking issue in many nations - Is it - what one nation does - others follow - ?
Does anyone see a pattern developing - What "one" side decides is PC - then that is what goes - around the world - it seems -
Should all others on Earth - just let it happen - around the world - giving up rights along the way -
The PC people just love it when silence is the answer and they get their way -
just my thoughts - I know it's been said that silence is golden but to everything there is a time and place - and sometimes silence becomes far from golden - especially when people so willingly give up their rights to please one side or the other in the wacky world in which we live today -