Do smokers have any rights?

eco-logic Powerhouse.com ^ | February 15, 2005 | Alan Caruba

[Conspiracy Guy]

As a smoker that is the best I can do. No rights for me! Off to the smoker's colony for life.

[boxerblues]

Guess you missed this little gem
Posted on Thu, Jan. 29, 2004

Smoker agrees to judge's limits
June trial set on neighbors' demand for tighter rules on outdoor puffing
By Phil Trexler Beacon Journal staff writer
A Stow man fuming over his neighbor's cigarette habit smoked a peace pipe of sorts with the woman Wednesday in court.
Robert Zangrando and his wife, Lisa Pace, had sued this month seeking a restraining order against their neighbor, Nicole Kuder. They wanted a judge to force Kuder to stop smoking within 30 feet of their condominium unit.
In court Wednesday, the two sides agreed to a temporary resolution suggested by Summit County Common Pleas Judge Marvin Shapiro.
Kuder agreed to smoke only outside her unit's back door and only for 15 minutes at the top of each hour. She cannot smoke outside her front door.
the no smoking neighbor lost"

[Annie03]

Did anyone see Boston Public on Sunday? One of the story lines was about a town that decided to ban red meat as a health issue. The so-called "dept of health" is out of control. Leave it to the government to abuse and increase any power it is given. It's no longer about health, it's political and power grabbing.

[usgator]

"Time for the tea chest to hit the water again."

I've seen this type of response posted on other threads dealing with this subject.

Fighting back sounds noble. But ... how?

[RightWhale]

Yeah? Just hide the tobacco contraband inside the shipment of tax-free coke and pot.

[SheLion]

Let's say you've just bought a condo, or moved to an apartment. ASH intends to encourage and assist lawsuits by apartment dwellers who object to neighbors smoking in their own apartments.

This ASH business is the biggest bunch of control freaks on the face of the earth.  And they have the backing of the American Cancer Society and  The American Lung Association.

They have become totally obsessed with banning people who smoke at every corner. 

With the taxes smoker's pay on cigarettes and grant money from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the rest of their ilk, it's pretty hard to fight the bans.  Money talks and who listens to the constituents anymore.  No one.

[usgator]

town that decided to ban red meat

That happens in my town and I turn into one of the zombies from Dawn of the Dead and hunt the living.

hmmm .... maybe that's how that whole thing started.

[SheLion]

As usual, none of the alphabet-soup groups mentioned in the article mention the simple expedient of making all tobacco products illegal.

That's why!

And the more bans, control and restrictions they put upon smoker's, the more the money flows in.  I wish someone could come up with a way to put a stop to their cash flow.

I have said over and over just ban the damn stuff and be done with it.  But alas!  These people wouldn't be living the high life with our money any longer.  Totally disgusting.

[SheLion]

Now that my cheap cigs are no more, I will be considering rolling my own. Do you have some good resources for me? I would need to purchase everything on line, papers, filters, tobacco, etc. I would also need a recommendation of tobacco brands and flavors.

 
and

Smokers United

Roll Your Own Tobacco Store

Roll Your Own Magazine

[Mears]

Unbelievable.

[SheLion]

As a smoker that is the best I can do. No rights for me! Off to the smoker's colony for life

I will stay home and roll my own.  NO one will get my money.  The state can pound sand.

[usgator]

I will stay home and roll my own. NO one will get my money

If enough people did this it would send a message but ... they'll find some way to tax this stuff to compensate for their loses, wouldn't they?

[PeterFinn]

Smokers enjoy the same rights as anyone else. Of course they have rights.

But their right to burn tobacco around other people may not exactly be covered by the Ninth Amendment.

[newzjunkey]

They have unalienable rights but smoking isn't one of them!

[SheLion]

Did anyone see Boston Public on Sunday? One of the story lines was about a town that decided to ban red meat as a health issue. The so-called "dept of health" is out of control. Leave it to the government to abuse and increase any power it is given. It's no longer about health, it's political and power grabbing.

I hear that is a good show.  I should start watching it.

Well, the anti's have found out how much money can be made through tobacco and cigarettes so they are trying to find out what they can control next to keep the big bucks coming in.

[Mark17]

"Time for the tea chest to hit the water again."

Only this time, it is the tobacco chest. I have never smoked a cigarette in my entire life, but I believe it is a matter of freedom. If you want to smoke, that is your right. I also believe, however, that if a person gets sick from it, it is their own problem.

[PeterFinn]

Okay, it also vexes me that the same people who want to ban tobacco want to legalize marijuana.

Why is it PC to smoke pot in public but not tobacco?

[SheLion]

If enough people did this it would send a message but ... they'll find some way to tax this stuff to compensate for their loses, wouldn't they?

Well, I will probably be dead by the time the government bumped up taxes so high on a bag of loose tobacco.  Right now, they can just charge a surcharge for the imported bags of tobacco.  And that's 25 cents a bag.

I'm sure they are thinking about it, but they are pretty much dug in over Internet sales right now.

[SheLion]

Only this time, it is the tobacco chest. I have never smoked a cigarette in my entire life, but I believe it is a matter of freedom. If you want to smoke, that is your right. I also believe, however, that if a person gets sick from it, it is their own problem.

That's it in a nutshell, Mark. You don't smoke but you get it! Thank you!! :)

[Raycpa]

Now imagine a similar level of taxation on a candy bar, a cup of coffee, or soft drink. Think it can't happen?

No, because these are not addictive. Only addicts can be controlled enough to be willing to pay confiscatory taxes in order to "enjoy" (read avoid withdrawal symptoms) a cigarette.