POLL: N.C. SUPPORTS SMOKING BAN

AP via Charlotte Observer ^ | October 3, 2006

[southernnorthcarolina]

Interesting poll result from the Tobacco State.

Personally, I think it is inevitable that smoking will be effectively banned in bars and restaurants nationwide (albeit on a piecemeal basis) within a very few years. I don't necessarily support such a ban (I'm a non-smoker who is only mildly annoyed at ambient smoke, and I think the dangers of second-hand smoke have been grossly exaggerated), but it's coming, and gaining momentum.

[wideawake]

The fact is, most people prefer not to have to deal with cigarette smoke when they go out to dinner.

People just hate having their clothes smell like stale cigarette smoke when they get home.

[meandog]

If it weren't for tobacco the states of N.C., S.C., Va., Tenn., and Ky. would be a heck of lot different in economic terms. Tobacco money paid for hospitals, higher learning, and kept plenty of Southern farmers from going under when growing the weed in sandy loam than trying to grow other Southern staples such as cotton which trived better under the hotter suns and warner soils of Ga., Ala., Miss., La., and Ark.

The Reynolds family put a lot of money in Duke, UNC, Wake Forest and N.C. State as did the Phillip Morris Co., the American Tobacco Co., and others.

[lesser_satan]

Health-nazi ping!

I don't believe this "poll" for a second. It's propaganda fabricated by the health-nazis to help justify their fascist crap.

[BritExPatInFla]

Honestly, let the owners of 'public places' (Bars, restaurants, etc) decide on a case by case basis. If they want to allow or prohibit smoking in their establishmet and hurt or help their business, leave it up to them. I smoke, but not at restaurants, rarely in bars and never in mine or someone elses home. I know that some don't like smoke, so I don't do it where I may offend, but this crap about banning it in all indoor (and some outdoor business, like theme parks) is getting seriously stupid. If kids aren't allowed at a bar, who are the nannies protecting?

[lesser_satan]

Tough sh!t. It's not their restaurant. If they don't like it, there are plenty of restaurants and even a few bars that have gone smoke-free of their own volition. If "most people" prefer non-smoking, the market will respond like it always does, and there will be more smoke-free places available.

[JSDude1]

while i am a non-smoker as well (and a former North Carolinian..), I do NOT support such a ban-these type of public "place bans" reeeeeeak of Big-Government Statism: Firstly it violates one's "right to property" (ie the bar-resturant owner's rights), 2ndly these type of bans were instituted by liberal-anti-smoking campaigns (led by lawers not really concerned about the public health of the American people, but of making themselves a butt-load (not puns intended) of money off the Big Tobacco Companies)-Wasn't John Edwards a Lawiar?, 3rdly These "bans" run contrary to competition and the "Free-Market", if someone doesn[t like smoking in a resturant/bar: DON'T GO TO IT!! It's that plain and simple, Go to a new place that doesn't allow smoking instead!! 4th, and Lastly-> It is anti-freedom/libertarian to restrict what someone can do on their own property that doesn't violate someone'e explice and implicit civil rights!

[lesser_satan]

If kids aren't allowed at a bar, who are the nannies protecting?

Us, of course!!! We, the ignorant slack-jawed churls who are too unenlightened to look after ourselves.

[ml/nj]

most people prefer not to have to deal with cigarette smoke when they go out to dinner

It's amazing to me that no capitalist ever discovered this way of attracting customers. And ever since the advent of smoking and non-smoking sections in restaurants, few have had to put up cigarette smoke if they don't want to. I know. I sit in those sections.

But you would rather have the gestapo decide.

ML/NJ

[kinoxi]

The survey of 649 people

N. Carolina is a big state. The sample could have been taken from one (most likely lowland) city.

[Rb ver. 2.0]

"Interesting poll result from the Tobacco State."

Not really considering it probably was polled out of Chapel Hill respondents to get that high a percentage against smoking.

Understand, this is the area that tobacco built. Those most resentful of that are the volumes of liberal northern transplants to the urban areas in the Triad, Triangle and Charlotte.

[Gone GF]

I think owners should decide on their own. But I'm with the folks who will go to a no smoking restaurant first, especially when my wife and son are with me.

[Protagoras]

Freedom and property rights have been moribund in this country for a very long time.

People who vote for these usurpations deserve the slavery that will certainly follow. Unfortunately, their grandchildren will be the ones who will live in lives of misery instead of them.

[Protagoras]

Do you support such laws or not?

[Moonman62]

This thread is already getting a lot of addiction fueled denial.

[HonorsDaddy]

The fact is, most people prefer not to have to deal with cigarette smoke when they go out to dinner.

So sit in the NON-smoking section or go to a restaurant which chooses not to allow smoking.

People just hate having their clothes smell like stale cigarette smoke when they get home.

So what? No one said you had to go there. I hate not being able to relax after a good dinner with a cigarette. Does YOUR desire not to have your clothes smell like smoke override MY desire to want to smoke?

[pepperhead]

I hate having my clothes smell like sh_t because of smokers. But I am getting tired of all this nanny state garbage. Your right, it isn't their restaurant. If a owner wants to allow or disallow smoking it's their choice.

[antiRepublicrat]

Some background: The director of this poll is a poli-sci professor, not statistics or polling. Students do the polling, so it's not a professional poll. He also has an agenda that he can influence the legislature with his polls, and he's proud of his past successes. Getting a smoking ban would be another influence on the legislature that he can brag about.

One of his hyped polls was of "military members" (look deeper and it's anyone who's ever been in the military) that strongly disapproved of Bush's handling of Iraq. The polling was 500 something people over the phone, of which 80 were "military" and that's what the poll was based on.

[kabar]

I am a non-smoker and have never smoked. However, cigarettes are a legal substance. Either they ban them entirely or leave it up to the individual establishments to decide on whether their places will allow smoking or not. I don't think the government should be involved in issuing such edicts.

[Niteranger68]

People just hate having their clothes smell like stale cigarette smoke when they get home.

I get food smell in my clothes. Maybe we should ban food in restaurants.