Posted on 01/21/2007 5:56:10 AM PST by NJRighty
RENO, Nev. (AP) - Thirty years after it began as just another quirky movement in Berkeley, Calif., the push to ban smoking in restaurants, bars and other public places has reached a national milestone.
For the first time in the nation's history, more than half of Americans live in a city or state with laws mandating that workplaces, restaurants or bars be smoke-free, according to Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights.
''The movement for smoke-free air has gone from being a California oddity to the nationwide norm,'' said Bronson Frick, the group's associate director. ''We think 100 percent of Americans will live in smoke-free jurisdictions within a few years.''
Seven states and 116 communities enacted tough smoke-free laws last year, bringing the total number to 22 states and 577 municipalities, according to the group. Nevada's ban, which went into effect Dec. 8, increased the total U.S. population covered by any type of smokefree law to 50.2 percent.
It was the most successful year for anti-smoking advocates in the U.S., said Frick, and advocates are now working with local and state officials from across the nation on how to bring the other half of the country around.
In a sign of the changing climate, new U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi banned smoking in the ornate Speaker's Lobby just off the House floor this month, and the District of Columbia recently barred it in public areas. Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Louisiana and New Jersey also passed sweeping anti-smoking measures last year.
(Excerpt) Read more at kpic.com ...
Once smokers are added to the list of classes covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act, I will be forced to rent to smokers. Until then, it is my choice.
As smoking rates continue to decline there will be fewer and fewer places where one can smoke. thus i would bet my house that we will never see the day where all current smoking bans are lifted.
Therefore, if an illegal alien wanted to rent I would sign the lease. However, if he were an illegal alien that smoked in the house I would deny him the apartment.
Having traveled to around 40 nations around the word I have noticed the more civilized the nation the more likely there are to be smoking bans. In the more third word nations there are no smoking bans whatsoever.
Please us some type of formatting.
Please us some type of formatting.
There's no evidence of that on this thread.
If you didn't get that then you didn't get that, but don't insult me because of it.If you didn't get that then you didn't get that, but don't insult me because of it.
I was offended that you advocate your beloved government subsidizing tobacco, then taxing the end user out the wazoo, then banning its use nearly everywhere, but then relying on the tax income from its sale to further restrict our liberties.
Other than that, we're fine.
Excuse me for asking but when you went to school did you ride the short bus or the long bus?
You can't really be this dumb. When you cook do you give the food away or do you charge money for it?
If you charge money for the food then you are a business and health department rules apply to your eating establishment. Like I said, the rules say you have to wear pants and you can't blow your nose on the dish cloths, no live animals stabled in there. Lots of things like that for health and safety.
Does that make understanding a little easier, if not just ask. ;9)
It's really too bad that bureaucrats stick their noses into all sorts of things.
I sit on the board of a non-profit that is probably going to just shut down its food service operation rather than yield to the demands of a bunch of overzealous bureaucrats.
It's really a protection racket, but when the mob did it, it was a lot more reasonable and efficient.
I hope you're proud of that.
You can't even clean up your act enough for a pancake breakfast? All the restaurants in town do it or they would be shut down. What did they say you had to do to serve pancakes that you are not willing to do?
Pay their tribute and put up with their B.S.
We're going to vote to stop it next week.
BTW, the non-profit has $1.7 million in cash and marketable securities. We would rather sue them than pay them, and we have full-time lawyers.
Your precious "public" will be the only parties that suffer.
Ya know, I might agree with you if you would just tell me what it is that they want you to do.
They want us to not allow smoking at a high-dollar-for-charity game dinner that was formerly the highlight of the social season around these parts.
When you sell this crap as some kind of a worker or public health safety matter, there is nothing that can be done.
Welcome to the world of unintended consequences.
The bureaucrats are already mandating cooking methods and menu content in NY and other cities.
The funny thing about tyrants is that they don't just wake up one day and decide that they've promulgated enough tyranny.
They just keep going.
Postpone it and re schedule it for summer, then you can have it outside. That'll show 'em.
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