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One other observation, also anecdotal. It seems that recently there are record numbers of people who have allergies, especially to smoke. It makes one wonder how these peoples ancestors survived during the thousands of years where it was common to live in a smoky environment not only for cooking, but for heat. Before the invention of electricity, virtually everyone heated with wood or coal.

I wonder if growing up in an essentially smoke free environment has crippled some peoples immune systems so that as adults, they get inappropriate responses when exposed to even the tiniest amounts of smoke?

Nobody is allergic to cigarette smoke because it's physically impossible. An allergy is caused by an over reaction of your body's immune system to a protein. Cigarette smoke does not contain any proteins. These same people who cough at a cigarette being lit 100 yards away outdoors never seem to have a problem walking by the back of their idling SUV with the stop global warming bumper sticker on it

Cigarette smoke and smokers give people with miserable lives an excuse to believe they are morally superior to someone else. They are not happy people and sad to say the only joy they get in life is to try and make other people miserable.

Take banning smoking in bars for instance, why would they care what adults do in a bar as they (the anti-smoking gnatzies) don't go to bars because people there are having fun and they are not fun people. Well that's it, other people are having fun and they aren't so the only joy they can get is trying to make people as miserable as they are.

Oh stop. People do have reactions to tobacco smoke. Does it matter if it is anaphylactic or anaphylactoid? No, tobacco smoke cause some people to have trouble breathing, FACT! Does it matter if you break your right leg or your left leg? Your argument makes just as much sense.

Well said!

Nobody is allergic to cigarette smoke because it's physically impossible. An allergy is caused by an over reaction of your body's immune system to a protein. Cigarette smoke does not contain any proteins.

Antigens are often proteins but not always. Non protein molecules called haptens can bind with larger molecules and create an allergic response.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hapten

However, an asthma attack is an asthma attack regardless of the cause. Treatment may vary but the discomfort and symptoms are the same and not being able to breathe because of airway restriction is not only not pleasant, but downright scary. You know that it's only minutes you have without air and asthma CAN kill.

This allergic/asthmatic person cannot handle any other smoke and seeing it isn't the issue. If I'm upwind, I'm fine.

I've often encountered the callous condescending attitude expressed in this post and for that reason, don't give a rip about someone whining about being restricted in where they are allowed to smoke.

Cigarette smoke and smokers give people with miserable lives an excuse to believe they are morally superior to someone else. They are not happy people and sad to say the only joy they get in life is to try and make other people miserable.

That's the pot calling the kettle black.