Smoking's giving drinking a bad name

The Newark Star-Ledger ^ | April 01, 2004 | Paul Mulshine

[NJ Freeper]

It's nice to be right every once in a while. Last year, for example, I went to New York City immediately after smoking was banned in bars. I found it an altogether pleasant experience to be able to enjoy a few pints of ale without coming home smelling like I'd just rolled around in a gutter filled with cigarette butts.

[LisaMalia]

I hope this man didn't get in his car and drive after found it an altogether pleasant experience to be able to enjoy a few pints of ale without coming home smelling like I'd just rolled around in a gutter filled with cigarette butts.

I hope this man didn't get in his car and drive after his pleasant experience. I was a non smoker until around age 30, and as such I would have much rather dealt with so called "second hand" cigarette smoke than a drunk driver. What a holier than thou putz!

[Publius6961]

Ouch that's gotta leave a mark...

LOL!
What a hilarious assertion. True, smokers usually are avoiding becoming tubs of lard, stinking megalomaniacs drinking themselves into a stupor and strutting around, legends in their own minds.

The funniest anti-smokers are the ones who claim intellectual superiority. Their barely literate rantings are classics. Watch a documentary on the space program; any documentary. That should give those sad sacks a clue.

[LisaMalia]

I needed to delete about the first ten words of the quote above. Sorry, I get frustrated when dealing with idiots like the one who wrote this garbage. ^

[Publius6961]

My experience is that neurotics that can't even have control of exclamation points are losers. And illiterate to boot.

[LisaMalia]

I love smoke free environments. All you nicotine junkies can go outside and get high, but not around me and my family. Smokers are losers!!!!

I hope you don't drink tea or coffee. Wouldn't want to have to call you a caffeine addicted speed freak.

[Psycho_Bunny]

If it weren't for the word "twit", I wouldn't know how to describe people like Paul.

[tpaine]

-- said host Larry Kudlow:

"I also believe in First Amendment free choice rights in this country, and New York is an international destination, so I think this is wacko."


What's wacko is the assertion that the First Amendment creates a right to smoke. It doesn't. It protects freedom of speech and religion.
-muleshine-


______________________________________


Alberta's Child wrote:
Mulshine's right about Kudlow's argument.
How anyone could make smoking a First Amendment issue is beyond me.

______________________________________


The 1st says we have the right to peaceably assemble.

You want to assemble in a 'smoking allowed' bar or hall, open to the public?
-- Not allowed.. - Get it?

[dallasgop]

Publius,

That was a pretty lame response, I was hoping for better. I have no problem with drug dependent individual's getting high all they want in the comfort and privacy of their homes and cars. But when you are in public I do not appreciate being exposed to the noxious foul smoke of people who have a drug problem. When I am in a restaurant I not appreciate having my dinner spoiled by some drug dependent individual smoking next to me. You probably would not appreciate me changing a crap filled diaper next to you in a restaurant while you ate, I bet you would find the smell offensive and it would detract from your meal. I feel the same about tobacco. The difference is you won't go home smelling like baby poop.
There is no constitutional right to smoke in public, there is ample evidence of the adverse health risk associated with tobacco usage. America is becoming a no smoking in public nation, it is time for nicotine addicted adults to grow up and recognize the trend and maybe even think of getting help with their drug problems. I will patronize no smoking establishments and I have made my business a no smoking office staffed with 100% non smokers. I do not hire smokers.!!!!!!!!!!!!! dallasgop Vote for Bush

[dallasgop]

When someone drinks coffee or tea next to me I know I will not go home with that smell on my body.

[Hilltop]

I truly do not care what your hiring practices are. Your need to use exclamation points in support of your argument is really quite sophomoric.

I think a smoke might help you calm yourself.

[NYCVirago]

was hoping for better. I have no problem with drug dependent individual's getting high all they want in the comfort and privacy of their homes and cars.

You know, we could completely stop drunk driving now if people could only drink in the privacy of their own homes. There is no constutional right for bars to exist, after all. Let those evil drinkers keep their habits to themselves, and only drink at home!

[NYCVirago]

You can email this guy at pmulshine@starledger.com

[jess35]

You have no constitutional right to enter a private establishment and dictate their policy.

[Gabz]

Aren't you the pleasant person? Not at all.

Kindly keep your bad attitude away from me and my family.

[Eaker]

I am all over it Bro'!!!!

Tanks fer da Pong!!!

PS: I am actually at home working; making the company money?? Hell no!!! Trying to keep a sub from raping us further.

Sigh, at least I can smoke in my home office.

Stay warm pal!

[KevinB]

Nothing in my post said anything about me supporting the government's role in this. In fact, it says exactly the opposite.

[StriperSniper]

And isn't this author allegedly a conservative? How can he justify the government unilaterally imposing such rules on businesses?

IIRC he has two hot-button issues, smoking and SUVs. When it comes to them, think Nader-nanny type liberal.

[mplsconservative]

I realize you've only been here a month or so, but screaming with exclamation points and calling other people losers is generally viewed as being in bad taste.

[Coleus]

I've never smoked before and I loathe it; however, I feel that taxation without representation is tyranny, if you tax cigarettes then they should be able to smoke where ever they want. If they want to control cigarette smoking then they should NOT TAX it. Tobacco made America the great nation it is today.

[qam1]

This column is so ignorant I don't know where to begin! First off, the revenue figures showing a 9% increase are extraordinarily misleading, because the year of comparison is 2002, which was a horrible year for restaurants and bars because of 9/11. If the city wanted to be fair, they'd compare revenues after the smoking ban to pre-9/11 revenues, which would paint a very different picture.

And lets not forget Bloomberg raised taxes so of course tax revenue is up.

And isn't this author allegedly a conservative?

NO.

I haven't quite figured him out, He is either

a) A Liberal pretending to be a Conservative. The Red Star Ledger is actually more left-wing than the NYTimes so I guess instead of getting a real Conservative they have a Liberal pretend he's one.

or

b) A Liberal whose just insane and believes himself to be a Conservative. Check out this past writing of his he actually argues that Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity aren't real Conservatives but he most certainly is!!!!

In either case except for the fact he calls himself a Conservative over and over again you would never know he is one from his writings.