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NewslettersSmoking ban ok with one smoker
Submitted by Meghann Ackerman on Wed, 2008-05-14 10:19.
Last night the Beaufort City Council preliminarily approved a smoking ban.
Before the meeting, I went out to do some man on the street interviews about how people felt about the potential ban. For those of you who don't know, doing a man on the street interview is one of the most socially awkward things ever. Walking up to a complete stranger is one thing, but asking if you can film them talking adds another level of awkwardness. And, when everyone you bump into is on a cell phone, it's just downright impossible.
But, I did run into one guy who wasn't on his phone. And he's what I consider a rare find: A smoker who supports a smoking ban. Take a look:
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It's about personal rights. It's about our representatives deciding what's right for us. It's about the nanny state deciding for us. First and foremost, I am not a smoker, and nobody in my family is, and I hate sitting next to a smoking table at a restaurant, but it's not about that. Government never ceases once they start.
Have you ever seen a toll booth torn down after the cost of the project has been paid by the tolls collected?
Have you ever seen a tax rescinded because the original reason for the tax is no longer valid?
I haven't.
We give the government the right to decide when we can smoke because it is not good for us, and soon enough they'll be legislating every aspect of our lives for the same reason. Government is trying to regulate the content of fat we eat, the amount of sugar our kids can have in schools, the kind of lighbulbs we use in our own home, etc.
What's next?
Some of those things make sense, but it is not up to government to decide for us, and that's where the problem lies. These things assume we as a people are too stupid to decide for ourselves so they must step in.
I think I am perfectly capable of deciding what's not good for me, but that's just me.
I agree Stoney_pe, let the business owner decide if they want to allow smoking in their establishment. For Council to decide, based on their particular views or agendas is taking away the rights of business owners. I will take note of which members of City Council vote to enact this ban and I will not vote for them come election time. If the ban passes, it looks like I will be doing all my eating out and drinking in Port Royal, where the Town Council has enough common sense(for now anyway) to keep their noses out of private enterprise.
Looks like there may be two of us spending all of our time and money in Port Royal. And I'm sure we aren't alone. I can't wait for the county to try to outlaw smoking at my place of business!
The ONE and ONLY person to be interviewed flipped his cigarette butt on the ground??? Another reason not to ban smoking indoors... people will be littering the streets and carelessly discarding burning cigarette butts in bushes, streets, trash cans,etc. At least indoors the establishments furnish ashtrays for the customers.
They've already covered that by virtually outlawing it outdoors, too.
After reviewing the article on the proposed smoking ban it does include a lot of outdoor places. I wonder if by "special events" they mean the Water Festival, Gullah Festival, Street Dance, A Taste of Beaufort, etc. Will they send the Smoking Nazis out to the sandbar to enforce the smoking ban out there? The City of Beaufort owns the Beaufort River all the way to the southern shores. The Beaufort Police have jurisdiction in the river.
....Will they send the Smoking Nazis out to the sandbar to enforce the smoking ban out there?...............
Endangering the health & lives of others ANYWHERE because of your grotesque habit SHOULD be a thing of the past.
People with selfish Nazi-like attitudes should have their health & lives mildly endangered occasionally! It keeps them in check and reminds them that they really aren't any better than the rest of us!
People with selfish Nazi-like attitudes should have their health & lives mildly endangered occasionally! It keeps them in check and reminds them that they really aren't any better than the rest of us!
I've read some stupid stuff on the BG blog, but that is at least in the top 3, if not number 1!
Calling you out for being a jerk is stupid? Well I guess I must be guilty...jerk! My offer to compare IQs still holds! Most smokers that I know do their best to be courteous. It's people like you who display total intolerance who are the rude ones. I would never call you stupid though, I wouldn't feel right paying you such a compliment!
Now, there is a thoughtful retort! You sound like you are still stuck in the third grade.....don't know what else to say, so resort to name-calling. Pitiful.
during water festival? Think about how many boats and people are out there... As disgusting as the rotting buns, chips, and of course urine seem, well at least they are organic waste and can be used as "food" for other organisms (like algae, shrimp, etc). Not so with the cigarette butts - they are made of a synthetic cellulosic fiber and wash around for a long time before finally getting eaten or settling in with the rest of the litter building up in the local marshes. When they are eaten they often cause choking or blockages in the organisms GI tract, at the very least they are non-nutritive bulk that wildlife does not need.
I think the smoking nazis should enforce the ban on the sand bar, it's part of a vital ecosystem where the "patrons" can't choose elsewhere to go!
Otherwise - business owners should be able to decide. We humans can choose where we eat, drink, socialize. Sometimes my family chooses an establishment that allows smoking, sometimes not. Sometimes it's really hard to enjoy outdoor events where a lot of smokers are around - and my family has a right to enjoy those events just like anyone else. We have civil liberties too.
Remember your grammar people - the word that modifies the noun has the real power. So, civil liberties are only those freedoms that do not endanger others or otherwise undermine polite discourse. It is civility which maintains our stable society.
BTW - my hubby smokes... outside. He puts the butts in the trash. Our kids can't sleep elsewhere, so he has to smoke elsewhere.
A few years ago I visited Madison, Wis., just after it was one of the first cities to ban smoking in indoor public places. So what we found was dozens of cigarette butts on the sidewalks and gutters in front of virtually every drinking establishment. It was ugly and unsightly. So, be careful for what you ask for -- cleaner indoor air, trashed sidewalks outside.
Watching that video, I really did want to cuff that guy's ears when he tossed his cigarette butt. Hey buddy, field strip it and put the butt in your pocket until you get to a trash can. Geez.
burn a hole in your pocket/purse, nor will they stink or mess up your clothing. It was years ago when I first saw them - I think they were given out as part of Beach Sweep. Honestly, they would be better promotional items (you know the free stuff with company logos) than say mirrors... or cheap ballpoint pens. I know we don't want to promote smoking, but if we don't want it indoors, and we don't want the messy butts littering our public places, well then.... I think the corporate spin could be a real win.. "Our company is totally environmentally conscious - we recycle and even give out these great litter preventers for you smokers out there, blah, blah, blah..." Everytime you see a pocket ashtray with "xyz" company logo you'll be thinking "wow, they are like so environemntal, I'm going to buy their stuff." Otherwise we better have lots of public ashtrays in strategic places!
....So, be careful for what you ask for -- cleaner indoor air, trashed sidewalks outside.......
You're kidding, right? You can compare inhaling toxic fumes to observing litter?