Thread: I'm Glad I'm on the Downhill Side of This Life

I'm actually surprised that this is making the news. Maybe it's because so few people can afford to actually own their own apartments in NYC...

My brother lives in White Plains, a NYC suburb, and smoking is not allowed in the apartment buildings where he lives. Where I live, in the city of Rochester, NY, I'm not allowed to smoke in my apartment (top half of a house). I do still smoke my pipe in here, but that is only because the scent disappears within a day or two (not the case with cigs or cigars, which I do not let others smoke indoors).

The way I see it, the owner/landlord can do whatever he sees fit, within reason, so long as he owns the place to ensure the safety and cleanlyness of his property. As such, I think not allowing smoking is no different than not allowing pets. Would my feelings change if I smoked cigs, didn't have a porch and small yard and didn't have any options for a "smoke-friendly" home - maybe?

Originally Posted by DPflaumer

Jimmy- I'm only 20, so I'm all about moving. The Fiance and I are thinking Sweden. Or Norway. One of the two.

O/T: Just out of my curiosity, why do you think that Sweden or Norway will be motivated to give you (coming from a prosperous democratic country) permanent residency? Or do you have an EU passport already?

I live in Ottawa Canada and they have already banned smoking in restaurants and bars even on some patios if they have a roof (tent type) here you can't smoke outside if you are within 30 feet of a bus stop you can be fined up to $5000 for smoking while walking down the street if you get too close to a bus stop, and smoking in your vehicle is also a no no if there are children under 16 (I agree with this one) one guy, 17, got a fine for smoking in his car with his 16 year old girlfriend who smoked the whole time the cop was writing the ticket, she could smoke in the car but he could'nt join her WTF is that. Now they are also trying to ban smoking in your home too. I hope everyone quits then where will the gov. get all that tax money from? I'll tell you where a huge tax increase thats where.

Yeah, this is the type of nonsense thats pretty much alienated me from the left. The loudest and whinest group of people ever are the militant non-smokers.

The thing I dont get is, why are these bans happening? Its not a heath thing, no matter how much lipstick they try to put on that pig. The govt and/or someone with alot of money and influence doesn't want people to smoke. The only thing I can come up with is that the gov't doesnt like people to have the choice to engage in a habit that might be lethal to themselves, its an avenue to stifle more freedom of choice. It also may be that smoking has that "rebellious" image, and that's something they'd like to get rid of. But this is all speculation.

Originally Posted by Pete_S

Yeah, this is the type of nonsense thats pretty much alienated me from the left.

They will do *everything* in their powers to save you from yourself.

Originally Posted by DPflaumer

Ah, so you live in a city then. When I started school in South Carolina it was like smoking heaven. The same pack that cost me $6 in rural Indiana was $2.50 here. It was like a tobacco flavored Christmas.

I also don't buy the second hand smoke crap. People from all the generations prior to mine spent half their lives in a cloud of smoke and the average life expectancy is still 78 or something like that. Clearly not an early killer.

I can tell you second hand smoke is bad for small children. But, I am with you non-smokers need to shut up. IMO if a business owner wants to allow smoking then he should be able to. But, if if another business owner says no, then so be it. As for the article, if the by-laws of the development say no smoking, then don't buy there.
I only smoke cigars, and on a very rare basis. But now that I am ' in NY, there is no where left hardly to smoke. I love to smoke and drink scotch while playing Texas Hold'em with my buddies, but now none of us no anywhere where we can do that hardly.

[QUOTE=Pete_S;490398]Yeah, this is the type of nonsense thats pretty much alienated me from the left. The loudest and whinest group of people ever are the militant non-smokers.

The govt and/or someone with alot of money and influence doesn't want people to smoke.

I think the government it the last ones to want people to quit, I mean the taxes they get off of smokers is astronomical and simple to collect. The municipal govs. are the ones who want people to quit, not the other levels, smoking taxes are a cash cow and if everyone suddenly quit we would have the largest tax increase in history. just my opinion

Next they are going to go after people whose body mass index is high. Tax MacDonald's happy meals with biggie fries. I mean if one of the rationals is the added cost of diseases related to smoking ..... how about the added health costs to society of obesity ?

BTW, I grew up in the household where everyone smoked. I've smoked myself either cigarettes (36years), tobacco pipes (20 years) and and though I quit marijuana 25 years ago I smoked just about daily for 20 years..... and I did inhale. I don't believe that second hand smoke is as harmful .... if at all... as they make it out to be or I would have been dead a long time ago.

BTW, I am 61, in damn good shape and ride mountain bikes on technical single track and road bikes to boot. Often. Lift weights too. Enjoy your pipes while you can fellows.

Your beliefs and science differ my friend, it's merely an opinion and well have those. Sorry to you smokers, but I'm quite happy about the way things are headed, basically making it difficult for smokers. I'm glad gone are the days of going to a pub, or club and having to immediately through your clothes into the wash because they reeked of smoke. I'm also glad that when I head to the restaurant with my daughter I don't have to battle smokers carelessly smoking away completely disregarding everyone else's needs or maybe the simple fact I don't want to smell what your smoking. Smokers are like that annoying guy who wears too much cologne or the moron behind you with his stereo blasting, annoying everyone with their bs.


Sorry for the rant! Enjoy
D

I can understand why you might feel angry and feel that your freedoms have been limited somewhat. However, as somebody already said, this is a conflict of freedoms: freedom to smoke vs freedom to protect one's property and breath smokeless air. Aren't those valid freedoms too?

IMO, the freedom to smokeless air has long been subdued and only recently there has been as strong vocal demand for non-smoking as there has been for smoking. For too long non-smokers who have stood for themselves have been called by names, which I'm very sad to say is present even in this thread. IMO, so far the bans are not there to stop you having fun, they're there so people would have freedom to live with or without tobacco.

It's not just black and white of losing taxes. Whether governments benefit or suffer from smoking ban in long term is a bit many-faceted affair with probably no real research yet available: on the other hand it might reduce the costs of illnesses to society (health care and being unable to work) and on the other hand people might live longer (increases costs). I don't know how big these would be compared to the taxes, lobbying, campaign donations etc.

Probably the bans are result of viewed health benefits and increasing vocal demands from non-smokers. Of course there are those with money and influence that drive this, but do you think that the multi-billion dollar tobacco industry doesn't lobby themselves? My guess is that far more money is spent lobbying for than against, since the companies have huge economic interest compared to non-smoking organisations.

JimmyHAD: I'm very happy to hear that you did not get adverse effects. However, that is only proof that you didn't get sick, not that tobacco is not harmful. Statistics is funny in that way...