N.C. goes smokeless

[Dietrich]

I am dreading January 2nd,2010. On that date,smoking will be banned in restaurants in my beloved home state.Let me state that I do not smoke but I always ask to be seated in the smoking section of the restaurant.The reason for this is that I figured there was less chance of my being seated near a screaming or unsupervised child.A little cigarette smoke has never bothered me as much as a spoiled brat and their condecending parents do.The fact is that this state was built on tobacco and the hypocrisy of its` lawmakers is more than a little disturbing.If they would only enact a law that would require a no children section in restaurants,I might forgive them.

[Jim K]

Hooray! Someone said it!

A "non screaming kid" section in restaurants and airplanes. SC*** the smoke *****.

Jim K

[mr surveyor]

Like most of us here, I grew up in the day when most adults smoked. My grandfather was a cigar smoker, my Dad was a 2 packer (and welder...wich combined ended up shortening his life), my Mom smoked intermittently, and most all my friends parents smoked. I avoided it by taking up the more nasty habit of chewing and dipping for about 30 years...but that's another story. I quit the "smokeless" stuff for the last time in 2001, but took up my late grandfather's love of cigars a couple of years ago, although I only smoke one a day, outdoors...but I chew the snot out of one or two more all day. What really bugs me about all the new legislation is the way that the tobacco industry has been beat down for the last 30-40 years. Yep, smoking, dipping and chewing can in fact be detrimental to one's health (been there with the smokeless stuff, and watched my Dad die a 10 year death from combined smoking and welding). But, it's still a legal product, and privately owned businesses are still privately owned! Leave people the HELL alone! Either ban tobacco altogether, or leave the industry the HELL alone! If a business owner chooses to allow smoking within the confines of his/her establishment, leave them the HELL alone! If you don't want to be in the presence of the smoke, stay the HELL away.... there's still food to eat somewhere down the road!

Now, personally, I don't sit in the smoking section in a restruant if I can avoid it, but mainly because my wife would rather not leave feeling like she smell like an ashtray. And, there's a couple of really good cafes in town that I hate to miss out on, but the smoke is just too thick sometimes. That's my choice to avoid them, but more importantly it's the free choice of the business owners and patrons to enjoy their meals and social visits over a smoke.

We have reached the point in our society that some people think their rights to go anywhere, do anything, on their own terms trumps other peoples rights to run and operate their privately owned busniesses the way they see fit.

It's not just the issue of banning smoking, but all the infringements on private property rights and personal freedoms that are being infringed upon that really piss me off. I own and operate a small business myself, and although I haven't personally been hit by (much of) any nannyism, I can really sympathize with those that are under attack.

Sorry for the rant, but the issues regarding infringement on personal property rights, which includes privately owned and operated businesses, really lights my fuse.


surv

[zena]

We've been smokeless for so long here that I forget what it was like before. But then, I'm quite young.Never was a smoker but did hate smelling like an ashtray. Didn't keep me out of the bars though....

Dietrich, when I was in NC I remember how beautiful I thought the tobacco fields and drying sheds were. It was the only time I had a true appreciation for the growing and harvesting of tobacco.

[Ol'coot]

I grew up in East Tennessee and growing and harvesting tobacco was part of life and the main money crop grown in this area. I also grew up with most of my family being smokers but for some reason I never picked up the habit, ones of the few bad one I did not get, LOL! I don't think government should be regulating everything and do not support this type of legislation. I do think smoking is bad for ones health and would encourage anyone to quit but smoking should be a personal choice, and a smoker's should have enough consideration for non-smokers to keep in mind that they are sharing all public places, a little consideration for your fellowman goes a long way in making life better for everyone.

[mr surveyor]

my issue is with the legislation. Restruants and bars, as well as most other businesses (well, with exception of POst Office, General Motors, and a few others) are owned by private sector citizens. They open their business to other private citizens that have the free choice to enter, and or stay and patronize that business.

A possible alternative to me would be to allow businesses to post signs at their entrances to notify patrons that they either allow, or do not allow smoking. That would give the private citizens that make up the general public the information they need to make the decision whether or not to enter.

What really ticks me is the nanny mentality of government, in general, toying with social engineering. It is obvious that the general consensus is that smoking is harmful (probably all excessively used tobacco products are harmful), but the potential is there for many, many other products as well. How about the social engineering through taxation on soft drinks and snacks? How far will we go before soft drinks are banned from public view to keep our children from being coerced into starting the addiction? How long will it be before the mafia gets it's hooks totally into tobacco as a black market industry, then the soft drink industry next. We all know what happened with "devil rum" in the '20s.

People are going to do what they choose. As long as a product or substance is not illegal, don't allow some sleazy governmental agency to toy with it politically. Part of the freedoms we have in America are based on the implied principle that people have a right to do stupid things.

I don't plan to take up cigarettes as a pass time, and would have no problem giving up my limited cigar pleasure, but I also respect other's rights to enjoy their use of a still legal substance.

Man, I get carried away with these infringements on personal rights.


surv

[ltxi]

Colorado banned smoking in most indoor places a few years ago. As an ex-heavy smoker, quit many years ago, I can understand both sides but always thought the best solution was smoking sections and complete exemptions for bars. The thing I really do appreciate about Colorado's total ban, though, is that it seriously pisses off my wife.

[mr surveyor]

now that's funny! I get excited every time my wife gets pissed off, unless I'm the target

[Hammer]

Well spoken, Mr. Surveyor.
I can't add much other than to wonder where government infringement will stop. Sadly, I don't think it will.
Get out and vote in '10.