Amen to that! What bothered me most about the smoking bans, honestly, is how totalitarian it felt. What are they going to do next? Not allow me to smoke in my own home? I mean, come on!

I’m a very respectful smoker too. If I had a non-smoker in my car, I wouldn’t smoke unless it was absolutely necessary and always with the window down. (By necessary, I mean a long trip in bad weather or something like that!) It’s just a crazy world we live in. I can’t imagine going back to Ireland and sitting in a smoke free pub now. (They recently enacted a smoking ban as well.) It’s part of the atmosphere, in my opinion. So, whatever non-smokers. Let us kill ourselves in peace!

last time i check, i lived in a free country.. you know “land of the free, home of the brave”... so what the hell is this? i don’t even care specifically about smoking, but seriously, what can you do?

i can’t drive without a seatbelt
i can’t talk on my cellphone while driving
hell, they almost didn’t let me buy theraflu last week because it contains pseudoepherdrine HCL.

GIVE ME A BREAK and let me live me life!
that’s why we have survival of the fittest, let it do it’s thing.

...sorry, i’m getting off my high horse…

Okay,

I don’t care if anyone out there insists on simply killing Herself/Himself slowly… it’s none of my god damn business. Everyone walking this earth, at least is responsible for his/hers very own life.

BUT… BUT… Usually if some jackass tries to rob me, fight me or tries to harm me any other way I sincerly do anything I CAN to stop the “action”.
Now if I’m at a restaurant or club or whatever and a good dozen guys and gals are pesting the air in that place with that smelly bad blue smoke which I in turn have to inhale??? What then? it’s something I don’t want. It’s something which harms my body. Besides most are uttermost arrogant when you finally approach them and ask if they could PLEASE stop to smoke whilst you are in here.

A separate shut off area, TIGHTLY Shut off… well yes, no offense but which place will spend the money and time to make that become reality?
At the parties you mention? how many non-smokers have to breath that darn smoke of yours?

I have spent a good ammount of time in ireland, and the pubs as well, and let me tell you, the best thing which could happen was to prohibit smoking inside.
At first the smokers did complain… but they got used to it and go outside to have their smoke. the air is much better, and the non smokers are having a better time as well.

As I’ve said, if it’s only about killing yourself slowly,... not cool, but none of my biz.
but that very smoke can harm others. and that does bother me quite a bit.

I love my freedom and I do not support any action or decision against it.
But if your definition of freedom is related to smoking in public areas? well I don’t think this is much of a true “freedom issue”.

mmm to an extent.
the issue is that seperating smoking and non-smoking by little planter type things isn’t good enough, as the air breezes over. the seperate rooms is a good excuse. However the government is beginning to really overstep boundaries, considering even banning smoking in public places. 30 feet from doors to public buildings seems a little extreme even.
However while you may be a respectful smoker, most of the people I’ve come into contact with are not. One would not move two feet to the other side of me at an empty bus stop when we were sitting on the bench waiting for the bus – this was a few years ago. Pulled the cigarette out of their mouth and put it on the other side of me, and they finally clued in but gave me dirt looks.
Anyways, So I agree and I disagree with you on this. because the fact is, there’s many disrespectful smokers, and there’s many cry babies who can’t be bothered to move two feet upwind.