What are people's opinions on designated smoking areas? - Smoking Cessation Message Board

tropicalfreeze2 · 07-10-2005, 11:27 PM

I am curious about peoples view on designated smoking areas. Are they fair, do they really do any good in crowded areas where smoke spreads anyways? Why should we be restricted to areas we can smoke when we are outside? Are they inconvient? How do you feel about these issues?

young momma · 07-10-2005, 11:40 PM

If you look around most non-smoking areas, there are still butts laying on the ground! Well, unless someone gets paid to pick them up on a regular basis. Some areas I agree with it. Some places also have ventilation systems in the smoking sections. Outside though, I think that is stupid. I went on a trip to the zoo with my son a couple months back. Nobody was smoking anywhere. I still did. I don't throw my butt on the ground. I try to pick up after myself. I know what it is like to pick up after people! Kids!! lol!! I guess some people don't pay any attention to what they do with them though. My sister lives out in WA. She said you can't even smoke in the bars out there. How stupid is that? You go in a bar, you kinda expect for people to be smoking. I don't know. I have never really been a non-smoker though.

Deda · 07-11-2005, 02:17 AM

Sorry, but I'm going to disagree with you here...

When I was a chain smoker, (for almost 30 years), I thought that when they started restricting smoking in some places, that it was wrong, and that "they were infringing on my rights". Now that I'm a non smoker, (22 months), I can see their point. Now that I "choose" to take good care of my health, I don't think anyone that has a bad habit has a right to be blowing their poisonous chemicals in the air around me, that I'm going to breathe.

Lucky for me, I live in CA, so it's restricted in just about ALL indoor buildings. We even have restriction in some city parks, that have roped off smoking areas. (Hey, they want to protect the kids...which is GOOD!) We also have some cities here, where you can't smoke within like 30 ft. of a building...so you have to keep walking, or else you will be given a citation for smoking near a bldg. I heard it's like a $50.00 fine for 1st offense, then $100.00 for the 2nd one.

I think smokers got away with too much for too long! I remember when we used to be allowed to smoke just about anywhere. I'm ashamed now of blowing all of that poison all over poor, innocent people who chose not to smoke.

It's about time common sense rules, and the health of the public comes first. (well, in some places...but I think it won't be long now that this will be the same all over)

Deda

Johnsternow · 07-11-2005, 08:33 AM

I am so sorry but I agree a bit with Deda,

I too am an X smoker. I feel bad for everyone who smokes and I see your points too but let me say that you may be one of the clean, safe, courteous percent of people who still smoke as I was. There are some though that still do litter with it. Yet even worse, I have recently received a cigarette burn hole in a new expensive sports jacket from people carelessly bumping into me hovering around the entrance of a Hospital when visiting my dieing mother of all things. “Not a designated area but the restricted area”. Oh they said they were sorry. That does not repair or replace the jacket. It also doesn’t help to say sorry if it were some small child getting hit or burned anywhere. Lastly we seem to forget that there are some people and children who do have serious health issues, asthma or severe allergic reactions and even sinus infections from even the slightest bit of smoke. They finally have a chance to come out like all of us and live a little instead of being prisoners in their homes as they once were for years. What shall we do with them? Send them back to their prisons? I am sorry if you disagree. I wish I could say I would agree with you. That EVERYBODY smoking was that “clean, safe and courteous percent of people” that I spoke of earlier. You may be in that percentile, but where do we draw the line???????????? What if the cigarette burn to my jacket was a hot box to some small child’s eye, God forbid? I being larger was surely more visible in a bright Starter jacket then even your own children. Deny it if you wish but things like this will and do happen all the time.

Sincerely

JohnD

Grump · 07-12-2005, 03:38 AM

I smoked for 35 years. I was up to 3 packs a day when I quit 4 years ago. I have a flooring business and all my employees smoke. I have the same rules as I did when I still smoked, except for one. The one different is that there is only one company vehicle you can smoke in: the ratty 1979 rust bucket Van -- and only then if there is no customer materials inside it.

The rest of the rules regarding smoking is, in short form, no smoking in the customer's house, even if they smoke; no smoking in public view (front of the property). All butts must be disposed of properly, in the trash or your pocket; no smoking in or near my shop or the warehouse or storage areas.

Smoke clings to everything. Surely you have cleaned that putrid yellowish film off the windows, your monitor and the walls of your bathroom where it turns to runny brown drips when it gets all steamy. It penetrates your clothes and other materials. It also stinks really bad and it kills people like my dad and now me.

Yeah, I think they should have designated smoking areas. And I think they should enforce the rules strictly. I don't think smokers should be discriminated against or treated unfairly, but there ain't no way I want their smoke wafting into my space if it can be helped.

Face it, we're a rude bunch. As a society we toss our trash to the curb without a second thought, the only criteria being acceptable size. We cut people off on the highway and butt in lines whenever we can get away with it. We talk about people behind their backs, even our friends. And we bump into people regularly without the slightest "pardon me" when we think they should have seen us coming. So it shouldn't be shocking to anyone that we would flick our ashes, blow our rancid second hand smoke and toss those tiny little cellophane tops wherever we please. It's in our nature.

Designated areas? Yes, preferably where there's an updraft. Do I have a right to freedom from your left-overs? You damn skippy, 'specially now that I have to suck oxygen outa a tube. I don't want the smell, the taste or the feel of it anywhere near me. As a smoker, I felt I did a good job keeping my smoke from offending you. I can't tell you how many times I was told I didn't do it good enough. And I thought they were just bein' pricks, like some of you think I am now. We're both right. It's necessary for us to get the point.

Grump