Me, too.

Well, I never said I hated all smokers. You should try to keep your distance away if you don't want to inhale smoke. I know alot of people in earth smoke. Some people, like my Grandfather, died because of smoking. They know their harming themselves. They're just addicted and can't help it. Some won't even admit it makes them better. I also think education about smoking in classess would help children learn that smoking is not only bad for themselves, but could harm other people.

I was very surprised to see more then one person here agreeing that smoking is a bad thing, it seems like almost everyone here in Illinois is or has been a smoker before. I have no trouble believing that 70% statistic. To my knowledge noone in my immediate family has smoked before, my mom was considering starting but we weren't too happy about that idea and she apparently never started soo...

My Grandpa John used to smoke a pipe and my Grandma Lois died of cancer believed to be related to his smoking. What's bad is my grandpa divorced her and instantly remarried several years before she died too, and didn't support her during that time, hoping she'd sell the house, which she didn't... So, I've never had too high an opinion of smokers. I don't hate them though but smoking literally makes me ill.

I have an excellent sense of smell and can tell what is being cooked at our house quite often just as I'm reaching the property, let alone the porch. I have gone 20 feet away from people smoking and had coughing fits, and me and my dad have had debates on which smells worse, skunks, manure, or cigarettes (I've smelled all 3 but still hold with cigarettes being the worst).

My most polite way of dealing with cigarette smokers in the vicinity is to sidetrack around them, hundreds of feet if I have to, and simply hold my breath. When they're too close though I'll also cover my mouth and nose and hurry by as quickly as possible. I just cannot stand the smell or getting it in my lungs at all... Also, I'm pretty athletic and I think people find me a bit intimidating so I've never been confronted about my habits towards cigarette/pipe smoke in the area. Did the person who got beat up tell authorities or anyone? Just curious.

Cigarette/pipe smoke is one of my biggest pet peeves, and I'd be all for a world devoid of cigarette and pipe smoke. Certain employers are actually not hiring smokers who smoke even on their own time from what I hear. I have a severe prejudice towards smokers (who smoke in public areas anyway) that leads me to instantly write them off as insensitive and inconsiderate of others since they are subjecting not only themselves but all who come around them to the dangers of smoking, since second-hand smoke is even more dangerous to those around them.

Hopefully the states will at least shoot taxes on booze and cigarettes through the roof.

I call people that smoke in public areas, "cheap terrorists". If you think about it, that's what they basically are. They're damaging the people around them without any respect for others and their lives.

Are you a communist? Why do you hate freedom?

Please, answer these questions. Why do you want to deny people the right to enjoy their vices and live a life where they are their own decision makers? People have died for the right to freedom, and here comes an ignorant child that has been brainwashed by the psycho media into believing that they are fighting for freedom themselves. HELL NO!. You're not fighting for anything other than oppression.

I agree, that everyone is entitled to their own freedom, and hence, why we call it "Freedom" and not "License". But you nubiles want to oppress smokers and make them submit to your lifestyle, which is no better than smokers blowing contaminated air in your faces.

I support anyone that wants to smoke for their own sake, for the same fundamental reason why I support the legalization of natural "drugs", and alcohol. For the same reason why I agree that everyone has a right to live freely. For the same reason that I support Freedom of Speech and Democracy.

Anyone that says they hate smokers are hipocritical animals that believe they are better than everyone else simply because they do not share the same vices. And in my opinion that makes you worse than the worst of drug-addicts.

There has to be laws regulating when/where people can do anything to make sure people don't infringe on other's freedom, but that doesn't mean banning smoking all together. Smoking outside is non of your concern, smoking in my house is non of your concern, smoking in public places where smoking is allowed is non of your concern, unless someone walks up to you and starts blowing-puff in your face, you have no right to be enraged.

Who are you to judge smokers on their own personal vices? If you judge people for being smokers, you are openly giving me the right to judge you for being African, or for wearing black socks. You have your right to think freely, but not opress others based on your opinions. That is something I can never permit. Ever. I will gladly die for that, if it means maintaining one ounce of what makes the free world free.

If I wan't to slowly kill myself with smoke, so be it. It's my choice. MINE. You don't see me telling you to not eat at MacDonalds and banning MacDonald's because it's unhealthy, do you?

If you're concerned for the well being of others or your environment, fight for accepting the Kyoto Protocol. Be an advocate for cleaner fuels. Help stop global warming by not throwing out so much trash, and recycling. Donate to just organizations that really help those poor people in the middle-east that your governments have destroyed over the years by raping their oil reserved and destroying their lands, turning them into nothing more than useless deserts; those people that don't even have the ability to smoke if they wanted to. Help fight against pollution and find solutions to cleaning the Earth's water supply. Boycott companies that exercise unmoral practices in order to save money and resources.

You are the peasants that make me sick. You think you're doing the world a favour, in reality, you're not. You're the ones being conter-intuative, and destructive.

I have more of a right to be enraged at you, than you have a right to be angry at me. I bet I've done more in my life to make this world a better place, than some pinko'-whino that thinks smoking is what makes this world evil.

I'm going to answer the post on top of mine.

Well, Notoroge, you believe in Freedom. When you think that way it's wrong. By what you're saying, I hear that you want no laws. All those murder laws. We won't be able to murder someone because we hate them. Thats not what freedom is about. Also, I never said I wanted to ban it. It's just a nuisance. Well, it should be banned in restaurants because the smokers smoke in a confined area, and the non-smokers all smell it ( lung cancer ). Natural drugs, should also not be legalized, unless given out by doctors. Drugs does harm to people. It could harm someone who is innocent. Someone taking drugs would go high and would harm an innocent man. Thats why it's illegal. This is not freedom, it's law. Freedom means, freedom of speach, you can say whatever you want. Freedom of press: Put whatever you want on the newspapaper, books. Alot of other stuff, but it never said anything about law.



Your also killing other people when you smoke. McDonalds? It doesn't kill you, it makes you fat. It doesn't harm other people around you, does it?

Well, I hope you people see the point.

Well what an interesting thread, especially considering how the smoking debate has pretty much been hashed out a thousand times. I am not a smoker, I have never been a smoker, I do not hate smokers. I live in Ontario (that's in Canada btw), and here they are talking about banning smoking in public places across the country, guess what I support that idea. I think if you want to smoke in your own home or on your own property so be it, if you want to smoke in my home though, you had better go outside, and if you want to smoke in a restaurant, same thing.

One poster implied that any limitations on smoking was an infringement on the rights of smokers. I say that is nonsense, I would agree however that if you outright banned it everywhere including in a person's own home then yes it is an infringment of rights and there is no way I would support that. But I hasten to add that smoking is not a right, it is something people do that destroys thier own bodies, and as such the anti smoking push should continue to urge people NOT to smoke.

In my province there is a law forcing all cigaratte producers to place warning labels on the packages that cover a good portion of the packaging, and the lables are not simple "Smoking is hazardous to your health" but graphic images showing what can happen due to smoking. I think that the labels are a great idea, and they do help prevent people from picking up the habbit, although it is questionable as to the effect it has on smokers. The poster who was so livid about smokers rights posed a question which compared smoking to eating at McDonalds, I say we should be telling people not to eat at McDonalds, again don't ban it, but force fast food chains to put warning labels on anything with over x% fat with graphic pictures showing what can happen to morbidly obese people. This would serve a dual purpose, stop people from eating too much fat content, and force fast food chains to produce food with lower fat content so that they don't have to place labels on thier food packaging.

it is very boring!the second hand smok around me is too boring which cause some problem with my throat now.chough...chough and hold phlegm in throat usually.i do want to swear the initiator who like to smoke in public non-smoking area,making the disgusting 2nd hand smoke

FACT: Smoking is bad for your health, whether you are the smoker or someone vaguely near them.

Both of my parents used to smoke. OK, not a huge amount a day, but they did smoke, and it was always near me and my brother and sister, especially when we were eating. I think it is in Canada (correct me if I'm wrong) that cigarette packets have images of what happens to you when you smoke, e.g lung cancer. After 14 and a half years of living in a smoke filled environment and trying to speak to my parents I gave up. I downloaded some of those images, got them blown up to A3 size and stuck them round the house. Finally my Dad has quit smoking. I feel better, my brother and sister feel better, but most of all, he feels better. My Mum, on the other hand, still hasn't given up smoking. Even telling her blatently...

"Look, you are killing your kids. Are you really that uncaring, that, after years of bringing us up, you are willing to kill us by making us breathe your smoke? How are you going to feel if we all die of lung cancer at 25?"

...she still won't give up. It isn't that she can't give up, she just refuses to read any of the books or websites or phone any of the helplines.

I hate people smoking in public places. You want to kill yourself? Fine, just don't murder everyone else in this restaurant while you're at it. It may seem horrible, but its true. Its even worse when smokers say, "Oh you're X feet away, you're fine.", oblivious to the fact that they have a filter to take out the harmful things. If it is really necessary I will wear a gas mask when going out to avoid a premature death.

I agree that it can be difficult

Gentle persuasion has failed to get most people to give up, so the government should at least try shock tactics. Any why wont the government do this, or enforce a ban? They get billions in taxes every year from cigarettes and tobacco which they don't want to give up.