No smoke for you!

[Juan]

Uruguay curbs smoking in public

Uruguay has become the first country in South America to ban smoking in enclosed public places.

The ban came into effect at midnight local time (0300 GMT).
Now bars, restaurants or offices where people are caught smoking will face fines of more than $1,100 (?630) or a three-day closure.
The ban was decreed by President Tabare Vazquez, who is a cancer specialist. Cuba adopted a similar ban in February last year.

Smokers' support

Mr Vazquez said the law would prevent unnecessary deaths from passive smoking.
An estimated 5,000 people die every year in Uruguay from smoking-related diseases, according to official figures.
President Vazquez said: "Passive smoking is also linked to chronic disease and premature deaths. Since there's not a secure level of exposition, the best thing to do is to ban cigarettes in enclosed places."
To promote the legislation, the government has launched a campaign called A Million Thanks, a reference to the number of Uruguayan smokers who will have to change their habits.
An opinion poll commissioned by the health ministry shows that 70% of the smokers support the ban.

In unrelated news, my mom left the country.

[JellyWarrior]

Good on them, on a recent trip to Tasmania (a state of Australia) they have smoking banned indoors, including pubs and clubs.

It was excellent being able to go for drinks at a pub without having to worry about smelling like cigarettes afterwards. Plus you don't have to breathe in other people's filth.

[greay]

Good on them, on a recent trip to Tasmania (a state of Australia) they have smoking banned indoors, including pubs and clubs.

It was excellent being able to go for drinks at a pub without having to worry about smelling like cigarettes afterwards. Plus you don't have to breathe in other people's filth.

Was running a non-smoking establishment illegal before this?

[FETUS]

Good on them, on a recent trip to Tasmania (a state of Australia) they have smoking banned indoors, including pubs and clubs.

It was excellent being able to go for drinks at a pub without having to worry about smelling like cigarettes afterwards. Plus you don't have to breathe in other people's filth.

Was running a non-smoking establishment illegal before this?

No, but you know those evil smokers forcing small children and women into those places while they strap the smoke mask on them reading spells from the necronomicon.

[Roofus]

No, but you know those evil smokers forcing small children and women into those places while they strap the smoke mask on them reading spells from the necronomicon.

That's not funny. That happened to my brother.

[FETUS]

No, but you know those evil smokers forcing small children and women into those places while they strap the smoke mask on them reading spells from the necronomicon.

That's not funny. That happened to my brother.

[fatheadpi]

How's the joke go? "Bartender! I'm trying to drown myself in alchohol, get my ass kicked in a fight, look like a fool trying to dance in this bar, take home this strange woman next to me and maybe get an STD, and this guy's smoke is wafting by me!"

[Orange_Ribbon]

Good on them, on a recent trip to Tasmania (a state of Australia) they have smoking banned indoors, including pubs and clubs.

It was excellent being able to go for drinks at a pub without having to worry about smelling like cigarettes afterwards. Plus you don't have to breathe in other people's filth.

Was running a non-smoking establishment illegal before this?

No, but you know those evil smokers forcing small children and women into those places while they strap the smoke mask on them reading spells from the necronomicon.

When you date an asthmatic girl, you get really pissed at smokers when you realize I can only take her to places that are outside, or don't allow smoking, or is hard to smoke during. See these people have a choice about smoking, or not, she doesn't have a choice about breathing or not. How about just going outside for 5 mins while you smoke? Is that so freaking horrible?

[lynx44]

I understand your point, but I think its pretty rediculous that you can't allow whatever you want in your own business. Your trying to run a business, not please everyone. If your primary crowd is smokers, and you would lose customers by banning smoking, I don't think its fair to the owners to force them to ban smoking. If there is a need for a non-smoking business of the same type, someone will open one or have designated times when it isn't allowed. I don't think the government should control it.

-Matt

[JellyWarrior]

I feel sympathy for smokers because they're missing out on something that they enjoy, but I strongly believe that smoking should be banned from all public places.

The reason I believe that is because smoking is a habit that not only harms the smoker, but also harms the people who are around the smoker.

Smokers commonly argue that it is selfish of non-smokers to ask that smoking be banned from public places just to make their experience better. What smokers don't consider that it is even more selfish of them to expose other people to the smoke and chemicals from their cigarettes.

As Orange said, smoking can cause people with asthma and respiratory problems to suffer, passive smoke can cause disease in non smokers, and what about the people who work behind bars? Plenty of them probably end up with problems due to the smoke.

If I were a worker that was asked to enter a mine shaft filled with a cloud smoke and chemicals then I'd be getting hazard pay and making big money for the risk that I'm taking, and I'd have all thr protective masks and gear on. Yet many bar workers work for minimum wage and they're exposed to a cloud of smoke and chemicals for hours at a time without protection.

If it were something that didn't harm others I wouldn't have a problem with smoking in public, but since it harms innocent people I believe the sooner it's banned, the better.

[greay]

Smokers commonly argue that it is selfish of non-smokers to ask that smoking be banned from public places just to make their experience better. What smokers don't consider that it is even more selfish of them to expose other people to the smoke and chemicals from their cigarettes.

... and what non-smokers don't seem to realize is that the only people that need be exposed to the smoke are other smokers. No one is asking that smoking be allowed everywhere. Simply that it remain legal to run an establishment that allows smoking.

[not just souLLy now]

Smokers commonly argue that it is selfish of non-smokers to ask that smoking be banned from public places just to make their experience better. What smokers don't consider that it is even more selfish of them to expose other people to the smoke and chemicals from their cigarettes.

... and what non-smokers don't seem to realize is that the only people that need be exposed to the smoke are other smokers. No one is asking that smoking be allowed everywhere. Simply that it remain legal to run an establishment that allows smoking.

i think the only problem with that is there's the temptation of business owners to not make any efforts at all, and simply allow things to continue as they are because of the financial implications and allow thier staff and non-smokers to still be at risk

[Specially Cork]

Smokers commonly argue that it is selfish of non-smokers to ask that smoking be banned from public places just to make their experience better. What smokers don't consider that it is even more selfish of them to expose other people to the smoke and chemicals from their cigarettes.

... and what non-smokers don't seem to realize is that the only people that need be exposed to the smoke are other smokers. No one is asking that smoking be allowed everywhere. Simply that it remain legal to run an establishment that allows smoking.

Why should they? The health risks of smoking are very clear, and regardless of whether you personally care about them or not, it is up to governments to be responsible and make it more difficult for people to smoke. The same way you may not care to wear a seatbelt in your car, but it would be very irresponsible to legalise it for that reason when there are obviously so many benefits to wearing one.

[Jeeba Jabba]

Smokers commonly argue that it is selfish of non-smokers to ask that smoking be banned from public places just to make their experience better. What smokers don't consider that it is even more selfish of them to expose other people to the smoke and chemicals from their cigarettes.

... and what non-smokers don't seem to realize is that the only people that need be exposed to the smoke are other smokers. No one is asking that smoking be allowed everywhere. Simply that it remain legal to run an establishment that allows smoking.

Why should they? The health risks of smoking are very clear, and regardless of whether you personally care about them or not, it is up to governments to be responsible and make it more difficult for people to smoke. The same way you may not care to wear a seatbelt in your car, but it would be very irresponsible to legalise it for that reason when there are obviously so many benefits to wearing one.

That is ridiculous.

[Veggita2099]

My workplace is supposed to be smoke free and all that but it is not enforced at all. Basicalyl they just wrote a rule to say no smoking then if you die from second hand smoke you can't sue the company because they have a rule banning it. So basically you are supposed to refuse to move a train and turn in your fellow co worker if they smoke on the engine. I guarantee the first person to do that would end up fired and/or hated by every co-worker you got.

One of the reasons I dont' go to bars is I can't stand that stale smoke smell, however some of them are getting smart and getting air cleaners set up. Of course those pathetic groups like Truth.com and Stand.Org will tell you Air Cleaners don't work. I guess they know more then the people who went to school and learned how to build them huh?

And just for the records I hate Truth.com and Stand.org more then any smoker. They do nothing but harass people working for tobacco companies and make speachs about crap that don't amount to nothing. Sure Tobacco Companies are evil, but so it every single big company out there.

[not just souLLy now]

Sure Tobacco Companies are evil, but so it every single big company out there.

they knowingly put dangerous chemicals into thier product in order to make them addictive. they make money from this. they appear to have little regard for the fact that its product has killed hundreds of thousands of people- and generally in a long painful, slow, way, tell me if you think every little kid that grows up without a mum and dad because of lung cancer thinks that cigarette companies are no worse than people who make ink cartridges.

what makes me sicker is the fact that governments allow it to go on because they enjoy the revenue that this sick industry provides.

personal freedom is a wonderful thing, but the world would be a far better place without smoking.

[Wagh]

Yeah totally Everyone's free to have their own rights as long as they don't cross mine. Then they should be taken away. Because duh I'm more important.

[Jeeba Jabba]

Sure Tobacco Companies are evil, but so it every single big company out there.

they knowingly put dangerous chemicals into thier product in order to make them addictive.

That's certainly true. But, the primary natural ingredient of tobacco is nicotine, which is the main cause of addiction. I don't think the discussion should so much lean towards the attack of big tobacco, because the dispute at hand concerns, simply, smoking in public. There are hundreds of brands of cigarettes, cigars, and tobacco that are additive-free.

Anyway, I think it's ludicrous to force store-owners to ban smoking in their own establishments. It's their property. Why can't they decide? Let it effect their own business on their own accord, being that if non-smokers don't enjoy the environment, they're more than welcome to leave and find another spot.

People do not own the right to their own preference in a privately owned establishment. Just like none of us have the right to post here. If Cheatah doesn't like you, he's free to ban you at his own will. And if you don't like it, as the saying goes, Get the fuck out.

[JellyWarrior]

And if you don't like it, as the saying goes, Get the fudge out.

Many smokers say that as if they have ownership of pubs and bars just because they smoke (I realise that you're making a different point here, but it's something that smokers commonly say about the amount of smoke in public places).

I wouldn't mind if there were bars where smokers could freely smoke under he following conditions:
1) there are plenty of non smoking places
2) staff are properly informed of the risk, issued with protection and paid for the risk that they take

Number 1 can happen, but number 2 will probably never happen without the government forcing the issue. Since number 2 is too costly, it'd make more sense just to ban smoking.

Anyway, I think it's ludicrous to force store-owners to ban smoking in their own establishments. It's their property. Why can't they decide? Let it effect their own business on their own accord, being that if non-smokers don't enjoy the environment, they're more than welcome to leave and find another spot.

I agree with that, this is a clash of morals for me. I also believe that people should have more personal choice. I suppose what makes me believe in banning smoking is that there is such a huge health benefit to both non smokers and people who quit as a result of the ban.

Something for pub owners to consider is that there are a large amount of people who avoid going to places like that because of the smoke. I'm certainly one of them, and there are many more people who also do the same thing.

Many bar owners argue that they will loose business, but
1) when you cant smoke anywhere else why would a smoker you change bars?
2) if a smoker enjoys going to a bar they will go anyhow
3) they will attract people like me who hate going to places like that purely because of the smoke

On a recent trip to Tasmania, where smoking is banned in pubs, every pub was always busy, also, I felt compelled to visit as many pubs as I could. Doesn't seem like the ban had any negative effect on business.

[|darc|]

Sure Tobacco Companies are evil, but so it every single big company out there.

they knowingly put dangerous chemicals into thier product in order to make them addictive.

I'm going to stop eating all food because mcdonalds adds too many preservatives in their food.


see you next week. or not.