Smoking a nuisance?

[Hurlshort]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060826/ap_on_...civil_smoking_2

 

This is pretty interesting. Other nuisances include loud music and untended garbage, and I agree that smoke belongs on that list. Personally, I'm fairly allergic to smoke, so the small bothers me terribly.

 

We have a neighbor who smokes, but he practically heads out to the street to do so. I've thanked him a few times for this, because it really is very courteous.

 

Is legislation like this stepping over the line?

[Krookie]

Eh, I suppose it could be to people with really young kids/babies, but other then that...I don't see a problem with it. Smoking is a choice. A stupid choice, but a choice none the less.

[Hurlshort]

This was a cool link I found when reading the story.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/s...000/2956618.stm

[Rosbjerg]

I'm a smoker.. And I can fully support laws that prohibit smoking in public, but in no way should it interfere with a persons private life or property.. that's going way too far imo!

 

I'm against a total ban in public though, an owner of an establishment should be allowed to make rooms in his resturant available for smokers, if s/he pleases.

[Nartwak]

I'm with Rosbjerg.

[taks]

inside a restaurant isn't public anyway. the term public is misused by government and activist groups more than any. "public" means that which is owned by the public, not that which the public is allowed by a private owner to visit. big difference.

 

taks

[Blarghagh]

I have asthma and it's never bothered me. That's not why I'm against smoking. I'm against smoking because if people stop smoking the whining bastards who keep complaining about smoking will shut the hell up about it.

[Nartwak]

I doubt it. They'd just find something else to be sandy **** about.

[Blarghagh]

That's fine with me. I would be much happier if they found something new to complain about every now and again. They're just so repetetive now.

[LadyCrimson]

If neighbors can take smokers to court because the smoker smoking in their own house/backyard is a 'bother', then I should be able to take my neighbors to court for wearing perfume or planting very perfumy flowers, which I'm highly sensitive to (breathing, sometimes small rashes) and can smell/be affected from many yards away. And BBQ'ing. All that smoke and pollution drifting into my backyard and my windows.

 

Enclosed (or very close quarters, like concerts) public area bans I agree with and don't mind. Laws which are expressly for making it easier for neighbors to sue 'annoying neighbors' for possible 'future lung endangerment' I do not. Too easily abused, for one thing.

[Krookie]

It all depends where you live. An infant living in an apartment building could get extreamly sick, just because of all the smoke traveling through the hallways and whatnot. However, someone living in your basic suburban area shouldn't really be affected by ciggarette smoke.

[LadyCrimson]

Yeah, I do see where the trends of building housing closer and closer and closer together could eventually be a problem, for many things, not just the cig smoking. I think more an more apartments around here are disallowing smoking in their units.

 

Shades of Asimov's Caves of Steel...

 

Still against such regulation or laws, however. You cannot protect human beings from our own tech convienences, all the time. Not yet, anyway. If they ever do get as good at environment processing ala Asimov's books, then perhaps.

[Hurlshort]

They aren't making it "illegal", they are just allowing it to be considered in a civil case. It's now comparable to loud music and untended garbage. You can feel free to let your garbage pile up in your own yard all you want, but your neighbor can pursue compensation for having to put up with all your junk.

 

Also, owning property doesn't give you the right to do whatever you want on said property. There are also different types of property. The argument that a business owner should be able to do whatever they want on their commercial property is a tough one. You have to follow stricter guidelines in a commercial zone than you do in a residential zone. There are also benefits to owning commercial land, but you are expected to serve the community in some function.

Edited August 27, 2006 by Hurlshot

[Oerwinde]

My opinion on smoking in public is simple. If you're smoking outside and it bothers me, I can move. If you're smoking inside and it bothers me, you can move.

[Calax]

I find that the law could be good if it doesn't get used like a weapon. Reading the article the lady that "inspired" the movement did try to make an arrangement but ended up killing the arrangement herself because she didn't "feel like getting out of bed to close the windows at 7am" and ignored the system and then yelled at the smoker who lit up next door.

 

Honestly this is a law that is very very easy to overblow. I can see some crotchety old jerk persercuting a smoker who smokes in their back yard, other side of the yard, in a boxed in corner. Just because the neighbors dog bothers him.

[Hurlshort]

I used to live in an apartment complex where my wife and I were constantly opening and closing our windows to deal with neighboring smokers. It sucked, and we moved eventually, but we were paying an awful amount of money to put up with that junk. Granted I never spoke to the people, as they looked scary and had gang tatoos.

[metadigital]

Maybe they would have been more sympathetic to your views if you had some gang tattoos. An excellent cultural exchange process, too.

 

"

[Calax]

so does this mean I can sue anyone who comes to drive thru with a cig?

[Krookie]

From my understanding, no. But if they punched you in the eye...You could say "He punched me in the eyeball and was smoking". But you can't sue them just for smoking. I think.

[taks]

apparently. IMO, you should be able to sue anyone for anything anyway (lots o' anys). however, smart judges are supposed to throw out frivolous lawsuits in which damages are unprovable. proving that cigarrette smoke is annoying is easy. proving that it has damaged you, however, is next to impossible.

 

taks

 

PS: in spite of the surgeon general stating that 2nd-hand smoke is dangerous, there is a minimum dosage level for ANY toxin before it causes harm (even cyanide is harmless below a certain dosage). the SG simply saying "any level" won't cut it in a real courtroom when you can hire experts for just about anything.

[Judge Hades]

In Ames we have a Smoking Ordinance that forbids smoking in all public gatherings of people which includes restaurants, bars, places of business, all publicly own properties, and the such.

 

Also there are a number of apartment buildings in town that forbids smoking. For the most part only places you can smoke are yor own home and if you own your on home.

[Craigboy2]

Eh, I suppose it could be to people with really young kids/babies, but other then that...I don't see a problem with it. Smoking is a choice. A stupid choice, but a choice none the less.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That helps kill everyone around you...

 

I used to live in an apartment complex where my wife and I were constantly opening and closing our windows to deal with neighboring smokers.  It sucked, and we moved eventually, but we were paying an awful amount of money to put up with that junk.  Granted I never spoke to the people, as they looked scary and had gang tatoos.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Did they have a motorcycle too?

Edited August 28, 2006 by Craigboy2

[Calax]

In Ames we have a Smoking Ordinance that forbids smoking in all public gatherings of people which includes restaurants, bars, places of business, all publicly own properties, and the such.

 

Also there are a number of apartment buildings in town that forbids smoking.  For the most part only places you can smoke are yor own home and if you own your on home.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

California Law Has most of that except for the public property bit (I think... Not sure they might have put that through a few years ago). but what this "new" law is doing is making you sueable for simply smoking near sombody elses window.

[Hurlshort]

Just like if you pile trash near their window or blast loud music.

[Judge Hades]

Sounds good to me.