Should we move towards banning smoking (3 Viewers)

[scuba_steve2121]

Smoking harms other people too. Not the same. If I want to sit outside at a pub I have to deal with inhaling heaps of smoke. Sitting near a fat person won't kill me.

that is why it is banned in clubs and pubs because the majority of the consumers wanted it and agreed on the matter.

you can sit inside you know?

also if you are outside the surface area of the non under water land mass on earth is like 148,940,000 km2 so you don't have to stand/sit next to them?

 

[Riet]

Smoking harms other people too. Not the same. If I want to sit outside at a pub I have to deal with inhaling heaps of smoke. Sitting near a fat person won't kill me.

It will if they fall on you.

 

[aussie-boy]

make it so if you smoke you can't claim medicare benefits on any illness or disease that is linked to smoking. ie you smoke you better have the goddamn money to cover yourself or you can go die coughing up blood at home in bed. i seriously can't give a hoot if us taxpayers aren't forced to put up a hospital bed for some deadshit 2 pack a day smoker who brought his chronic illness upon himself.

This argument is false, and this has been reiterated many times.

Smokers pay lots more in tax than the Gov expends on the marginal medical costs of allowing smoking (in fact they make substantial profits).

The only valid arguments on whether smoking should be banned are:
-Whether it is the Gov's responsibility to force (NB not educate - that is a given) people to not engage in acts involving self harm
-Whether passive smoking in public open space is an imposition significant enough to outweigh all the benefits smokers get from their habit

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My opinion:

I think we should be able to do whatever we like to ourselves, as long as we pay for the costs we create (smokers do) and are told the consequences (smokers are)

I don't think the few whiffs of smoke I get from walking past a smoker in the city/sit with a smoker friend outside a bar are horrible enough that I should be able to demand all smokers lose all the relaxation etc benefits they get from their habit.

 

[Riet]

yeah I'd just like to point out that of the supposed 30 bn a year that cigarettes cost each year about half is in intangibles (people dying, essentially) and then of the tangible costs the majority is in "lost production" due to people retiring earlier and shit. I find this implication that people are slaves to the economy and must produce to peak capacity strange. The actual cost to the government in terms of extra health expenditure is already covered by tax.

 

[pman]

I have the right to walk down the street and breathe fresh air, your disgusting habit prevents me from doing so.:ban

 

[scuba_steve2121]

I have the right to walk down the street and breathe fresh air, your disgusting habit prevents me from doing so.:ban

wait why do you have a right? don't confuse right with "it would be nice"

 

[pman]

wait why do you have a right? don't confuse right with "it would be nice"

do you have the right to pollute my air and shorten my life? definitely not....this is what you are doing by making me breath your 2nd and 3rd hand smoke. I do have the right not have my life shortened by others actions!!!

 

[scuba_steve2121]

do you have the right to pollute my air and shorten my life? definitely not....this is what you are doing by making me breath your 2nd and 3rd hand smoke. I do have the right not have my life shortened by others actions!!!

so by your logic we should ban everything that produces harmful toxins.....................DARK AGES IT IS!!!!!!!

 

[pman]

so by your logic we should ban everything that produces harmful toxins.....................DARK AGES IT IS!!!!!!!

no, ban all choice behaviors which produce harmful toxins in exceedingly high levels....driving a car when i have to travel 100km isn't a choice behavior, flying to england instead of rowing isn't a choice behavior....smoking is

 

[Riet]

ban all cars and truck and motorcycles too, so pman can walk down the street and breath fresh air

 

[scuba_steve2121]

no, ban all choice behaviors which produce harmful toxins in exceedingly high levels....driving a car when i have to travel 100km isn't a choice behavior, flying to england instead of rowing isn't a choice behavior....smoking is

but the pollution emitted by cars which there are more of and in higher density would be hurting your body far worse then a smoker you pass on the street. and driving cars and flying is a choice we could all ride bikes/horses yea?

btw have you considered holding your breath when walking past if you are so worried?

 

[Phoenix Fury]

but the pollution emitted by cars which there are more of and in higher density would be hurting your body far worse then a smoker you pass on the street. and driving cars and flying is a choice we could all ride bikes/horses yea?

btw have you considered holding your breath when walking past if you are so worried?

And for sea crossings I hear turtles provide a decent ride, even if they are a little slow....

 

[Scissors]

pman, you also have the right to stay home if you don't like being outside and breathing in 'harmful air'

 

[pman]

but the pollution emitted by cars which there are more of and in higher density would be hurting your body far worse then a smoker you pass on the street. and driving cars and flying is a choice we could all ride bikes/horses yea?

btw have you considered holding your breath when walking past if you are so worried?

I challenge you to try and get into the pentagon at uow without passing at least 70 smokers in the immediate vicinity......If they are going to smoke legally, it should have to be done on private premises and showers before leaving said premises. I had to sit next to this guy on the rail bus on Monday who absolutely stank of cigarette smoke and then he gave me filthy looks cos i was coughing.

 

[Scissors]

my god pman now wants to regulate body odour as well

 

[SeCKSiiMiNh]

wait why do you have a right? don't confuse right with "it would be nice"

alright. let's say we respect their right to smoke. shouldn't they, however, respect our right to not smoke?

 

[Riet]

Wait was someone forcing you to sit there at gunpoint?

 

[Riet]

alright. let's say we respect their right to smoke. shouldn't they, however, respect our right to not smoke?

"public space"

 

[SeCKSiiMiNh]

no, but its kinda annoying walking behind a crowd of smokers

 

[pman]

Wait was someone forcing you to sit there at gunpoint?

no....but if i got off then i failed anatomy....obv not an option