Smoking in France a thing of the past?

[Alex]

One small group I do find amusing are the people who will sidle up to a person and cough loudly if someone is smoking anywhere near them but have no problem smoking pot so that everybody within 100 feet can smell it. Personally I find the smell of pot smoke much worse than cigarettes.

And incense. The guy at the Macarthur BART station who sells incense should go to prison for life. The piss odor under the overpass is much preferable to his wares.

[mousepod]

As someone who calls himself a libertarian, I should be disgusted at all of the anti-smoking laws that keep getting passed - but deep in my heart, I know that the world is a more tolerable place with less smoking.

I also know that these measures were instrumental in getting me to quit 11 years ago. When I lived in NYC, I could smoke in my office (I had a private office with its own ventilation unit), in bars/clubs (where I did a good portion of my work), and of course in my apartment.

Once we moved to CA, my office was located in an open warehouse, so smoking was verboten. I couldn't smoke at clubs or restaurants. My home was now "our home" and H made it clear that while my smoking would be tolerated, it certainly wasn't appreciated.

Since smoking was no longer something I did while doing something else, I had to make a conscious decision whether or not I wanted to stop what I was doing to go outside and smoke. That didn't last long.

So I'm conflicted, ambivalent, and but ultimately secretly happy with the current state of no-smoking laws.

[NirvanaMan]

Originally Posted by mousepod

So I'm conflicted, ambivalent, and but ultimately secretly happy with the current state of no-smoking laws.

And I as someone who too calls himself a libertarian, mostly, also share the same sentiment as above.

[alphabassettgrrl]

I keep thinking about "Demolition Man" when they say meat and salt are banned because they're bad for us and all restaurants are Taco Bell.

[Not Afraid]

I hate inside smoking. I always have. Outside smoking doesn't bother me one bit.

[Snowflake]

Originally Posted by Not Afraid

I hate inside smoking. I always have. Outside smoking doesn't bother me one bit.

I do not care for smoking, a lifelong non-smoker, the only one in my family.
Inside, horrible. Outside, since I am a non-smoker, it matters not, the wind will change in whatever direction I stand or sit so I will always get smoke in the face. It must be some form of wacky universal punishment for me, but it always happens.

For the record, I do not think smoking is a culteral thing to be solely identified as being a French trait. I am surprised that the bans are happening outside the US, however. Duh, there are non-smokers, even in France and Italy. ;-)

[JWBear]

I’m very sensitive to smoke – and cigarette smoke especially so. Obviously, I’m all for smoking bans. Call me selfish, but I enjoy not living in bronchial hell!

[Alex]

What is the rationale for banning smoking in an enclosed environment where you can choose to go or not because you don't like the smell or it causes you personal health issues but not banning peanut use in an enclosed environment where you can choose to go or not even though it will send a lot of people into anaphylaxis? Or certain flowers and hayfever which puts Lani in a migraine situation for days at a time?

[Morrigoon]

Originally Posted by Alex

What is the rationale for banning smoking in an enclosed environment where you can choose to go or not because you don't like the smell or it causes you personal health issues but not banning peanut use in an enclosed environment where you can choose to go or not even though it will send a lot of people into anaphylaxis? Or certain flowers and hayfever which puts Lani in a migraine situation for days at a time?

Well, for one, peanut use MIGHT affect someone's health in those very rare cases for whom it is a problem, whereas cigarettes are almost certain to negatively affect someone every time.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

I have to interject that I am ever fascinated by how many self-described libertarians, partial or otherwise, are in this social circle. I mean, for such a small party to be so largely represented here, and by chance...it's striking, and it must mean something, though I don't have the inspiration as to what.