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State Wide Smoking Ban?
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Author:  hmmm [ Sat Nov 15, 2008 8:53 pm ]
Post subject:  State Wide Smoking Ban?

Hard to believe that this has not been discussed at all.

http://www.post-trib.com/news/1281130,s ... an.article

INDIANAPOLIS -- Smoking would be snuffed out in almost all enclosed public places in Indiana, including restaurants, bars, bowling alleys and casinos, under a bill a powerful state lawmaker plans to push in the upcoming legislative session.

"It is a public health issue," said Democratic state Rep. Charlie Brown of Gary, chairman of the House Public Health Committee. He said his primary aim is protecting the health of nonsmokers who work in places where smoking is allowed

Author:  born_again [ Sun Nov 16, 2008 6:34 am ]
Post subject:  Re: State Wide Smoking Ban?

That's all that CHANGE these democrats are talking about.

Author:  sparks [ Sun Nov 16, 2008 8:55 am ]
Post subject:  Re: State Wide Smoking Ban?

Laws like this already exist in states all over the country, including Illinois. I love being able to go to smoke free restaurants and bars there. Smokers do not have the right to pollute the air that others have to breathe. I have already contacted my state reps,asking them to support this law.

Author:  Mirage [ Sun Nov 16, 2008 10:16 am ]
Post subject:  Re: State Wide Smoking Ban?

sparks wrote:
Laws like this already exist in states all over the country, including Illinois. I love being able to go to smoke free restaurants and bars there. Smokers do not have the right to pollute the air that others have to breathe. I have already contacted my state reps,asking them to support this law.


Then just patronize the smoke free places. Talk to business owners and express your concerns. That's the only right way. If an owner chooses to cater to smokers nobody is forcing you to patronize the place.

The government should not be in the business of regulating such matters and taking rights away just based upon the personal preferences of some. Some of these cases just kill me! A woman takes a job at a smoke filled bar and then goes on a mission to ban smoking in all bars claiming it endangers her health. So work elsewhere. Duh!

Sure some states have imposed various forms of smoking bans. And business has declined as a result. Over time some of the former patrons return, but not all. So there is an actual revenue cost for such bans, both to the owner and to the tax collections. But the type of ban that effectively precludes even having a separate smoking section closed off from non-smokers concerns me greatly. I remember when FL put in it's ban they had a provision for having a smoking section that was so difficult to comply with that almost no establishment could get certified to comply. And some businesses did have to go out of business because of the ban, causing any gains (more like recouping) at remaining businesses to be inflated because overall the number of patrons were still down.

And thanks to such less than subtle efforts the only way you can smoke at a Chicago airport is to leave the building and have to re-enter through security. That's just insane considering that Chicago is a connecting city and you can be stuck there at the airport alone for several hours in addition to the time in air. Say what you want about smoking you are doing NOBODY any favors by depriving travelers for long periods of time by design. At least when Gary was trying to be a real airport the distance between the door and the gate was nothing. But just try walking from O'Hare's farthest gates with all your carryons in toe to stand outside in the cold with vehicle exhaust all around, then having to trek back through security and all the way back to the gate. Just because the city determines that smoking is bad and "for your own health & safety" they can't have so much as an open air area inside security? This is ridiculous! and one of my pet peeves when there's talk of such smoking bans.

Author:  markh [ Sun Nov 16, 2008 10:28 am ]
Post subject:  State Wide Smoking Ban?

If Indiana is going to ban smoking, IMO it should only be in places which receive state funding. Beyond that, they should leave things up to local governments.

Having said this, IMO a person should be arrested for child endangerment if they smoke in a car that has children as passengers. I hope local governments enact such a law.

Author:  markh [ Sun Nov 16, 2008 10:35 am ]
Post subject: 

Mirage, in both New York City and Chicago, most restaurants reported increased business after smoking was banned. I haven't heard what happened in other cities when they banned smoking, but I suspect the same is true.

Author:  mike3775 [ Sun Nov 16, 2008 10:42 am ]
Post subject:  Re: State Wide Smoking Ban?

sparks wrote:
Laws like this already exist in states all over the country, including Illinois. I love being able to go to smoke free restaurants and bars there. Smokers do not have the right to pollute the air that others have to breathe. I have already contacted my state reps,asking them to support this law.



So do you go outside with your gas mask on to avoid breathing what BP and the Steel mills are putting into the air each and every day?

I guess its those damn cigarette smokers that cause the brown haze that can be seen hundreds of miles away right?

Author:  Mirage [ Sun Nov 16, 2008 10:59 am ]
Post subject:  Re:

markh wrote:
Mirage, in both New York City and Chicago, most restaurants reported increased business after smoking was banned. I haven't heard what happened in other cities when they banned smoking, but I suspect the same is true.


I question that, especially in respect to Chicago. If a mom & pop restaurant goes out of business and the city attracts 2 more cracker box chain locations, like McDonalds or KFC, then technically that does count as an increase. And if there are 3 restaurants and one closes the other 2 could see moderate increases while the combined number of patrons could still decrease. So I guess my first concern with accepting such claims is exactly what factors were considered and what truly accounted for any increases reported. I am very suspicious of the intended claim that because smoking was banned everywhere people suddenly went out to eat & drink, especially when new higher taxes also became a factor as is the ongoing case in Chicago.

Personally I could not drink at a non-smoking bar. Many feel the same way. So I find it very hard to believe that NY bars would see more patrons instead of less. About the only way I even see it being possible is if there are just plain fewer smokers all the time. But I suppose there could be long lines of smokers down the sidewalk in front too. :D

Author:  born_again [ Sun Nov 16, 2008 11:06 am ]
Post subject:  Re: State Wide Smoking Ban?

markh wrote:
.

Having said this, IMO a person should be arrested for child endangerment if they smoke in a car that has children as passengers. I hope local governments enact such a law.


TYPICAL

Author:  Mirage [ Sun Nov 16, 2008 11:24 am ]
Post subject:  Re: State Wide Smoking Ban?

IMO a person should be arrested for child endangerment if they smoke in a car that has children as passengers. I hope local governments enact such a law.

That reminds me. In FL there is a bit of controversy about the safe haven laws that allow you to drop off a kid at certain locations, no questions asked and no abandonment charges to face. Problem is some parents are now dropping off teenagers, which is technically legal but clearly never the intent of the law.

Since FL is a clean air state I wonder if that's the reason for the recent increase in dropoffs? :P

Author:  maddmaxx2 [ Sun Nov 16, 2008 3:23 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: State Wide Smoking Ban?

hmmm wrote:
Hard to believe that this has not been discussed at all.

http://www.post-trib.com/news/1281130,s ... an.article

INDIANAPOLIS -- Smoking would be snuffed out in almost all enclosed public places in Indiana, including restaurants, bars, bowling alleys and casinos, under a bill a powerful state lawmaker plans to push in the upcoming legislative session.

"It is a public health issue," said Democratic state Rep. Charlie Brown of Gary, chairman of the House Public Health Committee. He said his primary aim is protecting the health of nonsmokers who work in places where smoking is allowed
Too bad, they knew the job was dangerous when they took it.

Idiot legislators. What's next? Anyone who works around anything hazardous demanding the company stop using hazardous stuff because it's hazardous?

Author:  Tiger1 [ Sun Nov 16, 2008 3:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: State Wide Smoking Ban?

Iowa banned smoking in all public places, with the exception of Bars, Private Clubs, Casino's, and restaurants with a separate bar section. FYI, the casino's in Illinois have seen a very big drop in revenue since the smoking ban.
In all of these mentioned places, there should be no children present, as these are adult only venues.
No one forces anyone to visit these establishments. If you don't like smoking, then just don't go, the same if you don't like the food there, just don't go.

Tobacco and liquor are legal substances for adults to enjoy. If you don't like these things, then don't go where they have them.

Author:  Mirage [ Sun Nov 16, 2008 3:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: State Wide Smoking Ban?

I have the feeling they probably would prefer to outlaw smoking period but settle for the next best thing since the states and Federal government make so much money off of unfairly taxing smokers and because we all know what happened when they outlawed booze with a Constitutional amendment. ;)

Author:  Tiger1 [ Sun Nov 16, 2008 4:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: State Wide Smoking Ban?

Mirage wrote:
I have the feeling they probably would prefer to outlaw smoking period but settle for the next best thing since the states and Federal government make so much money off of unfairly taxing smokers and because we all know what happened when they outlawed booze with a Constitutional amendment. ;)


YEP !!! People brewed their own. When I bought my old house on Pine 35 years ago, I found the remains of a Still in the coal bin, hidden by the coal. Old bottles, corks, pieces of pipe, the whole thing. :twisted: Ban tobacco, and people will be growing their own, just like some do now for their weed. :twisted: Weed was legal until about the same time as prohibition.

Author:  sparks [ Sun Nov 16, 2008 4:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: State Wide Smoking Ban?

maddmaxx2 wrote:
hmmm wrote:
Hard to believe that this has not been discussed at all.

http://www.post-trib.com/news/1281130,s ... an.article

INDIANAPOLIS -- Smoking would be snuffed out in almost all enclosed public places in Indiana, including restaurants, bars, bowling alleys and casinos, under a bill a powerful state lawmaker plans to push in the upcoming legislative session.

"It is a public health issue," said Democratic state Rep. Charlie Brown of Gary, chairman of the House Public Health Committee. He said his primary aim is protecting the health of nonsmokers who work in places where smoking is allowed
Too bad, they knew the job was dangerous when they took it.

Idiot legislators. What's next? Anyone who works around anything hazardous demanding the company stop using hazardous stuff because it's hazardous?

Actually, companies are required by law to have MSDS sheets for any hazardous substances that employees come in contact with. I am struck by the irony of a man who is dying from lung cancer railing against laws that protect the health of workers.

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