Just Can't Quit: How Far Will Smoking Bans Go?

ecently, the Bay Area city of Belmont passed a law that targets people who smoke in their own homes. “I’m pretty sure I still live in America,” says smoker and Belmont resident David Scott.

But if Scott lights up once the new law takes effect in January, he might just get a visit from a police officer. The mayor who championed the new law declares, “It is our responsibility to take care of everyone!’ and a pro-ban councilmember who worries about smoke wafting into neighboring units compares smoking in an apartment to shooting a gun through the wall.

Smoking is one of the worst things you can do to your body, but how dangerous is second-hand smoke? Are banners saving lives or battering science? Are they progressive champions or plunderers of property rights?

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[LindaDooWop]

I just watched the movie, "1984", starring John Hurt and Richard Burton, which was made in 1984 about The West going totally totalitarian. It was, except I had to laugh, because people were lighting up anywhere they pleased all throughout the movie. Even Orwell didn't envision this!

[pharaoh337]

"the passive smoking fraud" -google this. Really. This whole shs smoke crap comes down to the fact, that "the dose determines the poison" Every day you're exposed to around 10000 toxins that are much more harmful and exist in much larger quantities than in cigarette smoke.

[Riellysdad]

@logik316 ..Wrong..it is in fact the profit motive,and the real threat of not making one that ensures that private businesses are very careful about what they do and the standard of the service they offer...cos if they aren't they go under as the prime regulator..the free consumer,withdraws their custom and that's the death-knell. This is contrary to the state which has no fears of not having any income (it steals it via force after all). Private monitoring of services is old news. Do keep up.

[logik316]

@Riellysdad

If you really think we can do without health and safety ordinances, then you're clearly living in a libertoonian fantasy world. In the end, all businesses care about is their bottom line, and they will do whatever they can get away with. The profit motive does little to prevent fraud and abuse.

[Riellysdad]

@logik316 ...And I suppose you never wiped your bum till a politician came round to show you how or do other things without political guidance huh? If restaurants serve spoiled food then we,the market, put them out of business by withdrawing our custom...same goes for all others services. Long before the state involved itself in food and hygiene there were already private guilds and co-ops checking and regulating their members without all the cost and red-tape that exists today.

[logik316]

@Riellysdad

OK. So should we also allow restaurants to serve spoiled food or let rats and cockroaches run around in their kitchens? Maybe we should just let people get sick and die before the authorities are allowed to take any action?

[Riellysdad]

@logik316 ..Why should he even need to...? What business has "the public" with their healthcodes even have telling him what may happen under his roof with consenting patrons? The only legitimate concern the legal authorities have is if an incident of force or fraud occurs which requires a violation of someone's rights. Otherwise butt out.

[logik316]

@Riellysdad

Look, bars and restaurants might be privately owned, but they are legally considered public areas and are thus subject to public health codes. If the owner doesn't like it, then he should simply make his establishment a private club, and then he can allow smoking there if he wishes.

[logik316]

Tyranny, my ass. Smoking bans haven't offended anybody except smokers. Can we say "slippery-slope fallacy"?

[RichKilla86ers]

Belmont = totalitarianism

[atwitsend]

@LuckyBambooExpert cant even figure out its all related, toxic food has also made you obese and unhealthy please sue the perps that did that to you saying that the food was ok. yes its all related. FDA=federal death association. as a farmer Im telling you and your generation are in deep doo when you dont have the brain power to connect the dots I have provided for you. pesticides in your food and air too. stop consuming them. do you drink toxic diet sodas? DETOX!

[LuckyBambooExpert]

@atwitsend Your talking about something that does not even relate to this issue. I sued my neighbor and won, why? Because what she did was wrong and not fair to me. Now she has moved out and I now live a happy SMOKE FREE life. Thank you very much! bu bye!