<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>Wheezie</b></i>
Had to weigh in on this again...in my opinion, smoking is an access issue. What I mean by that is, there is an ADA FEDERAL law that says all public buildings must be accessible to people with disabilities. Now I know some of us don't want to think of CF as a "disability" but for these purposes, I think it CAN be justified as such. And when someone is standing in front of the entrance to MY OFFICE and I have to walk through their smoke and endanger my own life by doing so, that is blocking my access to my own job. If I can't go to a bar, a concert, a restaurant...you name it...because my access to those establishments is blocked by deadly cigarette smoke, well that's a violation of my rights. I successfully used this argument, by the way, to get an ashtray and bench removed from the entrance of my office building - yay, no more walking through smoke to go to work!!
I don't want to take away anyone else's right to smoke, that's not what I'm saying. I think people should be able to do whatever the h*ll they want UNTIL it affects someone else. Your right to smoke stops where my right to breathe clean air begins. Simple as that.</end quote></div>
Here is a large part of the issue, and it applies to tons of other aspects besides public cigarette smoke: Lobbyists. When the clean indoor air act was proposed here in Florida, it was initially a total clean indoor air act, meaning no loopholes, if it was public access and indoor, it was no smoking. That bill was rejected by the power of the restaurant, alcohol, and cigarette lobbyists. After much pushing and pulling, and realizing the issue was not going to fully go away, they all came to a compromise where if an establishment makes X amount of sales from food, but still sells alcohol but only wine and beer, they have to be smoke free. IF the establishment sells liquor as well, and makes below X of food sales, they are allowed to smoke indoors. Basically they emasculated the bill. What makes it worse, and I have heard this straight from an owners mouth, there are no real checks to make sure someone is complying unless someone reports them enough times and then they get audited. They simply don't have enough staff to keep tabs on it.
Just like anything in life, if you want to find the total BS, follow the money. In politics, that money trail will always lead to lobbyists. Hopefully, eventually, all indoor public access places will be smoke free. If smokers want to be honest, and have a brain, they will realize their habit is extremely harmful not only to themselves, but to all those around them. Last time I heard, second hand smoke is in a carcinogen class the same as asbestos...And asbestos was aggressively removed from human contact by the government. Europe and some parts of the U.S. are slowly catching on and making all public indoor areas smoke free. I just really wish it would take place here asap, because many times when there is something that takes place that I want to really be a part of, I have to make the judgment call of "How much smoke have I been around in the last few weeks? How do I feel now? Is this thing really worth the lung agitation to my lungs?" There is no logical argument that anyone can make where someone who is a legal citizen, who is a paying customer, has to damage their health due to other peoples habits because they want to have a meal and a beer, or go see a concert. The more I think about it, it pisses me off. As for smokers, smoke all you want...And they should be supplied with an easily accessible outdoor area to pursue their unhealthy habit.
