Why do non smokers feel it is alright to stomp all over the civil rights of smokers.?

thebeatsurrender

The reactionary arrogance of some non-smokers is displayed by some of the "answers" here (To the few polite posters, thanks for not resorting to name-calling just because of smoking). However it is in the UK, I bet it's worse here.

I posted this for a question asking about laws against smoking in cars, bars and open air:

I totally agree- They're not only BS, I think they're bordering on infringement of civil liberties (At least the don't smoke in the entire town thing). Why ban smoking in a car? Who else does that effect? Is it because people throw their butts out the window? Why not make a law against that and not smoking in the car?

I don't understand the self-riteousness and cruelty of some non-smokers. If someone is smoking outside, in the street, please just walk around. In Berkeley (motto: the most fascist liberal town in the world!) I would just be smoking outside of a bar, minding my own business (Because I can't smoke *in* the bar, which i'm fine with) and someone would purposefully walk next to me and start fake-coughing at me or yell things like "Smoking's bad for you!" in a derisive way. Duh. I know that. Do you think I'll quit because you yelled something at me?

It's just too slippery a slope. What's the next thing that people will tell you not to do? Trust me, the toxic gas that comes out of your car's tailpipe is much more likely to cause cancer than walking by a person smoking on the street. So, yeah, if you've driven/been in a car, don't whine about people smoking in open air. Places like Berkeley want to ban your SUV too. Pretty soon, they'll want to take away something that you like to do.

As for bars, I understand the intent, but I don't see why they can't allow some licensed smoking bars.

dutchess_6767

Well it's like this. Non-smokers, by not practicing their disease causing bad, stinky habits, DO NOT expose the smokers to something that can cause them physical harm. A non smoker does not cause a dangerous physical environment for the smoker by not smoking. The same can not be said of smokers, so no, quite frankly, I don't think they ought to have the same rights.

Andrea B

I do not think that nonsmokers "stomp all over the civil rights of smokers." As a former smoker, I was very courteous of nonsmokers, and now as a nonsmoker, I expect the same respect. I do not want people to blow the smoke at me or in my face. And as far as the revenue goes, alot of that goes into the state as well as health care. Smokers need ALOT of health care!!!

therandman

Here's a thought - whenever the city & state gov'ts start to pay the property taxes of local buisnesses then maybe they can tell the business to ban smoking. The gov't is taking away our civil liberties due to a few ignorant peolpe. The US Constitution does not support being offended. If you are offended because of 2nd hand smoke go some place that doesn't allow smoking.

dsgc05â„¢

It's illegal to commit suicide and ultimately that's all your doing.

When I say all your doing I refer to the smokers not you.

UNITool

Smokers can vote just like everyone else, right?? Just so happens that they are in the minority, Also, an individuals rights end the moment they start to conflict with someone elses. That means, that an individual's right to smoke ends the moment that there is any possibility that someone else is bothered by their smoking (or bothered by the possibility of being harmed by 2nd hand smoke). Also, on the taxing point: I, as a non-smoker (reformed actually), would like the right to NOT have to pay for all the medical costs of smokers through taxes, heck, put $20 worth of taxes per pack - maybe it would save a few lives.

wazwondring

Sorry, but smoking is not a "civil right." No one person has the right to inflict harm on others, not to mention the stentch of the smoke.

Pineapple Hat

Because smoking is a disgusting, vile, filthy, life-threatening habit... and that's just it's effect on the non-smokers!

fALLeNâ™¥aNgEL

but you have the right to do what ever you want right?

codiane99

Because we nonsmokers aren't killing you smokers!

g3010

Everyone should have equal rights as to smoking or not, it's your lungs that get messed up the worse, second hand smoke takes longer to mess up the lungs.

Jake Bananna

We have a right to shoot a gun but not point it at other people. Likewise you have a right to drive a car, just not anywhere you want.
You have the right to smoke just not harm other people with it. Sounds reasonable.
With that said, I smoke, I love smoking. I am told I might get lung cancer. here is a stat.

"who reckoned that 166 in 100,000 smokers die from lung cancer, as opposed to 7 in 100,000 nonsmokers, so you have a 24 times higher risk of getting lung cancer if you smoke."

captainsquanto

The nonsmokers that actually care about getting people to quit generally lead very dull lives and have nothing else to do. That's why.

pepper

The stop smoking industry: what's that worth?
Not smoking is a useful political slogan for parties to parrot & it can be backed up by medical 'evidence' to give it gravitas.

Liza

because you give us lung cancer with your bloody smoke. Why not practice your civil rights in a separate room together where you can inhale each other's smoke all you want. I for one, do not want my civil rights trampled on by being forced to breathe in someone else's stinking second hand smoke.

cha0s_epit0me

I smoke too, and I think it is terrible that we are critisized for doing something that is perfectly legal. Most non-smokers say oh it disgusting and so on and so forth but the little boost of nicotene is what keeps me going. Yes, smoking is bad but anyone who smokes knows that. And if people have a problem with it go to the government. Which they will not do anything because selling tobbacco is a huge source of money. Recently there was a resturant who screened its employees for nicotene and that is a violation. If people think smoking is so terrible then they need to grow up!! If people think smoking is so terrible go to the government and present a case saying how the toxens are bad for the enviroment,don't get pissy with the people who enjoy smoking.

Untitled

why sould the people you around you die because you (not saying you're a smoker) need you nicotine fix.

2 words

secondhand smoke

Hockey Chick

hey it is not good for your body and the non smokers do not want their friend who ight be smokers to hurt their bodys

it is not cool to smoke

Ariel

Why do smokers feel it is alright to kill innocent people?

onlyme

I don't smoke, but both of my parent's did. My parent's don't have asthma, but I and all of my siblings do. There is a direct positive correlation between second-hand smoke exposure in childhood and asthma, which is a lifelong condition. I do think it's obnoxious for people to tell other people what to do with their own bodies, but, for example, not smoking in a car with a child is a protection of that child's civil rights. I've read all of these posts about smoking causing lung cancer (and by the way, smoking raises your risks for all cancers, not just lung cancer), but what about it causing asthma attacks? I do try to avoid people while they are smoking, so as not to exacerbate my asthma, but when I was a child, smoking was not banned anywhere, and just to go to the mall to buy something from a store could have triggered an asthma attack. And for those who like to mention it, yes car exhaust is bad for you, that's why you shouldn't be in a closed garage with a running car, it's the same as the difference between smoking in open spaces where people can avoid you, as opposed to closed buildings or rooms. Like the person above said, you can own a gun and drive a car, but there are laws regarding how one can use those things, in order to prevent harm to others. My husband had never in his life had a breathing problem. One night I was having an asthma attack, and he had just gone to bed and I couldn't find my asthma inhaler anywhere. I asked him to help me find it and he said just to go to bed and we could look for it in the morning. I went to the bed, sat on his chest and pushed down and told him that's how I felt. He was always very supportive of my proper asthma care after that. The point is, I don't think people know what it's like to not be able to breathe. It is really scary, people die of asthma attacks, repeated asthma attacks can cause permanent lung scarring, which negatively effects lung function and can cause a person to be more susceptible to pneumonia for life, and needing to use an inhaler too often causes it to become less effective at controlling symptoms, not to mention the side effects of the medicine and the cost to the people with asthma to buy those inhalers or go to the ER, so the more prevalent smoking is, the more expensive it becomes to those people with asthma. And I would feel like my civil rights were being infringed upon if I could not go where I needed to go because of a choice other people make as to how to treat their bodies. I think certain civil rights outweigh others. Like the right one has to own a gun or drive a car is fine, just so long as they do not use those things to harm or kill others. And I think other's rights to smoke are fine, just so long as they do not infringe upon my right to breathe or cause damage to my lungs.

Sadistic Roommate

One of my roommates deliberately causes me to get asthma attacks. He had been extremely intrusive from the moment I moved in. He would constantly enter the space I'ld be in and start asking questions about my personal life. He communicates the way marketeers do using techniques to prevent you from ending the conversation locking me in for up to an hour preventing me from doing my work. I gave enough signals as for him to give me some space and leave me alone. Instead of accepting he started to use soft bullying to take revenge.His new goal now was to get me angry and distressed. Because of his bullying I've had heart clusters(like 6 beats in a second) and migraines so bad it just about cracks my skull. Knowing I have asthma he burns insense and leaves his door open so it spreads and gets me breathing problems.I have to keep mine closed so when it gets 90F outside it's about 100 in my room. I can't leave my room for too long. 10 minutes in the kitchen and have breathing problems. ANy medication is bad for my heart so I can't take it. This is about insense but I've had similar things with smokers and a ban on smoking inside doesn't help much if the smoker stands in the doorway.

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