Smoking should be banned in not all but some public places. (Should smoking be banned in public places?)

Member Name: glitteryblonde

Product:	Should smoking be banned in public places?
Date:	14/10/05 (1069 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: It would save a lot of sensible non smokers from terrible illness!

Disadvantages: It would make smokers outcasts

Right…as a smoker I have an opinion on this and YES basically I do agree that smoking SHOULD be banned in public places …or at least in most public places!

I am a smoker but as I’ve said before I’m quite a considerate smoker. I don’t believe it is right to smoke in close proximity to a non-smoker, child or any person who has not made the choice to start smoking and for whatever reason is not able to ask me not to smoke near them. I recently found out that my cousin who has a 5month old baby has been allowing people to smoke around her daughter and I am completely disgusted! Her daughter who was born with Asthma now has lungs like someone who smokes 30cigarettes a day! All because her Dad and Granddad smoke around her. And my cousin didn’t want to seem over protective by asking them not to smoke near the baby. I’m sorry but that’s just crazy in my eyes …if anyone tried to smoke near my 18month old I would physically drag them out if I had to! There is no reason for smokers to inflict their second hand smoke on vulnerable babies or any non-smoker other than purely being to lazy to go outside or at least to smoke in another room! I would never dream of smoking near my daughter or even being too close to her when I have recently smoked as I agree the smell is also disgusting and I don’t think she should be forced to smell it! When I smoke I always stand just outside with my daughter in view and circumstances permitting will always give my self a minute to air off the smell and a quick spray of body spray before I come close to my daughter, non-smoking friends etc. It’s not perfect but I do all that I can short of quitting to make my habit less of a problem to other people.

Even as a smoker I hate being in a restaurant and having someone two tables away puffing away on a cigarette whilst I’m eating and also find it worrying when I want to take my daughter out trying to find smoke free places. Although I must admit this is vastly improving, due to the recent smoking awareness campaigns. I would never dream of smoking near a child, I would never smoke near a non-smoker unless they said it was ok and on that note I would never ask if it was ok for me to smoke around them and would only do so if they said without prompting from me that it was ok.

However, I do not think smoking should be banned in all public places. I think there should be facilities for us smokers, such as… shelters around town and certain pubs and clubs that allow smoking (I’m not saying open new ones just that existing ones should be allowed to let smoking continue on the premises if the landlord chooses to allow it). If this could happen I think those certain pubs and clubs should have clear signs on entry stating that it is a smoking allowed or smoking disallowed place. If this isn’t possible I think maybe if there were small smoking areas at least permitted in some places it would be fairer. It works in wetherspoons in Chester so it can work in other places.

I just don’t think it is fair to completely ban smoking in public places, it will make us smokers feel like lepers when in fact we’re not we’re just people who made a stupid choice! I agree with the crackdown whole-heartedly but I don’t think a complete ban is the way to go.

Summary: I agree with the idea in general but ..not entirely!