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NYC smoking ban marks 10 years. What do you think about smoking bans?

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Contributor: spiced spiced
Smoking in most indoor spaces in New York City has now been banned for 10 years (link) — and the world didn't end! In fact, according to health authorities, the ban is estimated to have prevented some 10,000 premature deaths.

What do you think of indoor smoking bans?
Answers (private voting - your screen name will NOT appear in the results):
I'm a non-smoker and I'm in favor of indoor smoking bans.
52  (78%)
I'm a smoker and I'm in favor of indoor smoking bans.
3  (4%)
I'm a non-smoker and I'm against indoor smoking bans.
3  (4%)
I'm a smoker and I'm against indoor smoking bans.
Other?
9  (13%)
Total votes: 67
Poll is closed
03/28/2013
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Contributor: GONE! GONE!
I'm against indoor smoking bans but I don't think they should be universal. I mean, it's easy enough for me to avoid a bar that is specifically geared towards smokers.
03/28/2013
Contributor: Cosmonaut Cosmonaut
I am a non-smoker and I am against indoor smoking depending on the establishment. Certain places specifically for smokers to hang out would be cool so that it doesn't bother either party.
03/28/2013
Contributor: butts butts
I'm a non-smoker and I'm more than happy with smoking bans. I'm not opposed to certain locations (like some bars/clubs/etc) allowing smoking indoors, but I definitely don't want "smoking areas" in restaurants/etc to come back. I don't deserve to be exposed to those chemicals, I choose to not smoke for a reason, you can smoke if you want but don't force me to breathe in your second hand smoke whenever I go out for dinner.
03/28/2013
Contributor: Zombirella Zombirella
I'm happy with it. After living with my parent smoking for years, after high school when we moved, my mom stopped smoking inside. I can tell a big difference now, I HATE the smell of smoke. There are still some bars around here that let people and it makes me stay away because I don't want to come home and have to wash my hair so I don't smell smoke all night and it doesn't get on my pillow. Being in a closed space with smoke gives me an instant headache.
03/28/2013
Contributor: K101 K101
Quote:
Originally posted by spiced
Smoking in most indoor spaces in New York City has now been banned for 10 years (link) — and the world didn't end! In fact, according to health authorities, the ban is estimated to have prevented some 10,000 premature deaths.

What do you ... more
I actually thought all indoor smoking was banned years ago. I've not been inside a place that allowed (or even seen a place that allowed it) in years.

I'm a smoker. I do think smoking should be banned from indoor public places, but that's the only part that I'm in favor of being banned. As far as trying to keep smokers in one box away from the rest of the world, I think that's ridiculous and in my opinion, it's not the government's business who smokes. I like to remind people that smokers are who they can thank for quite a lot of things due to the taxes. But that's a different story.

I think the indoor ban is fine because even I don't want to go out to eat in a place filled with smoke. It also gives me headaches if a place is too smokey and I'm always cutting back myself, but when it comes to trying to ban smokers from smoking in a damn parking lot next to their car, that downright pisses me off. Nobody's being hurt by that besides the smoker. If we were smoking indoors though, it does affect others. So that's understandable, but we simply cannot ban people from doing every single thing that harms their health. LOL. If we did, we'd also have to ban them from going to doctors (I'm referring to things like mercury-filled vaccines and such) and I doubt that's something the government wants. We'd have to ban alcohol, using cell phones, microwaves, breathing the polluted air for Pete's sake!
03/28/2013
Contributor: woodsdragon woodsdragon
I don't smoke, never have. I have nothing against people who smoke because it is their choice. On the same hand, it should be non-smokers choice to not be around second hand smoke. Especially for the elderly, those with health issues, and children. We have some places around here that do allow smoking so I tend to avoid them but am glad that smokers have a place to smoke.
03/28/2013
Contributor: ViVix ViVix
Quote:
Originally posted by spiced
Smoking in most indoor spaces in New York City has now been banned for 10 years (link) — and the world didn't end! In fact, according to health authorities, the ban is estimated to have prevented some 10,000 premature deaths.

What do you ... more
I don't smoke, and I don't want to be around it. That being said, I did slightly change my opinion when reading the comments here. I do think that certain places could be known as smoking bars or whatever, and I'd just avoid those places.
03/28/2013
Contributor: spiced spiced
Quote:
Originally posted by GONE!
I'm against indoor smoking bans but I don't think they should be universal. I mean, it's easy enough for me to avoid a bar that is specifically geared towards smokers.
The only problem with that is that the people who work there would have to breathe the smoke. It's unfair to require someone to breathe secondhand smoke as a condition of their job.
03/28/2013
Contributor: Trysexual Trysexual
Quote:
Originally posted by woodsdragon
I don't smoke, never have. I have nothing against people who smoke because it is their choice. On the same hand, it should be non-smokers choice to not be around second hand smoke. Especially for the elderly, those with health issues, and ... more
That pretty much sums it up for me. Cigarette/cigar smoke is repulsive to me. I remember as a child taking my first flight back when smoking was allowed on airplanes. I still can't believe this was ever allowed in the first place! I can't think of a worse place to be trapped with smoke of any sorts, than an airplane at 30,000 ft.

I was at a hockey game the other night and saw at least 2 guys smoking those smokeless cigarettes. I did a double take, but couldn't smell anything, so I guess that's cool.
03/28/2013
Contributor: CutiePatootie CutiePatootie
I rarely smoke, and love having a smoking ban, however, when I lived in Boulder (I'm not sure if they still do this), they had rooms that were closed off that you could smoke inside. You wouldn't get served in there, and it was your choice to walk in or not. I thought it was an excellent happy medium.
03/28/2013
Contributor: mdnght mdnght
I don't smoke, and I don't care if anyone else does smoke, as long as they don't force me to breathe in their fumes. So yeah, indoor smoking bans are cool with me
03/28/2013
Contributor: mdnght mdnght
Quote:
Originally posted by butts
I'm a non-smoker and I'm more than happy with smoking bans. I'm not opposed to certain locations (like some bars/clubs/etc) allowing smoking indoors, but I definitely don't want "smoking areas" in restaurants/etc to come ... more
My thoughts exactly.
03/28/2013
Contributor: Peggi Peggi
I'm a smoker, though I actually use the electronic ones, so I can actually still use mine indoors just about anywhere, BUT I also feel that there should be designated places where it IS okay, and I think these bans take it too far. Establishments should have the option of being a place where it is allowed indoors or not, such as bars. I can't smoke in enclosed areas because it makes me choke, but I don't think its right to not allow it in certain places.
03/28/2013
Contributor: Allison.Wilder Allison.Wilder
I'm a smoker and I'm like 97% in favor of indoor smoking bans. I wish there was a happy medium for smokers in bars rather than just going outside. Most of my friends don't smoke, so when we go out and I want to smoke, it means that I'm outside alone and it gets a little scary.

I do occasionally go to one bar that has a fire pit on the back patio so I'm totally okay with that because it keeps you warm (I live in Minnesota), I just wish there could be like a back room or something that smokers could go to so they'd be safer than just going outside alone.

When it comes to restaurants and stuff, I don't mind the ban at all. I don't smoke around my non-smoking friends and family while they're eating so I don't see why I should do it to strangers who don't smoke...especially kids.
03/28/2013
Contributor: rosythorn rosythorn
I`m a non smoker and I think bars shoudl be able to choose whether there is smoking or not. I don:t like restaurnts to have that freedom, but i sort of associate some bars with smoking.
03/28/2013
Contributor: Hazeleyes2012 Hazeleyes2012
I'm a non smoker and I would like to see everybody stop... Guess I'm a dreamer....
03/28/2013
Contributor: Adnerbmw Adnerbmw
I lived in California when they started it here and it became normal. When i moved to south Carolina where they didn't have it yet i was in shock at how gross it was and i just never thought about it. I would go to a restaurant and sit and even though there was smoking and non smoking you could still smell it and there was still smoke around you. It was just nasty, then when i started going to clubs in Virginia they allowed smoking then when they stopped it was crazy how clear the air was, we would all come home and then next day we would all be sick and coughing thinking it was too much yelling and drinking and staying up late, but once they cleared the air we all stopped having that next day crap. I have to say it was a great change. I did smoke for a while but i would never smoke around non smokers because i respected their choice to not poison themselves.
03/28/2013
Contributor: Chilipepper Chilipepper
Having worked in food service, I've been in both banned and non-banned. I prefer the non-smoking restaurants and such simply because of health and sanitation reasons (and besides the fact that I didn't have to wash ashtrays).

What always struck me as insanely hilarious was one place I used to go to had a smoking section and a non-smoking section, but the entire place was an open floor plan and they had ceiling fans. It seemed rather pointless in that circumstance.
03/28/2013
Contributor: underHim underHim
I don't want to go shopping especially with kids and have them exposed to second hand smoke, however, in places like casinos, bars, pool halls, etc (in other words places where kids really shouldn't be anyways) I don't care.
03/28/2013
Contributor: TheirPet TheirPet
I'm a nonsmoker and in favour of the bans---even though most of the people chew out here.
03/28/2013
Contributor: raffi raffi
at the time the ban first started i was a smoker ... and i wasn't bothered by it at all since i always preferred to smoke outside anyways. also, i never smoked in my vehicles, home or near my kids - and i do not allow other people to either.

now i am a non smoker, and have been for a few years - i am extremely repulsed by the smell of cigarette, and even of the smell of someone after they've smoked. i am so thankful that NYS put the indoor smoking ban into effect.

i remember as a kid people would smoke in the malls ... bowling alleys ... otb ... bars ... restaurants. i would be so pissed now if i'm sitting there having a meal and the person at the table next to me lit up, it'd ruin it for me.
03/28/2013
Contributor: Undead Undead
I support it in restaurants.
03/28/2013
Contributor: Lildrummrgurl7 Lildrummrgurl7
I'm a non-smoker and I really appreciate the indoor smoking bans. It's been banned here in WA for years as well. I've become so used to indoor smoking bans that when I went to Vegas, I was actually surprised that people were smoking indoors. It seemed weird to me.
03/28/2013
Contributor: Roman Petrosyan Roman Petrosyan
I'm a non-smoker and I'm in favor of indoor smoking bans.
03/28/2013
Contributor: Evgeny Kravtsov Evgeny Kravtsov
I'm a non-smoker and I'm in favor of indoor smoking bans.
03/28/2013
Contributor: KinkyKatieJames KinkyKatieJames
If people have the right to smoke, then I have the right not to have their second hand smoke. I am totally in favor of the ban.
03/28/2013
Contributor: Msmueller Msmueller
Im a non smoker and when the ban happened to local restaurants I was a bartender at a steak house, we lost some clients at first but people seem to have adjusted well and those who want to smoke with dinner just go to a bar. I appreciate the ban because it saves my allergies.
03/28/2013
Contributor: wwwww wwwww
I'm in favour of indoor smoking bans. People are welcome to smoke as much as they want but they don't have a right to make everyone else around them deal with their second hand smoke. Frankly I never understood why it wasn't implemented sooner. I remember when I was a kid most restaurants had a smoking or non-smoking section and half of the time it made no difference. The smoke would still end up in the non-smoking section.
03/28/2013
Contributor: table38792 table38792
I'm a non-smoker and I don't mind indoor smoking bans. I think it's a good thing for public health/safety.
03/28/2013