quote:

Originally posted by Caramel Copper

This thread has been an awesome read.
Based on the anti-smoking arguements presented here I have reached the following conclusions:

1.If I travel by horse and buggy, walk, or ride a freaking UNICYCLE and you drive by me enclosed in a container being powered by a gas-combustible engine, YOU ARE ENDANGERING MY HEALTH. You have to ride and dirty the air somewhere else. (in a whiney voice) "I’m allergic".

2. As pointed out earlier and most rightly so, OBESITY in this country is right beside tobacco. If you don’t know this, you are not watching the news. The "sub-standard" arguement for this is that it doesn’t affect others. Hardy-har.

Sell that to one who still has the odor of Infamil on their breath. Not me. Fat people have fat kids. Fat people die young, don’t monitor their cholesterol/diabetes/gout and leave before having a chance to be a wonderful grandmother/grandfather and bestowing any type of wisdom to another generation. You gonna call that "Not affecting others"? Also healthcare costs:see below.

3. "It inflates our health care costs, and I shouldn’t have to pay for it."
My, MY my……… such a can of worms you opened with that statement.I disagree with abortion, should I have to pay for it? I disagree with bringing a child into this world that the bearer can’t support, should I have to pay for it? The # of unwed young mothers in this country is astronomical. Its NOTHING for them to get preg, get the best of healthcare, WICK, PEACH and God only knows what else.

Also the rising cost of healthcare is not the tobacco smoker but those afflicted with diabetes. Not the kind you have at birth . The kind you get from OBESITY. But heck, that don’t affect anyone. (give me a freakin break)

4. And last of all……this one really gets my underpants in a wad. You got Dad…..Mom…..a kid about 8, ‘nother one about 6, ‘nother one about 4, and one in a highchair that complain about the smoke on behalf of their precious children. THEY ARE SEATED IN THE BAR. Dad downs three Margueritas, mom polishes off two glasses of wine, and they drive their kids home. Go Figger.

Copper

Well, although I wish that all vehicles emitted zero pollution, that day has not yet arrived. So, to equate smoking with transportation is somewhat bizarre, in my opinion. Even though I wish that my car, as well as those around me, emitted less pollution, I do have to drive my car in order to go to work, buy food, visit the doctor, etc. I fail to see how smoking could be put into the same category, as someone could readily carry out his vital daily functions without smoking, while anyone outside of urban areas cannot do anything away from home without driving. To equate your personal pleasure with the public’s need for transportation is so totally off-base that it should be embarassing to you.

So, as I had said previously, I see most attempts to defend smokers’ rights as sad and pathetic. However, I am firmly of the opinion that you are entitled to smoke anywhere–as long as those who are forced to inhale the smoke are in agreement with inhaling it. If the proprietor of an establishment bans smoking in his place of business, or if a municipality bans smoking in certain areas, then you will just have to live with it.

I agree with you that Diabetes is a major, growing, health problem, but that does not diminish the serious health problems that have been firmly linked with smoking. Citing the issue of Diabetes does not eliminate the reality of emphysema, lung cancer, heart disease, and other conditions that are the result of smoking (either first-ha,21,150499.075,1,16798,207.69.137.206
150573,150499,150499,2005-07-21 16:25:35,RE: Smoke Report”