Bullet
Average
Posts:51
 | | 04/16/2008 7:02 AM |
| | What does everyone think about the new smoking ban? I do not smoke and I am even torn about this. I can see how it will be nice to be able to go out to a bar and not smelling like smoke....but that is my choice. Atleast I get one! Then the whole fact that you can smoke in a Casino shows that money can buy laws. I do not think that they should have been singled out and allowed to smoke. It is a social event just like playing pool at a bar. Whats next?.....booze?...fast food?...I am guessing if it really was a heath issue this stuff would all be banned too. If you havn't noticed it yet...I am agains a lot of Big Government. | | | |
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xroads
Great
Posts:467
| | 04/16/2008 8:43 AM |
| I think it will be very hard to enforce, and yes money does buy you anything you want.
I think they should have met in the middle & allow desinated smoking areas, or smoking bars, etc | | | |
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Travis
Great
Posts:424
| | 04/16/2008 9:09 AM |
| I agree with Craig, but we already had the ability to create nonsmoking bars. They just were not as profitable because the bar next door allowed smoking. I like the fact that everywhere else is non-smoking. Because no matter how far you sit away from the smoking section many places still smell like smoke or the smoke lingers over into the non-smoking section. At that point I did not have a choice, if I wanted to eat at that resturant, my kids and I were going to get second hand smoke. They should have made it legal to smoke outside of an establishment, but then you run into the fact that everyone will be standing out front or you will have bars going to the extremes they have in England. They have a smoking ban, to combat it the bars have cut holes in the wall so smokers can just hang their head outside to smoke. Necessity is always the mother of invention... 
As for the casinos, that is complete CRAP!!! If anyone wants to get rid of this law, they built the way to kill it right in. No judge would uphold a violation if the state can not prove why they thought casino employees and customers should not have the same health rights of those in bars. That was why they built this law, to protect the health of employees and patrons. In my experiance there is always more employees and patrons in a casino. People at casinos typically spend more time there also. I guess there must be a price tag on public health... | | | |
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phishcrazee
Great
Posts:262
Riverside
| | 04/16/2008 9:27 AM |
| I love it, but then again, I don't go to bars anymore anyway  " align="absmiddle" border="0"> Smoking seems to go hand in hand with drinking, so I'm sure it sucks for those who like to do that. For those who go just to socialize and have a few beers/drinks and hate smoke, it will be great. I agree, casinos shouldn't be exempt, that's a two faced law if I ever saw one  " align="absmiddle" border="0"> | | | |
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ToTaLCHaoS13
Average
Posts:57
Muscatine
| | 04/16/2008 11:48 AM |
| I'll admit that I smoke, though not as much as I used to. I happen to be one of those rare smokers who would like to see eating establishments made non-smoking but bars and casinoes should be allowed to do what the owner choses. Not sure I understand why smoking has been singled out this way. It's not illegal like, say marijuana. And if the true concern is to protect the health of others in the establishment, including employees, well they have a choice to enter or not. I can see the day coming very soon where other things get banned from areas. Pretty sure McDonalds has contributed to enough deaths by now. Or how about banning all cars that do not meet pollution standards for current production cars. Or make it illegal to water your lawn - ever! We're gonna run out of water according to the latest reports. Or how about sport hunting and fishing only be allowed if you eat all that you kill. The list goes on and on...
And back to my earlier comment... why is marijuana illegal? How does it differ from nicotine, really? Admittedly it is stronger and impares judgement, but so does alcohol. Maybe it should just be illegal to drive under the influence of marijuana. What gives the government the right to "protect us" by making it illegal? I love living in the US but when did I start paying them to make decisions like this? | | | |
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xroads
Great
Posts:467
| | 04/16/2008 12:29 PM |
| | Remember all those people that pass our laws we vote in. If we do not like a decision we need to be calling our local representative. I have called them a few times about getting safety inspections passed in Iowa for cars. They dont seem to listen much but my voice is heard. | | | |
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Bullet
Average
Posts:51
| | 04/16/2008 12:29 PM |
| The thing that gets me is that it makes me feel that Government thinks we are stupid....like I cannot make my own decisions. I know if I smoke it could kill me and anyone I am around. Since I do not smoke I will chose a non-resturant over a smoking one. I do choose to go to bars and drink once in awhile but I am aware of the risks....just like eating a Big Mac. I guess now if I get cancer I can't blame it on second hand smoke. Because God knows someone has to be to blame....I guess I will just blame the Government for not making more laws to protect me. God forbid me having my own mind to make my own decisions!
Sorry for the Rant. I am just a little bitter to the Government right now....tax time | | | |
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lee
Good
Posts:246
| | 04/16/2008 7:27 PM |
| | Lucky for me it doesn't make a difference.... but I do think it's crap... if people don't want to smell like smoke then don't go nobody is making you. Kinda like the law requiring you to wear a seatbelt...it should be your own choice if your "driving" alone. | | | |
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seanndenise1
Great
Posts:394
| | 04/16/2008 7:32 PM |
| yeah, i wonder how many lunches and drinks at those lunches they all had, before they jumped in their cars to get back to the office on the days they were brainstorming this idea.
i can see wanting to protect non smokers and giving them the right to clean air, but in my opinion they have no right to outlaw it in all establishments.
the way i see it there should be establishments that are smoking and nonsmoking, the whole building.
the sign on the door says, you dont smoke? we dont care.
the other doors sign could say, come on in and live.
it was bound to happen. | | | |
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Travis
Great
Posts:424
| | 04/17/2008 4:37 PM |
| | Segregated establishments... Where have I heard of that before? | | | |
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glaspie69
Great
Posts:348
| | 04/17/2008 5:15 PM |
| | I think the whole thing is crap, if the people in Washington can't find anything wrong with this country other than a smoking ban they can feel free to give me a jingle and I'll point out a few things. It would be nice if the government would stop pissing away tax money for stupid crap like this. Work on something that "needs" to be fixed like hey lets work on fixing the 3 something a gallon gas prices or feed our hungry and homeless, maybe we could stop trying to save the world by going to war with everyone and take a look at home....cause my picture of home doesn't look so hot. It gets really irritating when people have millions to blog the tv's full of crap filled ad's so they can be the next president and we have billions to have wars for other countries who could care less about our country and it's ok? People in America cant even find a job that pays enough to feed there families and keep a home anymore and the rich just keep getting richer.....what happens when the working class stops working because it costs them more to go to work than to stay home, this country is rolling down a huge crap hill, hopfully something will change the tumble | | | |
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RobynT
Great
Posts:406
| | 04/17/2008 7:05 PM |
| Posted By glaspie69 on 04/17/2008 5:15 PM
I think the whole thing is crap, if the people in Washington can't find anything wrong with this country other than a smoking ban they can feel free to give me a jingle and I'll point out a few things. It would be nice if the government would stop pissing away tax money for stupid crap like this. Work on something that "needs" to be fixed like hey lets work on fixing the 3 something a gallon gas prices or feed our hungry and homeless, maybe we could stop trying to save the world by going to war with everyone and take a look at home....cause my picture of home doesn't look so hot. It gets really irritating when people have millions to blog the tv's full of crap filled ad's so they can be the next president and we have billions to have wars for other countries who could care less about our country and it's ok? People in America cant even find a job that pays enough to feed there families and keep a home anymore and the rich just keep getting richer.....what happens when the working class stops working because it costs them more to go to work than to stay home, this country is rolling down a huge crap hill, hopfully something will change the tumble  I agree with every word Jason. Bravo
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seanndenise1
Great
Posts:394
| | 04/17/2008 7:50 PM |
| Posted By Travis on 04/17/2008 4:37 PM
Segregated establishments... Where have I heard of that before?
theres a big difference between forced segregation and your choice of entering an establishment.
now if you want to bring up a word, lets bring up freedom.
im not talking rights, im talking freedoms.
heres the real question you should have asked,
freedoms lost, where has that happened before.
i think everyone has a right to clean air, but they dont have a right to go anywhere and demand it.
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Waverz
Super
Posts:717
Evansdale, Iowa
| | 04/17/2008 9:03 PM |
| They ban smoking in public and then turn around and want build coal burning plants in our backyards.....makes a lot of sense to me.
Personally i don't smoke cigarettes and think it will be nice to be able to go to certain establishments and not stink like a chimney when i leave. On the other hand if i own a bar or restaurant i think it should be my choice if i want to make it smoking or not, it shouldn't be up to the government to tell people where they can and cannot smoke as long as it's a legal substance. As far as not including casinos in the ban I feel is a total bunch of crap.
Just another way for big brother to keep you couped up hiding in your basement to get your fix. As long as you are out of sight to them, the problem has gone away.
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GIRS Secretary | |
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Travis
Great
Posts:424
| | 04/17/2008 11:19 PM |
| Posted By glaspie69 on 04/17/2008 5:15 PM
I think the whole thing is crap, if the people in Washington can't find anything wrong with this country other than a smoking ban they can feel free to give me a jingle and I'll point out a few things. It would be nice if the government would stop pissing away tax money for stupid crap like this. Work on something that "needs" to be fixed like hey lets work on fixing the 3 something a gallon gas prices or feed our hungry and homeless, maybe we could stop trying to save the world by going to war with everyone and take a look at home....cause my picture of home doesn't look so hot. It gets really irritating when people have millions to blog the tv's full of crap filled ad's so they can be the next president and we have billions to have wars for other countries who could care less about our country and it's ok? People in America cant even find a job that pays enough to feed there families and keep a home anymore and the rich just keep getting richer.....what happens when the working class stops working because it costs them more to go to work than to stay home, this country is rolling down a huge crap hill, hopfully something will change the tumble
I am writting your name in this November!!!Â | | | |
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ryansholl
Great
Posts:453
| | 04/18/2008 9:05 AM |
| | There are many non-smoking bars in Des Moines, and they do just fine next to, under, and on top of smoking bars. It has been and should be a market-driven issue. | | | |
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Phathead
Good
Posts:207
| | 04/24/2008 11:39 AM |
| So I heard a rumor about this last night at the bar that some bars are going to charge a membership fee every year to come in there bar for like a dollar that way they could be considered a private organization and allow smoking in the building but I dont know how much truth to this there really is. I can tell you from working at a bar that owners of most bars in cedar rapids are FREAKING OUT!!!
I personallly think it is a great idea because I smoke and I would love to quit but it is so hard when everywhere you go there is cigarettes. I think eventually cigarettes will be illegal all together but they do it in these small waves of banning them to generate fines and tickets people would get and then later totally ban them everywhere. If they made cigarettes illegal in all the states at once the government would not make near as much money from people breaking that law as they do spanning it over 10-20 years. Kindof like they will never make marijuana legal becuase it generates way to much money through fines and arrests. When a large drug bust with hundreds and thousands of dollars and product get seized where do you think that goes?
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got2lb
Great
Posts:359
Clarksville, IA
| | 04/24/2008 2:48 PM |
| Posted By Phathead on 04/24/2008 11:39 AM
So I heard a rumor about this last night at the bar that some bars are going to charge a membership fee every year to come in there bar for like a dollar that way they could be considered a private organization and allow smoking in the building but I dont know how much truth to this there really is.
I was reading about that in the paper last week and the "MAN" pretty much has all the loopholes covereved up in that aspect. If I remember correctly the law still applies as long as there are paid employees working there. So even at the local amvets, legion, elks lodge, etc.... you won't be able to smoke if anyone on staff is a paid employee. Â
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Travis
Great
Posts:424
| | 04/24/2008 3:46 PM |
| | hmm so even private golf course bars... No more cigars at the 19th hole... | | | |
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got2lb
Great
Posts:359
Clarksville, IA
| | 04/24/2008 4:29 PM |
| | Yep, at least that's the way I understood it when I read it in the paper. | | | |
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Philby
Good
Posts:228
Sherman Hill
| | 04/25/2008 6:07 AM |
| Posted By Phathead on 04/24/2008 11:39 AM
So I heard a rumor about this last night at the bar that some bars are going to charge a membership fee every year to come in there bar for like a dollar that way they could be considered a private organization and allow smoking in the building but I dont know how much truth to this there really is. I can tell you from working at a bar that owners of most bars in cedar rapids are FREAKING OUT!!!
I personallly think it is a great idea because I smoke and I would love to quit but it is so hard when everywhere you go there is cigarettes. I think eventually cigarettes will be illegal all together but they do it in these small waves of banning them to generate fines and tickets people would get and then later totally ban them everywhere. If they made cigarettes illegal in all the states at once the government would not make near as much money from people breaking that law as they do spanning it over 10-20 years. Kindof like they will never make marijuana legal becuase it generates way to much money through fines and arrests. When a large drug bust with hundreds and thousands of dollars and product get seized where do you think that goes?
There is a bar near my place (in Des Moines) that has a big sign attached to their normal sign that says "Casino Smoking, July 1st". I'm not sure if its just a protest or if they're planning on turning their bar into a casino - but i'll have to stop in sometime and see what the story is.
On a side note, when police seize drugs they or the government don't see any money from it....the only way they could would be if they sold it and obviously that's not gonna happen.
Also I don't know that cigarette's will ever be outlawed/banned, because then they wouldn't be able to tax them. I bet they make VERY LITTLE money from writing "smoking" tickets much less than they make from taxes. In fact the law isn't even going to be enforced by the police if I remember correctly, but by the department of Health or some random group that doesn't really have the staff to walk around writing smoking tickets... | | | |
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Phathead
Good
Posts:207
| | 04/25/2008 1:38 PM |
| | You should be able to still smoke on golf courses cause your outside but I guess well find out in july. | | | |
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acidlittle
Average
Posts:61
| | 05/07/2008 12:24 AM |
| It's all got it's ups and downs. People who want to quit will have it a little bit easier, but people who do smoke obviously feel like they are being stripped of their freedom, which they are.
Either way I'm for the ban because I am a former smoker, and I still have moments when I'm out where I want one, but without others doing it, those urges will subside alltogether.
If they are trying to "phase out" tobacco that will be very Ironic, due to the fact that this country only started turning a profit when they learned to grow tobacco plants. I would love it if they phased out tobacco but that's just me :-) To each their own! | | | |
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einsteins
Super
Posts:660
Davenport, IA
| | 05/07/2008 9:51 AM |
| I support smoking....as long as I don't have to breathe the smoke if I choose not to or make compromises in where I choose to go, based on whether it is a smoking establishment or not.
I do believe that my right to clean air trumps others rights to fill it with smoke as clean air hurts no one unlike smoke filled air.
eins | |
First step to a successful reef..."Balanced Parameters!" You heard it here first! | |
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CyberJester
Average
Posts:91
| | 05/07/2008 2:51 PM |
| Posted By einsteins on 05/07/2008 9:51 AM
I support smoking....as long as I don't have to breathe the smoke if I choose not to or make compromises in where I choose to go, based on whether it is a smoking establishment or not.
I do believe that my right to clean air trumps others rights to fill it with smoke as clean air hurts no one unlike smoke filled air.
eins I kinda disagree with that Bill. I don't have the right to say that no one can drive cars, even though it pollutes the air I breath. Or telling people that they can't cut there lawn with a lawnmower or that they must shovel there drives instead of using a snowblower (again pollution of the air). What about all the factories that put off polutants to make plastics and other items, can I have them shut down because I want the cleanest air possible.Â
You kinda have to look at the bigger picture. It should be the establishments choice as to whether or not to allow smoking. If enough people got up and said under that premise that they wanted non-smoking environments. Business owners would answer, they are in the business of making money. They will go with what their patrons want in order to still bring in their buisness.
There are several ways they could have gone with something like this that would have satisfied both sides of the public. If you ask most smokers if they were provided a decent closed off area (even without wait staff service) that was ventilated out of the elements, most smokers would be satisfied.Â
All people should be worried when the government gets into the business of curbing the rights of its citizens. This event may have gone in a direction that you like. However, what if they banned reefing because of the power consumption that is causes and the reefs that are hurt in the process because of coral trading. You would probably sing a different tune. Or how about they passed a law saying you could no longer eat red meat because it is bad for you (assuming you are a meat eater). There are endless examples of things that the government can ban that would cause everyone here to live in a state less desireable then they do right now.Â
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acidlittle
Average
Posts:61
| | 05/07/2008 4:20 PM |
| | I don't think smoking produces anything to our society anymore. I just can't see any good things coming from smoking, except for personal enjoyment for those that do. It has no real purpose and for that I think it has no real purpose in society. | | | |
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Philby
Good
Posts:228
Sherman Hill
| | 05/08/2008 5:36 AM |
| Posted By acidlittle on 05/07/2008 4:20 PM
I don't think smoking produces anything to our society anymore. I just can't see any good things coming from smoking, except for personal enjoyment for those that do. It has no real purpose and for that I think it has no real purpose in society.
That's a really poor argument. First of all, when did smoking provide anything besides personal enjoyment??
Second, what is the benefit of video games other than personal enjoyment? What about pornography? Alcohol? Cuss Words? Reality TV? Hunting/Fishing for sport? Junk Food? Are you suggesting the government put restrictions around other things that are soley for personal enjoyment?
Finally, the tax money generated from the sale of cigarettes provides money to our governments who (hopefully) use it for the good of the entire community.
I think our country has reached its status because of capitolism, ie supply and demand. If enough people think smoking, and second hand smoke is detrimental to their health they will demand a place where they can do whatever activity they please in a non-smoking environment and business owners will step up and provide it for them (and many were, at least in the Des Moines area).
IMO, there's a level of personal responsibility that the general public in this country has lost and whenever something happens to them they always want to blame someone else and/or want the government to step in and tell them what they can and cannot do. | | | |
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acidlittle
Average
Posts:61
| | 05/08/2008 6:12 AM |
| Posted By Philby on 05/08/2008 5:36 AM
That's a really poor argument. First of all, when did smoking provide anything besides personal enjoyment??
Second, what is the benefit of video games other than personal enjoyment? What about pornography? Alcohol? Cuss Words? Reality TV? Hunting/Fishing for sport? Junk Food? Are you suggesting the government put restrictions around other things that are soley for personal enjoyment?
It may be a poor arguement but there are Video games that can teach, (i got nothing for porn), reality tv is worthless that is why I don't partake in watching it at all, Hunting and fishing for sport is a rediculous idea, I don't think it should be allowed unless what is killed is used for the whole animal.
And when did video games kill somebody who watched somebody play them? The same with porn, or reality TV. So you see all arguements are flawwed. And I, am one who is terrible at arguing so I hope we can call this playful banter and not an arguement.
I'm just saying that as a former smoker I could careless if the goverment banned smoking alltogether. It would end up being better for society in the long run, as the healthier people are the more productive they are. Yeah it gives the government money (and a boatload I'm assuming) but I'd rather have a workforce that is working into their 60's+ then getting cancer in their 40's and spending money on medical bills for the next 20 years if they are lucky.
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Philby
Good
Posts:228
Sherman Hill
| | 05/08/2008 7:20 AM |
| I am definitely not arguing to piss you off - but its not quite playful banter either.
Video games specifically may not kill someone, but leading a lifestyle sitting in front of the TV and becoming obese certainly has health implications and can cause someone to have higher medical costs than someone who is not obese.
So yes you can chose not to watch reality TV or eat junk food, just as you can choose to not smoke (congrats on quitting btw) - but those are lifestyle choices that can have health implications just like smoking and it shouldn't be the governments job to tell people whether or not they can do those things. Could you imagine government enforced exercise programs to ensure its citizens are healthy??? | | | |
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ZLTFUL
Good
Posts:206
Al Tuna
| | 05/08/2008 10:21 AM |
| Actually, during WW2, cigarettes were issued to soldiers because of the stimulant effect they provided.
Not support or arguing either point as I have very strong view points about how the governments of this nation seem to think they can govern our lives SO much better than we can. | |
"I seem to have confused my intentions with my abilities..." Me | |
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