smoking ban

[Venerable Bede]

trying to not get involved. . must stop. . .
 
 thankfully for all here, i've been in an energy policy act of 2005 training course the past 2 days and am all debated out. . .stupid state regulators who have no idea how ferc works. . .errr, wait a minute.

[kosmo vinyl]

I'm surprised no body has pointed out the obvious that smoking has been banned in movie theaters for decades and is anyone complaining?  Originally put in because of safe concerns, I suspect if the ban was lifted today due to advanced fire prevention technology in place that most theater owners would maintain the policy voluntarily so as not to lose anymore customers.

[sonickteam2]

Originally posted by kosmo vinyl:
  I'm surprised no body has pointed out the obvious that smoking has been banned in movie theaters for decades and is anyone complaining?  

my girlfriend complains!!!
 
 and you cant smoke on airplanes. (she complains about that too!)
 
      and i think the point here is that you can take away peoples freedoms, but as long as you do it a little at a time, they wont make such a big deal about it.    

[vansmack]

Originally posted by the sonick:
 
 and you cant smoke on airplanes. (she complains about that too!)
 
     

Here you go sucka's.  Prove your metal:
 
 Smokers-only airline set to grace airways
 12 July 2006  
 By MICHAEL SHMITH
 New Zealand
 
 If you believe in vampires, black fairies, Darth Vader and Voldemort, then this is for you.
 
 A new airline for smokers only is scheduled to make its first flights in March 2007.
 
 Smintair (Smokers' International Airways) has been founded by a German businessman, Alexander W. Schoppmann, in the hope of attracting the Asian business market as well as pro-smoking Europeans. Smintair plans to fly jumbo jets with 30 first-class and 108 business-class seats equipped with televisions, DVDs, gourmet food and "charming and beautiful" flight attendants. And ashtrays, of course.
 
 Smintair may be just the answer to those poor, grey-faced folk you see rushing out of airport terminals, drawing the packets from their pockets, lighting up and taking a long draw of their first gasper for hours.
 
 I always feel sorry for smokers (never having acquired the habit, I don't know what it's like to smoke in order to give it up and start again) but somehow that sorrow vanishes the moment I smell burning tobacco.
 
 On aircraft, it used to be a nightmare. It was easy to define the smoking and non-smoking sections but no one bothered to tell the smoke which, in its ethereal, undisciplined way, would waft throughout the aircraft and get up people's noses, figuratively and literally. These days, there's no smoke but plenty of ire in the form of severe warnings that if one should even consider lighting up in the loo, the penalties include turning the aircraft around, the immediate fitting of an orange jumpsuit and a parachute drop on Guantanamo Bay.
 
 On Smintair, the penalties for not smoking can only be imagined. Consider this letter from Alexander W. Schoppmann, addressed to "Ladies and Gentlemen, dear Guests" and published on the airline's website (www.smintair.com). Herr Schoppmann laments the decline of standards since the introduction of three-class international travel: "The descent of service accelerated dramatically," he writes, with interesting use of metaphor. "With this separation, the airlines created the room necessary to imply those changes and stop all kinds of services. Even my dearly loved Cocktail Frankfurters, not to mention the cigars, went literally through the window."
 
 First off, though, Doctor Schoppmann takes the opportunity "to clear one of the biggest lies floating around everywhere in the World: 'Second Hand Smoke (SHS, aka ETS, Environmental Tobacco Smoke) damages your health'. The WHO (World Health Organisation) confirms in all of it's studies concerning the subject, that ETS has not even a statistically relevant effect on the non-smoker's health." Now Hauptmann Schoppmann becomes serious. "... By the way, did you know that the Nazis also sported a huge Anti-Smoking campaign? Yes, they did and the one we experience now carries exactly the same insignia."
 
 Pausing to reflect that only if Adolf Hitler had smoked, the war could have been avoided, I checked out more on the Smintair site: "Allowing our guests to smoke is one of the freedoms we are happily prepared to grant. Non-smokers will find the cabin air more refreshing than on any other flight with any other airline, as Smintair adds fresh outside air to the conditioning system! This is more expensive, as it burns more fuel but it is seen as an additional service to our guests."
 
 Another service, so far unconfirmed, is for non-smoking passengers, who will have two exclusive seating areas filled with fresh air: either wing.
 
 I can see the Smintair idea expanding to cater for other long-haul masochists. In fact, I've just gone into the aviation business with a plan to make Qantas quake. Welcome to Shmithair, the world's only uncomfortable smoking airline, which permits cigarettes, cigars and pipes at all times, especially during refuelling stops, when you are welcome to puff away to your heart's content near the petrol truck. You'll need to stand because our seats have a maximum pitch of 15 inches, being suitable only for children and passengers named Happy, Sneezy and Doc. Shmithair will have three classes - Economy, Economy-minus and Cargo - and our staff of two will serve an international menu featuring under-ripe fruit, cremated chicken, flat sparkling wine and warm mineral water. Heavy metal will constantly be piped to all passengers, free of charge. No luggage will be allowed. A small charge ($40) will apply to the toilet.

[xneverwherex]

Hawaii becomes the 18th U.S. state to go 100% smokefree!
 
 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 July 10, 2006        
 Contact: Cynthia Hallett, ANR Executive Director
 Phone: (510) 841-3032
 Web: www.no-smoke.org
 
 Sun & Smokefree Air: Hawaii Governor signs statewide smokefree law
 
 
 Berkeley, CA -- Governor Linda Lingle signed a landmark bill Monday making Hawaii the 18th state to enact a strong smokefree workplace law. Passed by the legislature in May, Act 295 will take effect November 16, 2006, corresponding with the Great American Smokeout.
 
 "It was not long ago when we believed that non-smoking sections in restaurants or on airplanes were sufficient to keep secondhand smoke away from nonsmokers," said Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle. "Now that we have concrete research about the serious dangers of secondhand smoke and we know that tobacco is a leading cause of preventable death in Hawaii, it is critical that we do all we can to protect the health of our residents and visitors by providing public venues that are truly smokefree. Hawaii's new smokefree law will save lives.  At the same time, we will continue to work with our community and health care partners to focus on preventing Hawaii youth from starting smoking."
 
 Nearly 83% of Hawaii residents already live in a county with a strong 100% smokeree law for indoor workplaces or restaurants. The new statewide law strengthens existing local laws in the Aloha State to ensure that all indoor workplaces and public places are completely smokefree. The law extends protections to such places as Hawaii's offices, educational facilities, health care facilities, restaurants, bars, clubs, airports, hotel and motel lobbies, public transportation facilities, shopping malls, sports arenas, theaters, and areas 20 feet from entryways.
 
 On June 27th, the U.S. Surgeon General released its landmark report, The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke. One of the report's major conclusions is that there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke, and that even fancy ventilation systems and smoking rooms do not protect people from its health hazards.  (For the full report, see http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/secondhandsmoke/)
 
 According to Cynthia Hallett, Executive Director of Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights, "The workers, visitors, and families in Hawaii will soon breathe a little easier, enjoying lower heart attack and cancer rates, thanks to the new smokefree law."
 
 Deborah Zysman, Director of the Coalition for a Tobacco Free Hawaii, said, "The people of Hawaii know that secondhand smoke exposure is a killer, so they asked lawmakers to take a stand. We are pleased the new law will now protect all Hawaiian workers, residents, and visitors from exposure to secondhand smoke."
 
 Hallett added, "Hawaii has been a leader in smokefree air at the local level and is now recognized as one of the leading states actively protecting people's right to breathe air free of tobacco smoke in workplaces and public places. Service industry workers are not second-class citizens. This law puts everyone on equal footing with protection from secondhand smoke in the workplace."  
 As of July 1, 2006, 44.5% of the US population is protected from exposure to secondhand smoke by a strong local or state smokefree regulation. See the American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation's smokefree lists and maps at http://www.no-smoke.org/goingsmokefree.php?dp=d13|p140.
 
 Summary of Current Strong Smokefree U.S. State, District, and Commonwealth Laws
 California: Restaurants and Bars
 Colorado: Restaurants and Bars
 Commonwealth of Puerto Rico: Workplaces, Restaurants, and Bars (effective 3/2/07)
 Connecticut: Restaurants and Bars
 Delaware: Workplaces, Restaurants, Bars
 District of Columbia: Workplaces (Restaurants, and Bars effective 1/1/07)
 Florida: Workplaces, Restaurants
 Hawaii: Workplaces, Restaurants, and Bars (effective 11/17/06)
 Idaho: Restaurants
 Maine: Restaurants and Bars
 Mass.: Workplaces, Restaurants, Bars
 Montana: Workplaces, Restaurants (Bars effective10/1/09)
 New York: Workplaces, Restaurants, Bars
 North Dakota: Workplaces
 Rhode Island: Workplaces, Restaurants, Bars
 South Dakota: Workplaces
 Vermont: Restaurants and Bars
 Washington: Workplaces, Restaurants, Bars
 New Jersey: Workplaces, Restaurants, and Bars
 Utah: Workplaces and Restaurants (Bars effective 1/1/2009)
 Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights is a national, member-based, not-for-profit organization based in Berkeley, CA that is dedicated to helping nonsmokers breathe smokefree air in enclosed public places and workplaces.

[Sage 703]

never fear: you'll probably always be able to smoke at bars in Virginia, a measely five minute drive away.