Smoking is now banned in most public places, indoors and out, except for in designated areas in Calabasas, CA. There is a $500 fine for repeated disobedience.One article about it.
Official ordinance.
In my personal opinion, smoking should be banned everywhere, because it is a health risk for the smoker and is additionally a dangerous annoyance to others in the area. Of course, a friend of mine pointed out to me that there is a degree of hypocrisy to this argument, since the same argument can be made against cars, but I'm not willing to give up driving. It will be interesting to see how this smoking ban plays out. I must say; it's nice to know that you can go out without coming home smelling like cigarettes! I hate having to wash my hair before going to bed.
In other news, the town where I live has a ban in bars and pubs. One bar owner is currently involved in legal problems because he has allowed patrons to smoke on two occasions. He says that he can't put his employees in danger by asking them to confront smokers.
2 comments:
People still go to universities and cinemas, despite the fact that smoking is banned in them. While I agree that there are a lot of businesses that will suffer as a result of smoking bans, I think it is for the greater public good.
As far as limiting rights, this is a touchy subject. The more rights we let slip away, the higher the likelyhood that we lose something essential. However, even in America, it is commonly accepted that the right to Freedom of Speech does not allow you to shout "fire" in a crowded theater, because it would be detrimental to the common good. Also, even in "smoking" establishments, no one has the right to set off a smoke bomb, even though it might bring said person pleasure.
On this particular issue, my personal bias is against the smokers. I think that they are selfish to impose their second-hand smoke on me. (However, I still acknowledge the inherant hypocrisy in this as long as I opt to drive my car - however, driving a car serves a practical purpose beyond simple pleasure, especially in small towns without bus systems!)
This is sick!
The U.S. has regrettably become a place full of idiots who don’t take the time to sit and think of the good of others. I’m sorry if I offend anyone who reads this comment but it hurts to think of the condition of the country today. We can praise our democratic advantages over other countries and our advances in medicine and science which are both worth mentioning, but we are on a slow fall to hell regarding our morals. The fact of the matter is that smoking kills and car pollution isn’t much better but where is the MORALS in that statement? We’ve become a world that depends on automobiles as a means of transportation and I can safely say that that means is more positive than negative. Come On! You don’t have to be Jesus, Buddha, The Dali Lama, or Allah to see societies benefit from the smoking ban. We might have advanced in the areas that I mentioned earlier but those advances will turn out to be shit if we can’t implement some morals on the part of this continent that we own. Hopefully we will get to the point where everyone owns a solar powered car or at least a hybrid but until we all can wear our Green Corp. shirts with pride, lets settle for clean lungs and a healthy heart or at the very least, the ability to sit in a restaurant or bar and come out smelling like the Night blooming Jasmine or Axe Phoenix body sprays that we wore on the way in.
Love,
Jaime
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