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From the lens Smoking should be banned in ALL public places.

  • VeseliDan May 21, 2012 @ 4:04 am | delete
    I think that people are still not aware that smoking is really bad for them and people around them. I hope a lot people will see this lens! *blessings*
  • Luke May 20, 2012 @ 12:16 pm | delete
    Smokers' arguments and my counter-arguments:

    "You can hold your breath long enough to walk past me." A) Why should I have to hold my breath? You have the right to inhale that cigarette smoke, so why can't I be allowed to inhale the fresh air that I want to? B)What about when you're standing at a bus stop smoking and the twenty people around you are forced to stand there and smell it? Are we going to hold our breath then?

    "Just a little bit of smoke won't hurt you" As a matter of fact, it will. I'm asthmatic and even the slightest amount of smoke is extremely dangerous to me. So ignore how much danger you're putting yourself in, you're threatening my life too.

    "There are worse things out there like alcohol and marijuana" Well marijuana is illegal for a reason and you can't be harmed by alcohol because someone nearby is drinking it.

    "Electronic cigarrettes aren't dangerous" Not everyone uses them. Most people who pose the problem are the ones who still subject us to the harmful chemicals in actual cigarette smoke

    "It can't be that bad if it's legal" They are trying to make it illegal because it is in fact harmful. The only reason it is still legal is because it is a large source of money

    "You could just ask me to smoke it somewhere else" I have counted and asked 13 people in my life to please smoke somewhere away from my breathing area. 2 of them agreed without argument. 1 walked away after giving me a profane remark. 1 apologized and put it out immediately. The other 9 either ignored me or continued to smoke near me after expressing very clearly that they could smoke anywhere they want. So asking someone to smoke somewhere else almost never works without issue. 10 out of 13 people prove it.

    "I'll smoke wherever I want to and you can't stop me" No I can't. Only you can stop yourself from being a selfish, ignorant person who is only worried about taking their next puff.
  • jeromeyoung May 18, 2012 @ 5:37 am | delete
    I don't smoke so I would definitely support the no smoking rule! Great lens, this must be read by the people concerned.
  • terri-jacobs May 13, 2012 @ 10:34 pm | delete
    Pat says:
    There is not one shred of proof the secondhand smoke, a term unheard of 25 years ago, has killed a single nonsmoker. The CDC "estimates" of 50,000+ deaths a year are completely computer-generated guesses created by anti-smoking Nazis. Thanks Pat for your information on second hand smoke. I totally agree with you. From newborn to my 30's I was constantly exposed to "second hand" smoke. My grandpa smoked unfiltered cigarettes 3 packs a day around me. My daddy smoked around me constantly too. My grandpa lived to be 69 and he died with no health problems. He was murdered. I am fine and no repurcussions from 2nd hand smoke. I rest my case.
  • terri-jacobs May 13, 2012 @ 10:24 pm | delete
    After reading this article and the posts thereafter. I also read all the advertisements to quit smoking fixes, humidifiers,etc. So this person that wrote this is a professional in the anti-smoking business and will benefit from non-smokers. Hum it seems to me that more & more of America Government is trying to take over our lives & control every aspect of it. Not too long ago there were smoking ads in magazines, newspapers, tv & radio. Now present day they are telling us that smoking is bad, fast food is bad, steak is bad on & on. Don't eat, don't drink, don't breathe...It's really funny to me that alcohol is still exceptable in this country. Politicans drink, business men women drink, 90% of americans drink. It not only is encouraged it is still endorsed on billboards, tv, newspapers, magazines etc.. Lots & lots of money to be gained in the alcohol industry. Alcohol drinking causes cirrohis of the liver, addiction, alcohol withdrawal can kill you. Smoking withdrawal does not kill you. Non-smokers have failed to realize that smoking IS LEGAL! It's not illegal to smoke inside & outside. It depends where you go inside as to whether you can smoke or not. As far as I am concerned you can toot your horn on articles written toward non-smokers all you want. We smokers are still gonna smoke no matter what is said or written. SO GET OVER IT & LEAVE US ALONE!!!!
  • Kin Free May 11, 2012 @ 5:11 am | delete
    re-submitted 11th May 2012;
    Christene, I have no intention of counting nor take issue with it, but I suspect your ?500 more' is somewhat exaggerated - I estimate the opposite. You say; ?... the ones opposed are long winded.? suggests that the ?yes' side comments are brief, simple and to the point, requiring little thought or intellect. Do you understand the techniques of ?public relations' or to give its original name, ?propaganda'? Here is a brief lesson in how to make propaganda work - from the original experts;

    ?All propaganda has to be popular and has to accommodate itself to the comprehension of the least intelligent of those whom it seeks to reach.?
    ?Make the lie big, make it SIMPLE, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it.?
    (Adolf Hitler)
    ?The most brilliant propagandist technique will yield no success unless one fundamental principle is borne in mind constantly - it must confine itself to a few points and repeat them over and over?
    (Joseph Goebbels)

    Of course, there is much more to propaganda than these quotes, but do they sound familiar? Look at all the ?yes' comments and you will find they are all centered around very few limited points, with a few cosmetic variations, repeated over and over. How many of these ?yes' comments do you think are from independent commentators Chris? You may not be surprised that the majority (if not all) are from those employed within the tobacco control movement with various vested interests (being on an anti-smoker website makes this more likely). Ask them to unequivocally deny their connections if you think I am wrong? In case you were wondering, I do not hesitate to unequivocally deny any connection with any tobacco company.

    The recent massive resurgence in propaganda is not limited to anti-smoking, if you are a tad overweight or like the odd glass of wine, you are in the propagandists sights too;
    http://dickpuddlecote.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/following-template-for-fast-food.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+DickPuddlecote+(Dick+Puddlecote)

    If you can identify propaganda when you see or hear it, then it will make you more inclined to ask yourself why it is being used or indeed why it NEEDS to be used.
  • mistyblue75605 May 7, 2012 @ 8:10 am | delete
    Very nice lens...Very interesting comments people have made on here and very opinionated! Good luck and thanks for sharing the info! :)P
  • SWChillyn Apr 21, 2012 @ 10:54 am | delete
    I recently made a trip through Northern California, Oregon, and Washington by car to visit a friend. It is only a 16 hour trip from the San Francisco area so on the way up I tried to do it all in one day. I was so tired the next day was a total bust so I stopped at a motel on my way back down. Silly me, I didnt make a reservation and had to go to several motels along highway 97 before I could find a room at all. By the time I found just one room I was so tired I just couldnt go any ferther. Unfortunately, the only room available was a smoking room. I took it against my better judgement. I opened all the windows and the door and left them open for as long as I was awake trying to air the room out so I could breathe. I guess I finally just got used to the smell and closed the doors and windows so I could turn on the room heater (I was cold, it had been raining all day). I used my own pillow and sleeping bag because the pillows and blankets in the room were saturated with smoke, and I finally fell asleep. The next morning I had a sore throat and my eyes felt like I had been swimming in a clorine pool all night with my eyes open. I was glad to be leaving the room and will probably never repete the mistake of not making reservations. I didnt notice it until I got home and tried to sleep on my favorite pillow but it smelled so bad that It could not be used. It was the same with the sleeping bag, the pajamas I wore and everything else that had been in that room with me encluding my suit case and purse. I was in that room about 10 hours and I have no Idea how much poison I was breathing all that time and how long this is going to affect me. I feel absolutely sick today and have to try and get that smell out of all my stuff. The point is, that smokers are not aware that they carry that smell around with them and leave it on everything they smoke around. Its not just for the time they are smoking in public, second hand smoke doesnt just "go away" when you put out your ciggerette smokers. Especially if you are smoking inside with all the doors and windows closed. It soakes into everything... and Kar351, I care... you deserve to be healthy, and so do I. We need to ban smoking in public places.
  • kar351 Apr 16, 2012 @ 4:57 pm | delete
    I'm a smoker. I know it is bad, I know it harms my health, I know all about that. Now should I be "banned" of public places from smoking? NO! Why? Because if I smoke, is because "someone" likes the money I spent. They do not care about me or my health. If they did, smoking were considered a illegal drug and it is not.
    I live in Portugal, and 2 years ago they passed a tobacco law that ban smoking in public places. For many years it was already prohibited smoking for example in hospitals. That I do agree and accept of course. But now, smoking was banned from shopping malls, restaurants, night clubs, etc.
    What happed? Massive protests to the government because people were losing money on commercial places. So, they decided to "bend" the law. Now it is possible to go to a restaurant and chose a smoking side or a no-smoking side... please... really? They do say that those places must have smoke extractors, but usually that do not help. No smokers still feel the smoke, the smell and still get their health damaged. Casinos, laws? Not going to happen, there is the sign of no smoking when you get in, but when I sit on some machine to play, everyone is smoking. This is a stupid argument, a stupid law. There are too much money involved in this. If the governments were really concerned about health damage because of smoking, then it should be a illegal drug. Not going to happen. Too much money to be made, too much money in taxes, oh and lets get the prices up because we are just a "drug addict" and we keep smoking.

    I respect the people that do not smoke, in my country, they want to make a law to ban smoking in our own cars when children's are traveling. I accept that, and even before this came to the light, I already did that. Whats next? No smoking in my car when I am alone because I can have an accident? Like talking on the phone? I do not need my hands to smoke.... (sorry for been ironic).

    This is a hard topic, in part I do understand, but then there is no respect for the people that CHOSE to smoke. Oh, and about the shopping malls, they decided to make this little spaces with extractors for smokers. They are not closed spaces but open spaces with tables and so on all pretty, around theres a small glass wall not much higher then me. When you get in the mall, you already smell the smoke. I could be on and on about this, but this is for comments and it is already too long.
    Sorry about that.

    Still, do not smoke, I tried quiting and it is very hard, I could not, and I got to be honest I do like smoking.
    I knew people that died at ages over 80 and they smoked all their life. What we eat and drink sometimes, is worst then that. Why is it that the average life spawn is decreasing in the new generations? Not for smoking, but for the junk we eat and drink everyday.
  • Squidoo_Chick Mar 26, 2012 @ 10:58 am | delete
    I smoked when I was younger and wish I hadnt. At 38 i got the big C and was lucky to survive....DONT SMOKE!
  • JimDickens Mar 14, 2012 @ 1:01 pm | delete
    I smoked from the time I was 25 to 40. I have not smoked in the last 25 years. That does not mean that I have not wanted to -- there will always be that pull from the nicotine addiction. I quit and was amazed at how quickly my sense of smell returned. I can now smell when I get in a smokers car or house whether or not I have seen them smoking. It is not a pleasant smell. One of the things I hate the most is seeing an attractive person destroy much of that attractiveness by choosing to inflict smoke on their lungs and that obnoxious smell on their bodies.
  • AlexTedford Mar 12, 2012 @ 5:25 pm | delete
    I hate smoking...I've never smoked in my life and I never intend to. Not to mention the fact that smoking is a huge money-waster.
  • lesh Mar 12, 2012 @ 10:39 am | delete
    thing is you can't avoid smokers they are everywhere,some smokers go into public transport immediately after smoking their cigarettes so as a passenger you cant avoid the smell,others are walking in the streets while smoking,personally i like the morning fresh air but its unfortunate that there will always be someone to pollute it.Public smoking should be banned its not even debatable,it is clear that it causes harm to people what part of that fact do smokers not understand,,,if smokers want to puff their cigarettes fine! the government can build a dome- like structure,that is , in a secluded area where all windows and doors are closed so smokers can enjoy as much tobacco as they want.or if they want to smoke in their cars then fine ,they should make sure all the windows are closed so they could enjoy their tobacco..its clear they can't do without it.
    I think as people we should not just do something because it makes us feel good but there is a need to also think hard about our decisions,how they will affect other people ,especially if their health is at risk..... common sense
  • AlexTedford Mar 12, 2012 @ 5:26 pm | delete
    I agree.
  • Chrmdpoet Mar 11, 2012 @ 5:54 pm | delete
    good way to open debate on a controversial topic. nice lens.
  • candleandblue Mar 8, 2012 @ 3:59 am | delete
    It is so interesting. People who do want to give up smoking should be supported.
  • Hillbilly_Direct Feb 25, 2012 @ 3:36 pm | delete
    good debate! I understand where you are coming from, but I don't think banning smoking outright is the answer. In BC, Canada, you can't smoke in your car, restaurants, bars, or any indoor public area. Further, many cities have banned smoking. On the one hand it makes sense, on the other don't we have bigger things that we should spend tax dollars on then enforcing this sort of law? I am a proud ex-smoker. I feel sorry for smokers now, as I fully understand the 'vice' the addiction. I felt 'dirty' smoking in public. If I ever did, I would be sure to be far from others. I know there are those out there that don't give a rats ass, they will light up in an indoor place full of non-smokers with no concern. But smoking, in most countries, is not allowed indoors, which I agree with. These same people may be willing to abide by the rules inside, but they will not have the same caution outdoors. There is a line, I think this crosses it. Those of us that do think about others, already go out of our way to not bother others with our smoke. It is not like it used to be where a mom or dad would smoke in their car, or house, windows closed, with a bunch of kids. This is what many of the stats referenced are based on, when this was common place. Decient people don't do that anymore, selfish people, that still do, will continue. I am glad to be a non-smoker, but there comes a point where things go too far. This type of legislation, if enforced, would be a drain on already stressed authorities. If it isn't enforced, then what is the point?
  • relish_interiors Apr 17, 2012 @ 2:58 pm | delete
    Hey Hillbilly, I agree with most of your points (also a proud ex-smoker) but thought I would point out that smoking is only banned in your car in BC if there are children under 16 present.
    There is also no smoking in restaurant's outdoor patios which is great in my opinion. I hate in-haling someone's second hand smoke when I am eating or enjoying the summer with a cold beer!
    I hate walking down the road behind someone smoking, but at least I can stop, or slow down, or cross the street. As much as I hate smoke, I think it is a fine line to take away someone's rights (as disgusting as they are!)
    (It is also illegal to smoke within 3 meters of a business's door.)

    Great post Christine!
  • allenwebstarme Feb 22, 2012 @ 5:47 am | delete
    I agree with you, Smoking should be banned specially in public places. Stupid smokers never understand this because they are already in hell so why don't they pull few more legs into this hell? this is general negative stupid thinking.
  • jercow75 Feb 22, 2012 @ 12:11 am | delete
    You've really created debate amongst this lens. I completely agree with you though. I don't think we should have to be subjected to someone else's bad habit.
  • Steve_Kaye Feb 21, 2012 @ 7:41 pm | delete
    Nicotine is an additive toxin that has been used as a pesticide. It's tragic that anyone smokes because they are risking a one in three chance of dying early from a painful illness. If they survive, they will look older and suffer less vitality.
  • etravelvn Feb 20, 2012 @ 5:19 pm | delete
    This is what my wife tells me every day. I'd give up smoking :(
  • CrazyIM Feb 19, 2012 @ 7:23 pm | delete
    I was forced to become a smoker. Here is why. In the good old days, people smoke in the conference room. You can imagine how bad it was. Instead of taking second hand smoke, I switched to firsthand too. But I quit shortly after I left that environment. I am fully support banning smoke in public place.
  • Tipi Feb 17, 2012 @ 11:30 am | delete
    Of course smoking should be banned in public places. It should be banned in homes where there are innocent children present too, but that would be hard to enforce. Some childhood cancers could be avoided if only parents who smoke would take it outside. - I have family members who have fragrance allergies and they suffer greatly if exposed to the smell cigarette smoke.
  • naheedahsan Feb 12, 2012 @ 11:13 pm | delete
    Great lens.Thanks!
  • MelonyVaughan Feb 12, 2012 @ 1:09 pm | delete
    Wonderful lens!
  • bluewren56 Feb 9, 2012 @ 4:35 pm | delete
    Great lens.
  • ImpartialGreg Feb 1, 2012 @ 10:30 am | delete
    Love the results on the duel debate module! Thanks!
  • thesuccess Jan 26, 2012 @ 12:43 pm | delete
    It's pretty much catch 22 for smokers: when people smoked everywhere you hardly ever noticed the smoke at all, now I 'm turning round and disliking it if someone's smoking in an outside terrace 20 paces away.
  • jimmyworldstar Jan 25, 2012 @ 5:26 pm | delete
    I agree, smoking shouldn't be in the public space because others shouldn't have to inhale the second hand smoke and put themselves at risk for lung cancer or other ills.
  • mihgasper Jan 15, 2012 @ 3:32 am | delete
    As I already said, if we put together all pros and cons of smoking, column with cons wins both hands down. With better education and overall look on reasons to start we can uproot smoking!
  • BarbRad Jan 8, 2012 @ 4:57 am | delete
    I've never been a smoker, but some people need to smoke as much as I need to eat sweets -- something else that's unhealthy. They should have somewhere they can do it without legal consequences, but that also will not cause health risks or discomfort to non-smokers. If you are a non-smoker, it's terrible to pay for a good meal and have a smoker at the next table. You can't really get up and leave without losing your meal, but you really can't enjoy the meal either because of the smoke blowing in your direction. It would be wonderful if everyone decided to stop smoking, but it's unrealistic to think this will happen anytime soon. We must find a solution that's fair to all.
  • chromegrrrl Feb 10, 2012 @ 11:55 am | delete
    Here in Oregon workplace (even in restaurants and bars) smoking has been banned, there are some special (very rare and specific) exceptions to the rule (like cigar bars) and I think it's a good compromise. As I mentioned in the debate section I am a smoker-- but I don't like smoke around my food as much as the next person (I don't even like the smell on my clothes) I think the law we have here is reasonable.
  • Isham101 Dec 20, 2011 @ 1:19 am | delete
    Complete ban in all public places is too harsh for anyone.
  • CarlittoDunaway Dec 15, 2011 @ 4:20 am | delete
    I have quit smoking couple of years ago. But I believe everybody has rights to smoke. Nonsmoker has rights to leave the place where smokers smoke.
  • krakensquid Dec 10, 2011 @ 7:27 pm | delete
    A wonderfully written and very imformative lens! Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
  • srioschavez Dec 9, 2011 @ 2:04 pm | delete
    i quit and started back when i didnt smoke i was insane
  • Elhamstero Dec 4, 2011 @ 4:07 pm | delete
    I've never smoked, although my parents did when I was little. I saw how hard it was for my dad to give up and promised myself that I would never put myself in that position.

    That, and I know how much tax you pay on a packet of cigarettes.
  • fullofshoes Nov 30, 2011 @ 2:24 pm | delete
    Quit 4 years ago. THE BEST thing I ever did. Great lens.
  • RetiredRebel Nov 29, 2011 @ 6:55 am | delete
    enjoyed my visit on this lens today
  • ernieplotter Nov 28, 2011 @ 4:47 pm | delete
    I quit smoking 3 years ago... and I dón´t miss it at all!
  • Joie Nov 23, 2011 @ 3:07 am | delete
    I remember a time when restaurants in California allowed people to smoke freely. We non-smokers sometimes had access to an area that was supposed to be smoke-free. But the smoke itself didn't know it was supposed to stay out of our area, and we ended up inhaling it anyway.
    It's been many years since California banned smoking in all public places, and I am so grateful. Some people are affected by second-hand smoke after many years; others become violently ill in minutes.
  • ouriloilo Nov 16, 2011 @ 5:18 am | delete
    My mom is a non-smoker but she is definitely suffering from the secondhand smoke that comes from smokers.
  • noel_rocs Nov 1, 2011 @ 9:15 am | delete
    October 19th was my 7 year anniversary since I stopped smoking. One of the best decisions I've ever made :) ...very hard to do, though.
  • plrsource Oct 29, 2011 @ 1:14 pm | delete
    Great lens....My 10 month anniversary is 11/03
  • greenlungsofpoland Oct 29, 2011 @ 4:59 am | delete
    I was raised in a heavily smoking family my partner smokes i never have but watching the addiction and side effects that smoking has with close friends and family makes me wonder why any of us start in the first place. That said Poland has a long way to go smoking is so the norm here and that has to change fast
  • rozalex Oct 27, 2011 @ 8:08 am | delete
    Hate smoking!
  • nikhelbig Oct 26, 2011 @ 8:29 am | delete
    In Singapore smoking is banned indoors and outdoors of public places.... even in taxi ques. Smokers have to stand 10ft from the main doors of buildings to puff... a lot of my friends are driven to quit because it is inconvenient.
  • WayneDave Oct 22, 2011 @ 4:08 am | delete
    Great lens, with a very interesting topic. It is such a difficult question. I can see both points of view, but I would lean slightly more towards agreeing with you. Thanks for sharing.
  • Russia33 Oct 11, 2011 @ 7:57 pm | delete
    Great Lens. I see it sparked quite a debate too! :) I have always been concerned about second hand smoke. I am really protective of my child when it comes to being exposed to smoke!
  • mom247 Oct 4, 2011 @ 3:08 am | delete
    My dad died from an asthma attack at the age of 42. He was a smoker despite his asthma and the doctor told us that if he hadn't smoked he would almost certainly have lived. I was still a child when he died and the oldest of four children, so this is a subject close to my heart.
  • hamster1960 Oct 3, 2011 @ 4:45 pm | delete
    great lens and great topic, after all, who does smoking helps? no one, hurts everyone including the smoker
  • BobBlackUK Sep 19, 2011 @ 6:54 am | delete
    ! met my late wife when she was 17 and she was a heavy smoker already. I was 21 and a non-smoker but she kept on at me to try it because she thought it looked cool. I eventually succumbed, became addicted and continued for 7 years building to 40-a-day.
    Even then I new it was not good for my health and tried to quit many times, but I was always too weak or too stupid for it to last. I finally gave up for good in 1967 when I was offered a job in computers. You couldn't smoke anywhere near them in those days, and I desperately wanted that job!!
    My wife continued to smoke until her death, aged only 52, in 1994, and I am convinced smoking contributed to her early death.
    I now find smoking a disgusting and dangerous habit that should be banned totally for the sake of future generations.
    You can always tell a smoker. Apart from the smell on their breath, their clothes and everything around them, their faces look lined and grey and dirty.
    Do your bit for society ... tell a smoker how disgusting they are ... name and shame! If you can save just one smoker, you will have done a good thing.
  • sidther Sep 13, 2011 @ 10:16 pm | delete
    I have been smoking for a very long time and despite numerous attempts (that lasted almost a year each) still can't stay quit. That said, I WANT a ban! I do not smoke in public anyway for the very reasons you have discussed but I want the ban more to help protect my child. When kids see adults smoking, they think it is ok. He does not see me- I sneak out to "water my plants" or "clean the garage" then I douse myself in febreeze or take another quick shower, he knows something is up, I have even explained it but I NEVER want him to witness it. If he sees it, he is more likely to try.

    People tease me for being the weirdest smoker ever- there is a designated area in my yard and no children may be present and every single cigarette butt must be disposed of properly in a way that is the least detrimental to the environment.

    I have treated patients who have had asthma attacks from being near smokers- whenever I worked I was always scrubbed to avoid causing problems for anyone but just itching for the shift to end so I could have another.

    I love the way you handled this tough topic!
  • Christene Sep 13, 2011 @ 10:24 pm | delete
    Thanks so much for posting! I hope that anyone who dismisses my opinion as a non-smoker will take what *you* said (here in the guestbook and in the duel above) to heart.
  • mavens Sep 11, 2011 @ 7:13 pm | delete
    A ban would encourage smokers to smoke less or give up. If smoking was banned in public places, it would no longer be a social activity.
  • whoisbid Sep 3, 2011 @ 2:08 am | delete
    A very controversial topic but well done on letting people comment
  • godinhora Aug 25, 2011 @ 6:49 am | delete
    I'm uncomfortable about regulation in general, however perhaps more pressure on those who profit and free quit smoking remedies is a better solution.
  • EmpowerLiberty Aug 23, 2011 @ 5:48 pm | delete
    Most of the cities in Arizona are very strict on smoking in public places. It basically is completely banned.
  • PatriciaLi Aug 18, 2011 @ 11:48 pm | delete
    Awesome lens! The goal is not to take away anyone's rights; it is to protect ourselves from someone's choice of addiction which has been proven to harm us.
  • TIRMassageStone Aug 16, 2011 @ 6:47 pm | delete
    My grandmother smoked, but my mother didn't. Both died of cancer. I wonder if my mom would've escaped cancer if she didn't breathe in all that second hand smoke all her life. I loved my grandmother, it's just a thought on how one person's actions effects another's life.
  • JJNW Aug 16, 2011 @ 2:38 pm | delete
    Great info here. A lot of people are super allergic to cigarette smoke (I am one of them). Even walking past someone smoking by the entrance to a store door bothers me. Other smoke is not the same at all. I have no problem with people smoking away from others, but just being "outside" is not enough. In Washington the law is that people must smoke 25 or 35 feet from any commercial doorway. *** Blessed by a SquidAngel ***
  • sukkran Aug 12, 2011 @ 11:33 pm | delete
    very important topic. well presented article on 'smoking'. ~blessed~
  • KathyMcGraw Aug 12, 2011 @ 4:03 am | delete
    A hot topic and one that causes almost as much anger as abortion when it comes to individual choices not being regulated by government. *Blessed*
  • JJNW Aug 16, 2011 @ 2:40 pm | delete
    I agree on limited government regulations. It would be nice if people were just more considerate. Wearing too much perfume bothers a lot of people too! ha.
  • sousababy Aug 10, 2011 @ 10:47 pm | delete
    Also, belated congrats on your Lens of the Day for this important health message . . it will save lives.
  • sousababy Aug 10, 2011 @ 10:46 pm | delete
    Great lens, glad to see it has a purple star . . congrats!
  • sousababy Aug 10, 2011 @ 10:45 pm | delete
    We need to phase out the sale of cigarettes too. It is a health hazard that unfortunately in the 1950's was considered so safe that cars were made with the standard feature of the coil cigar lighter built within the dashboard. I wrote a lens about Barb Tarbox who has saved thousands from an early death. No lectures are needed . . we just need to reach out and help those who have this addiction. I was lucky that I never started, even though I was teased in high school for not smoking.
  • Sylvestermouse Aug 10, 2011 @ 9:23 am | delete
    I have returned today to bless this lens on our "back to school" tour. Such an important issue deserves a second look, a lot of thought and a special blessing.
  • prabhurams Aug 7, 2011 @ 6:18 am | delete
    nice lens...
  • australiasbest Aug 3, 2011 @ 7:10 am | delete
    I quit smoking1 month ago after smoking for 17 years and I have never felt better! Great lense.
  • SaraLynn Jul 24, 2011 @ 7:01 pm | delete
    Christine.. I wanted to hit the like button 100 times on this lens!!
  • chris_triby Jul 21, 2011 @ 4:29 pm | delete
    I love your quote and photo at the bottom of the lens. I agree that in public places smoking should be banned. While I don't smoke, I believe that private establishments should be allowed to make the choice on whether to allow smoking or not just as it is my choice to go to an establishment that does allow it.
  • Resjes Jul 18, 2011 @ 6:26 pm | delete
    I smoke daily, I'm not proud of it, but banning it in public areas isn't going to help people quit smoking.
  • SaraLynn Jul 24, 2011 @ 6:59 pm | delete
    No one is trying to make you quit smoking. But, a lot of people get physically ill from cigarette smoke. I am one of them.
  • Tolovaj Jul 17, 2011 @ 2:57 am | delete
    Smoking is addiction. No reason to be proud of addiction of any kind. no reason to promote addiction of any kind. And it smells terrible too.
  • webcodez Jul 2, 2011 @ 7:04 am | delete
    I've never understood people who smoke. I just don't see the point in it, why would you toxic yourself with it, and for what? The first time you smoked you probably did not like it at all, so why even bother continueing or starting at all - I just don't see the point, and then again; it's toxic... By the way, great lens too, I do agree totally ( however I may be in doubt about banning it outdoors public places as well ).
  • vauldine Jul 1, 2011 @ 10:01 am | delete
    I am not a smoker and never tried to but the potential damge it does to the lungs of the smoker and non smoker alike I would prefer to have it away from public places.
  • TIRMassageStone Jun 29, 2011 @ 11:00 am | delete
    I think it's unrealistic to think that smoking would be banned completely, it just isn't going to happen. Some how, some way, people will be going outside to smoke. It may be an area that is sectioned off, but as much as you hate it, I don't think it's going to go away forever. I mean, really?
  • Graceonline Jun 15, 2011 @ 6:41 pm | delete
    Just had to come back and tell you thanks for the George Carlin quote. Still giggling as I type. So true.
  • Graceonline Jun 15, 2011 @ 6:40 pm | delete
    There's no gray area for me on this one. You choose to pollute your body with a substance that is known to kill slowly and painfully. Fine. No way you have the right to pollute my body as well.
  • speaktolearn Jun 5, 2011 @ 9:33 am | delete
    Boy do I hate smokers!
  • BeyondRoses May 26, 2011 @ 11:15 pm | delete
    Thankful to see it's time come, for cigarette smoking to be banned in the many places it is now. I remember a time when attitudes by some were that non-smokers didn't have any rights. I've been in hospitals in the past where even patients were smoking, and have seen doctors puffing away too. Those incidents caused undue stress, and health risk, but was told some doctors didn't take it seriously. Sadly, I remember my daddy, trying to quit ... he would cut from the cartons, then packs till he began rolling them, but he smoked, and then he died. I was young, and he was gone ... but he should have had many more years.
  • May 25, 2011 @ 11:26 pm | delete
    I hate cigaret and smoking. I think it should be banned in all public places.
  • karmicchristian May 22, 2011 @ 6:17 am | delete
    Great debate. In the end the topic goes up in a smoke. I do agree that smoking should be banned in closed rooms and public places.
  • peetred May 18, 2011 @ 8:02 pm | delete
    Great lens. I agree smoking should be banned in public places. I have kids with asthma and it affects our health.
  • Joshuag01 May 16, 2011 @ 8:17 pm | delete
    The older I get the worse my allergies seem to get and I think a lot of my body's reactions to the contents of the air has to do with general levels of pollution going up. However, I can definitely say that I have difficulties breathing when around smokers for any substantial amount of time. I am completely convinced that people have the right to smoke if they so choose but I also am concerned for my own health. I don't think smoking should be completely banned everywhere but I do think that being courteous to those of us who do not smoke and at least taking your cigarette to another area for the few minutes it takes you to smoke it would be great. In that regard I think businesses who want to cater to non-smokers should have a designated smoking area that is separated from the rest of the business and use a form of air purification to help keeping the smoke from spreading. I know there is a cost involved but what is the health of your non-smoking customers worth to you?

  • marciag May 13, 2011 @ 12:53 pm | delete
    Great lens. I was smoking since I was about 16 all the way to 30, and then I stopped. Now I'm 40+ and never touched a cigarette since. Happy nonsmoker here and boy I hate the smell that comes off people who are smoking and passing me by. They downright reek!
  • lizziehumphreys May 12, 2011 @ 3:42 pm | delete
    I agree with you!! :)
  • Sanam May 11, 2011 @ 7:19 am | delete
    Although smoking is very harmful habit but if someone still wants to smoke then they should make sure it won't harm others. Specially smoking at public places is very irresponsible act. Government should heavily fine for smoking in public places. It really cause lot of health problems. Specially very harmful for kids.
  • ajilcliaen May 3, 2011 @ 1:44 pm | delete
    I am a smoker, but I can agree that smoking should be banned in public places. Although I do smoke, I know of the health effects just like many if not most smokers. The only thing that irks me is the people that think since they don't smoke that they are instantly better than me. I don't have an ego about smoking, and I'm not blowing the smoke in your face. I know it isn't pleasant to smell smoke if you aren't a smoker yourself and that's why the ban is beneficial to everyone. But don't try to put smokers down because they're 'stupid'. Smoking is a bad habit, but we all have one. Everyone needs to chill out.
  • RetroMom Apr 26, 2011 @ 11:11 pm | delete
    I do agree. Smoking is really unhealthy and people who smokes should know that others may not sharing the same enthusiasm like they do specially when they do it in public. Yes, it may not be illegal but we have to respect others who are not into it, so if they should smokes they most definitely do it when they're in private. This is a very informative lens!
  • KChang Apr 26, 2011 @ 8:59 pm | delete
    You rock, helps teach kids not to smoke.
  • JamieSueAustin Apr 24, 2011 @ 8:06 pm | delete
    I'm all about the electronic cigarette. It puts out water vapor and doesn't stink up the room.
  • Momsbusy247 Apr 23, 2011 @ 9:56 pm | delete
    Smoking does not do anything good to our body. I say it should not be banned, but it should be stop.
  • MeltedRachel Apr 5, 2011 @ 11:56 am | delete
    It's horrible in private places too! We can't have our windows open in summer because our neighbour smokes outside his house :/

    Interesting lens - I would say "yes ban it" but I don't agree with the government micro managing everyone's lives. I wish people would be less selfish instead!
  • harry Apr 21, 2011 @ 5:54 am | delete
    yes...........y r right
  • Blonde_Blythe Apr 2, 2011 @ 4:30 pm | delete
    Wonderful lens! I totally agree with you that smoking should be banned in all public places. Thank you so much for blessing my My Glory Days as a Ballet Dancer lens! :)
  • jackiebolen Mar 26, 2011 @ 9:49 am | delete
    I think it should be!
  • blackspanielgallery Mar 21, 2011 @ 9:18 pm | delete
    I noticed the long rants by the smokers above. They have an indefensible position, so they resort to rhetoric.
  • makingamark Mar 21, 2011 @ 3:55 pm | delete
    Great lens! Nice to see a stand being taken on smoking and help being given via useful information provided. Blessed.
  • Sylvestermouse Mar 17, 2011 @ 11:21 am | delete
    Adding a kiss for luck on this St. Patrick's Day!
  • sugunalinus Mar 2, 2011 @ 7:45 pm | delete
    Good cause to fight for. I support your lens.
  • Brandon_G Mar 2, 2011 @ 11:27 am | delete
    As I said above, smoking may be harmful, but it's not illegal. Private businesses have the right to decide if they want to allow smoking, but a ban on smoking in public is a dangerous, and slippery slope. Once you open the door to legalized segregation and discrimination of people, bad things will happen.
  • EverydayMiracles Feb 27, 2011 @ 1:00 am | delete
    I quit smoking two years ago. I have a lens about it as well. It was very, very easy for me. I used a bit of NRT for three days and have not had a cigarette since. I called 1-800-QUITNOW for help and it was great. They walked me through it, offered support when I needed it, and I'm very proud of myself for sticking with it.

    it's still hard sometimes, but I quit because my daughter was getting a lot of ear infections. Since I quit? None!
  • UltraMilk Feb 21, 2011 @ 8:30 pm | delete
    Smoking should be ban anywhere. Period.
  • ShirlW Feb 16, 2011 @ 10:45 am | delete
    I've been here before, stopping by to leave a Culture & Society Squid Angel blessing today.
  • CosmeticMom Feb 6, 2011 @ 12:34 am | delete
    Ummm...I love FREEDOM! Banning this and banning that takes away a person's freedom to choose. Having a place for smokers is fine, but banning? What will be next?
  • Rizwan Feb 17, 2011 @ 12:56 pm | delete
    next will be only freedom for smokers because as we know smoking is much expanding in the world and now smoking has become like a fashion.
  • ChrisDay Feb 4, 2011 @ 8:14 am | delete
    How can such a really damaging product still be sold? We have paralysis of all sorts of 'healthy' activities in the UK, on account of 'Health & Safety' rules. How does a cigarette escape this?
  • AnnaleeBlysse Feb 16, 2011 @ 4:12 am | delete
    Here in the US we've got a department dedicated in part to collecting revenue due to the sale of cigarettes and the Obama Administration signed a new law and increased taxes on cigarettes as one of his first moves as president. Banning tobacco is truly a pipe dream so long as so much money involved that helps pay for things like ... oh gee ... health care and anti-smoking programs the government funds. Go figure.
  • mountaincabinmercantile Feb 22, 2011 @ 7:58 pm | delete
    I am not here to defend smoking...admittedly, I do smoke. But this comment really troubled me. I have spent decades fighting my addiction while researching how to still live a healthier lifestyle to the best of my ability. How can a damaging product like cigarettes still be sold? The same way 90% of the non-food on grocery store shelves can still be sold...the same way so many OTC products in your local store can be sold...the same way ridiculous pharmaceuticals that do more harm than good can be sold...it is all about money, folks. How long have autoimmune diseases been around? (hint: processed foods our bodies don't think of as food). How long have people in their 20s and 30s been getting all forms of cancer? (hint: modern society and the garbage they sell you that you NEED) How long have young ladies been getting breast cancer (hint: birth control pills). Look, I am a considerate smoker and never smoke around others or in an enclosed space - and I have cut down to 10 a day of "natural" smokes (not healthy but minus the gunk)...but I grow so tired of the hypocrisy in this world...the modern world just cannot handle the idea that these man-made diseases have come from the almighty dollar. Smoking is unhealthy...smoking in an enclosed space is not fair to others...but PLEASE open your eyes to the reality of the world around you...unless you are living a lifestyle that mimics putting only in your mouth what "nature intended" prior to our "modernization" you are living in a bubble. Damaging products are all around you and I hate to tell you...you are consuming/ingesting them EVERY SINGLE DAY. To the joggers that run up and down the streets of the big, congested cities all I can say is...why would you try to breathe in MORE? City water...enjoy that flouride or, better yet, buy it in plastic bottles? Enclosed homes with A/C vs fresh air...honestly, put some of your energy into the millions of health concerns we now face in this industrialized society...we could really use your help. You are being fed and sold garbage that is killing you...we only treat SYMPTOMS...no one PREVENTS because there is no money to be made from using your head instead of your wallet. Stepping off of the soapbox...just cannot believe the hypocrisy and unawareness of our society. That is why we chose to sell everything and go live in the mountains/travel...just cannot stand to listen to this type of thing anymore...best of luck...I hope not smoking is the only key to longevity for everyone on this bandwagon...and enjoy your boxed non-foods, sugary sodas, antacids and "microwave meals" - enjoy your overladen with wheat/gluten snacks that convert to sugar (have you checked the embarrassing stats on how many people now have diabetes...WE DIDN'T IN THE PAST FOLKS! Yes, buy your veggies in a can for convenience...those dead veggies provide SO much nutrition. Buy a multivitamin that passes through you in seconds, doing no good, because you take antacids to suppress stomach acid everyday (and why does your tummy hurt? gee...maybe the garbage put in it daily?)...Ugh...signing off...just hope the world wakes up...but glad most of my neighbors are wildlife...see, they GET it...they still survive because they stay true to what nature intended...If they started eating fast food, maybe they would end up like us "intelligent" humans.
  • maplesyrup Jan 23, 2011 @ 5:33 pm | delete
    I have never smoked and glad for that. Our province has banned smoking in all government buildings, restaurants, bars and just about every other public area that I can think of. Has I helped people kick the habit? Well that remains to be seen. We also have the highest number of smokers in the country! Great lens!
  • joanv334 Jan 23, 2011 @ 10:22 am | delete
    Thanks for sharing!
  • noelmanto Jan 21, 2011 @ 12:44 am | delete
    I've quit 10 years ago and never want to smoke again. I believe that enjoy fresh and healthy air is a human right. So smoking in public is definitely a human right violation!!
  • Philippians468 Jan 14, 2011 @ 12:15 am | delete
    stay healthy always! cheers
  • Glenn619 Jan 6, 2011 @ 1:56 am | delete
    The last fag i had was God knows when, happy that you have put light on a topic such as this.
  • FoxMusic Jan 3, 2011 @ 4:18 pm | delete
    Thanks - Great Lens .., Great Cause
  • tembrooke Dec 24, 2010 @ 7:31 pm | delete
    Blessed -- Merry Christmas!
  • PaulOnBooks Dec 22, 2010 @ 1:21 pm | delete
    I'm in the "smokers have rights as long as they don't harm others unknowingly" camp. I smoke but want to scream at pregnant women if I see them smoking, for example. Not being holier than thou but I do try to be considerate -- I smoke outside mainly -- and I do resent passers-by tutting.
  • AdrianaCopaceanu Dec 19, 2010 @ 7:58 pm | delete
    I don't really have a story, other than I never smoked in my life, but I appreciate you taking a stand.
  • spider-girl Dec 18, 2010 @ 3:18 pm | delete
    Great lens!
  • fbaum818 Dec 16, 2010 @ 3:03 pm | delete
    Great lens. I quit smoking when my kids were born.
  • QuirkySue Dec 10, 2010 @ 4:48 pm | delete
    I started smoking at 14, and quit at 23 when I realized my habits were hurting my kids and that they'd probably end up smokers too if I didn't change the pattern. I am glad each and ever day that I broke that nasty habit and don't reek like first/second/third hand smoke anymore. Bleck!
  • Allie8020 Dec 10, 2010 @ 2:59 pm | delete
    People should NOT smoke in running/jogging areas. We're trying to improve our health by exercising -- and it's uncool to force us to breath your cigarette smoke!
  • javrsmith Dec 2, 2010 @ 9:40 am | delete
    On my first visit to England, the pubs allowed smoking. On my second trip, smoking was banned. Was it ever nice in a smoke free environment.
  • javrsmith Dec 11, 2010 @ 8:21 am | delete
    Returned to bless this lens.
  • GoGreenEnergy Dec 1, 2010 @ 6:24 pm | delete
    I quit smoking several times during the past ten years but started back up several months later. Once I quit for just over nine months. I have over a year under my belt now but I have been using an electronic cigarette this whole time. I think even though I can't really say I quit but I believe it is a better alternative for sure. Check out my lens if you haven't seen these before, Cheers!
  • mugshot Nov 29, 2010 @ 12:56 pm | delete
    Great lens. Im a former smoker, I quite five years ago at the age of 25 after smoking for nearly 13 years....yes yes I succumbed to peer pressure at school. Now Im reformed I hate to be around smoke, not because of the smell but because I know what it can do to my health, I felt rejuvented after quiting, my lung capacity increased, I felt fitter and stronger...oh and my sense of small and taste improved!
  • TeamSTM Nov 28, 2010 @ 4:46 pm | delete
    This is an Awesome Awareness Lens, especially the Quiz on Smoking! I have to share this Lens with as many others as possible!
  • wadestar Nov 21, 2010 @ 9:30 pm | delete
    I know smoking is bad for you but I'm no quitter! I agree smoking should be banned in all public places where there is a roof. Great lens, fantastic Duel!
  • ICanCook Nov 20, 2010 @ 7:05 pm | delete
    I really hate the smell of cigarettes and hate to be subjected to it. Thanks for this lens. I support you fully.
  • ntonozzi Nov 19, 2010 @ 10:40 am | delete
    Smoking kills thousands of people every day. Banning smoking in public places, restaurants, and parks is something I can't believe isn't an obvious choice. Not doing this costs humanity money and lives.
  • aesta1 Nov 18, 2010 @ 7:54 pm | delete
    Hi Christene. I want to participate in the debate but can't upload the space to put it...my computer just keep trying to load the blurb...it is my internet connection. We were in Shanghai last week and soon it will have a tremendous problem in public health with the smoking taking place all over the place. You can't avoid it. Once in Hong Kong, I told them I will go to another hotel if they don't put me in a non-smoking floor. I was happy that was only an overnight stay. Asia, other than Singapore, has to address this issue.
  • KDimmick Nov 16, 2010 @ 6:16 pm | delete
    Great lens! I hope one day smoking gets banned everywhere but inside people's homes!
  • Nov 13, 2010 @ 7:16 am | delete
    I love your lens,keep up with the good work.
  • missbat Nov 11, 2010 @ 2:31 pm | delete
    A very important issue that I'm amazed is still so hotly debated. What more proof do people need that smoking is harmful?
  • SereneSea Nov 11, 2010 @ 7:37 am | delete
    I did well in the Quiz 3 out of 4.
    Agree with you 100 % that smoking is harmful for the passive smokers who cannot really help but have to inhale the unhealthy smoke at public places.
  • Margo_Arrowsmith Nov 10, 2010 @ 7:54 am | delete
    I only missed the number of deaths on the quiz.

    But here is what I wonder. There are people who are against smoking laws who are upset about the restriction of freedom, even about things that affect everyone around them.

    There are people who are against gays having the right to marry, even though it doesn't affect them in the least.

    And many of those people are the same people
  • dryder Nov 5, 2010 @ 1:01 pm | delete
    Excellent Lens!
  • tagsforkids Nov 3, 2010 @ 10:01 am | delete
    I am one of the fortunate ones who managed to quit and though it was not easy, definitely not a decision I regret other than wishing I had never started! Amazing how much better your clothes smell and your food tastes! :)
  • Pinkchic18 Oct 29, 2010 @ 1:03 pm | delete
    I'm so thrilled that they've started making bans on smoking inside public places. It's great to see we're getting a start to something healthier!
  • Sarra24 Oct 27, 2010 @ 2:06 pm | delete
    So many times have heard about a book that helps people quit smoking. But my friends it did not help (
  • livingfrontiers Oct 26, 2010 @ 12:18 pm | delete
    If you want to quit smoking, you have to want to do it! Next, realize you will not be losing anything, but gaining everything. Yes, I mean everything! Once you have those two steps nailed down, you will be happy to quit. If you feel your precious little cigarettes are all you have left to enjoy, do not quit. Smoke until you realize they are not fun or enjoyable. Do not be swayed by your current mindset, lose your negative way of thinking, and gain a positive mindset which will allow you to live the best life imaginable. You can do it!
  • tembrooke Oct 22, 2010 @ 8:38 pm | delete
    My grandmother smoked all her life and died of lung cancer earlier this year. I tried to get her to quit when I was a child but she wouldn't listen. Even after she got cancer, she wouldn't quit. I can't wait until cigarettes are no longer allowed in this country. Why do we allow sales of a product that kills people? :-(
  • globaltechfirm Oct 22, 2010 @ 3:45 pm | delete
    i agree. just recently start the horrible habit myself, but before i started smoking i understood the idea of not smoking in public. So this helps me still see things clearly. 2nd hand smoke is just as harmful as smoking yourself. smoking in public invades other peoples rights no matter where it is.
  • blue22d Oct 19, 2010 @ 6:52 pm | delete
    Never smoked. My husband recently died from lung cancer caused by smoking. He quit over 17 years ago but wasn't enough. With the e-cig's on the market, no reason anyone would need to smoke inside near people.
  • Yoyo ma Oct 18, 2010 @ 10:46 am | delete
    Smoking should be banned because it is retarded. Many people die because they are inhaling the fumes of the smoke. They should ban this. They shouldn't have created tobacco in the first place. When they found out that it was bad for you they should have made it illegal. They are decreasing the population of the youth!!!!!!!!!
  • Oct 13, 2010 @ 1:45 pm | delete
    I'm trying to quit smoking.
  • livingfrontiers Oct 26, 2010 @ 12:19 pm | delete
    Keep trying, and decide that you want to quit. You can do it! You are not losing anything, but gaining a great new life!
  • KDimmick Nov 16, 2010 @ 6:17 pm | delete
    Keep going! Hypnosis is supposed to work very well for this if you're looking for help
  • pyle_mountain Oct 10, 2010 @ 4:27 pm | delete
    Never smoked, never will and I feel really sad for anyone who does continue to smoke. But it really bothers me when I have to smell someone's 2nd-hand smoke. Great debate - well done.
  • Oct 1, 2010 @ 9:42 pm | delete
    great lens smoking costs the world billions and it is about time that the hole world stopped paying for the poor choices that smokers make.
  • Irenemaria Sep 29, 2010 @ 2:03 pm | delete
    Collective suicide - that is what smoking is. Costly to the sick care too
  • Oliversbabycarecouk Sep 28, 2010 @ 9:13 am | delete
    Great Lens On A Very Good Topic That Needs To Be Debated On. As Long as All Smokers Smoke Outside, It Should Be Fine.
  • Shelly Sep 26, 2010 @ 11:56 pm | delete
    I live on the Minnesota and Wisconsin border and finally both states now ban smoking in all restaurants and bars. I don't go to bars and have heard all the controversy about smoker's rights for way too many bars. Second hand smoke has taken it's toll on to many people who have needed to make a living working where smoking was the norm--sad that making a living for anyone means dying of cancer. I've been here before and I am still adament about this subject. Back in college, smoking was supposed to be banned in the classroom. One day I gathered up a couple dozen ash trays from the Special Ed Department class rooms and brought them to the presidents office. President Dill hadn't had that occur before. Many think that outdoor smoking doesn't bother anyone because there is so much air. Well, I am affected even outside and need to move away from smoke. It's a chemical sensitivity that those who are affected can't help. Allergy medications and nasal sprays have limited effect. Now could you help those of us who are desparately sensitive to most perfumes? Now that will bring that anger out in folks!
    Chistene good for you for being bold about your convictions. I see your gracious presence as I visit on Squidoo and really admire the way you have about you. Well done.
  • Christene Sep 27, 2010 @ 12:08 am | delete
    Thank you Shelly :)
  • cbessa Sep 24, 2010 @ 7:41 am | delete
    Well,here in Brazil. In São Paulo State. Smoking is banned from public places from about 2 years and things really got better.
  • wickless-candles Sep 21, 2010 @ 1:09 pm | delete
    this is by far one of the most touch subject on the net, This topic kills people, lets ban this together, no more smoking.
  • Sylvestermouse Sep 17, 2010 @ 3:24 pm | delete
    Excellent lens for information and/or debate. Would you believe I actually scored 100.
  • Jodi_k Sep 11, 2010 @ 6:03 pm | delete
    Excellent debate topic. As someone who is extremely sensitive to smoke, I'm torn. I hate the stuff, and almost literally jumped for joy when it was banned in most restaurants and bars here in New York.

    I think though, that if something is legal, people ought to be allowed to use it, as long as they are not bothering others. If someone walks by me with a cigarette, I try to get out of the way! (Cigars are really bad though).
  • awelldressedbullet Sep 10, 2010 @ 10:40 am | delete
    Definitely a great topic for a lens, and I do agree the public has the right to clean air and a healthy environment. I have been a non-smoker for almost 2 years, but I never smoked in front of a non-smoker, that's just being considerate. However as a heavy ex-smoker I would hope there would be consideration for those who have been unable to quit, rather than judge them or impose my will, give them certain areas to smoke. It's called compromise.
  • charlino Sep 7, 2010 @ 11:34 pm | delete
    Great topic. Great Monkey-Brain. Blessed by an angel.
  • clickforseo Sep 7, 2010 @ 2:35 pm | delete
    Yes, why should us non-toxic passers by deal with the occassional cancer cloud. i agree!
  • howdoyouspellstupid Aug 29, 2010 @ 6:10 pm | delete
    Thanks for getting your opinion out there!! Smoking is gross and unhealthy, and we should all spread the word to get smokers to quit blowing smoke in our faces!! Thanks for making such a great lens.
  • ajgodinho Aug 29, 2010 @ 11:49 am | delete
    Smoking only causes harm to the person smoking and the ones around. Also as per WHO, youth exposed to 2nd-hand smoke at home are one-and-a-half to two times more likely to start smoking than those not exposed. Great lens on an important topic!
  • M Aug 25, 2010 @ 2:27 pm | delete
    Why wouldnt you want to ban smoking? All it does is cause ill health for everybody. If you want to be green, you need to stop the air pollution too, right?
  • buat Aug 27, 2010 @ 2:16 am | delete
    Yeah, you are right. Smoking bring nothing but harms to people.
  • kab Aug 25, 2010 @ 1:18 pm | delete
    I don't think we should ban smoking outdoors, however I think it's high time we start enforcing our laws against littering - and cigarette butts on the ground is littering. There is no excuse for being rude and throwing your butts on the ground.
  • Obscure_Treasures Aug 22, 2010 @ 3:21 pm | delete
    You have done a great social duty through this lens,it is true that every person has a bad experience except smoker, from the side of public health it is a great lens, so you may be rated as 5*****.
  • Delray Aug 14, 2010 @ 12:52 am | delete
    i work outside setting up concession booths for fiestas and festivals in downtown San Antonio Tx. There are times when i set up at Market Square and the tourists congregate outside a very popular mexican restaurant,and chain smoke while waiting for an available table. I find breathing difficult and have to use an asthma pump sometimes more than once.It really affects me in a very bad way. I feel helpless in changing this policy and wish to God something would change. I am not the only one that feels this way. I am glad someone is finally trying to do something about it. A persns right to smoke only goes as far as anothers right to breathe! I am willing to fight for my right to breathe!
  • Andy Aug 5, 2010 @ 5:31 am | delete
    I agree, because I feel disturbed by the smoke and the smell. As we know it will give bad effects for other people in surrounding. Passive smoker has a greater effect to their body rather than the smoker itself. So, It can be a good suggestion to ban smoker in the public area. They should have a private place somewhere. However, this will be problematic, so I think there should be a good solution from to counter smoke effect. I was also a smoker, but I had stopped more than a year. Now I know how people feel when there are smokers in the public area. So, I stop smoking because I don't want to get bad effects from smoking to my body and other people. However, It needs a strong determination to stop smoking and supported by smoking hypnotism method which is very helpful for me.
  • Cherrybomb2009 Jul 22, 2010 @ 11:31 am | delete
    I love the George Carlin quote & little comic at the end of this lens! I swear, I was in a Waffle House set up like that, and I told my friends "Sorry, but really this WHOLE restaurant is a smoking area- I'm going to need to eat in the car." They understood, especially since I'm asthmatic, and they ended up eating in the car with me. I think some people just have no common sense about this isssue, sorry.
  • wishgirl Jul 20, 2010 @ 10:22 am | delete
    I'm not a smoker, but I always walk instead of using the car if I can and am constantly aware of the amount of fumes I smell and breath in as I walk from a to b. This I find disturbing too, so it's a bigger problem than just smoking! Sometimes I feel I would be safer in my car with the windows closed.
  • skiesgreen Jul 19, 2010 @ 11:59 pm | delete
    Great topic and well framed questions. *-*Blessed*-* and featured on Sprinkled with Stardust and also on Lenses That Shine. Congrats on LOTD
  • millou Jul 17, 2010 @ 11:39 am | delete
    I'm not a smoker but I think (and the law also thinks that way) people should be free to smoke in open spaces, where the prejudice for non-smokers is ridiculously small.
    I also think nicotine is a drug, like marijuana, and if people are allowed to smoke cigarettes they should also be allowed to smoke light drugs. Just my opinion.

    Great lens!
  • Sally1746 Jul 15, 2010 @ 11:01 am | delete
    smoking is a disgusting habit i partake in when i am drinking :)
  • Spook Jul 10, 2010 @ 11:28 am | delete
    Just popping back for another look at this great debate.
  • collmj94 Jul 6, 2010 @ 10:50 am | delete
    just go smoke outside!
  • Melissa Welsh Aug 15, 2010 @ 3:03 pm | delete
    Smoking outside means no fresh air for those who dont want to inhail the disgusting secondhand smoke.
  • gaddison Jun 12, 2010 @ 5:29 am | delete
    You bring up some good points. But like a lot of othe rthings it is easier said than done. Quitting smoking is very hard for a lot of people. But between annoying other people and the health risks involved it is worth it to try. Especially for pregnant women who really should quit smoking while pregnant.
  • ols May 14, 2010 @ 6:44 pm | delete
    Of course you are absolutely right. Smokers don't have the right to inflict their filthy habit on others. Workers have the right to work in a safe environment in places like bars and restaurants, not have to breathe in second hand smoke. Customers have a right to eat their food without inconsiderate people puffing away on cigarettes near them.
  • Kharadriisa May 14, 2010 @ 7:35 am | delete
    I can't stand the smell and the effects of being around smokers. My 4 year old has to go on breathing treatments when someone nearby smokes. He's had trouble with his breathing since the day he was born and I'm a non smoker. Everytime my chain smoking granny comes to stay with us me and my kids get sick. I am tired of getting bronchitis, but I can't let my granny go without a home when she needs it. Most of the time she doesn't smoke around us, but hey it's not like the smoke disappears into a magical place. Ever hear of third hand smoke?
  • hlkljgk Apr 18, 2010 @ 6:40 pm | delete
    really great discussion. and i do happen to think smoking should be banned in public places; it's rude. smoke all you want, just don't make me inhale your smoke - especially if my kid's around.
  • Airinka Apr 12, 2010 @ 1:38 am | delete
    NONSENSE!
  • ShirlW Apr 9, 2010 @ 2:38 pm | delete
    Excellent debate topic. I'm an ex-smoker who can't stand being around it BUT my husband has been unable to kick the habit. Talk about being on the fence!
  • garyr_h Apr 1, 2010 @ 11:55 pm | delete
    Nice lens! :-) I don't have much of a story about smoking, I've just always hated the smell and I can't breath well around it. :)
  • MsSnow4a Mar 18, 2010 @ 1:04 pm | delete
    Great lens, Looks like it is very popular too. I do not smoke and i hate being around people who do. Most people respect my wishes and dont smoke around me although i dont know that many people who do smoke.
  • CaseyKaldal Feb 28, 2010 @ 1:23 pm | delete
    Smoking is banned in BC Canada in all public places, even some outdoor places. They even enforce a ten foot rule from doors. It's great.
  • pilegirl Feb 26, 2010 @ 9:40 pm | delete
    I had chronic health problems that miraculously cleared up when they stopped letting people smoke at work. I don't like to tell other people what to do, but, hey! It's making me physically sick!
  • lumpy22 Feb 23, 2010 @ 1:43 pm | delete
    We just did in North Carolina where I live January 1st I agree just that it is a major part of our economy and how it effects bars and restaurants are the negatives.
  • Ideaslady Feb 18, 2010 @ 12:37 am | delete
    Totally agree!
  • LeanneChesser Feb 7, 2010 @ 2:14 pm | delete
    Excellent topic for a debate! I agree that smoking should be banned everywhere except smoker's own personal places.
  • enslavedbyfaeries Feb 7, 2010 @ 2:03 pm | delete
    Awesome debate, Christine!
  • loganadrian Jan 13, 2010 @ 11:03 pm | delete
    They should be. In Singapore smoking is banned in public area.
  • stacy_mcdaniel Nov 16, 2009 @ 11:40 am | delete
    My grandpa died from cancer because he smoked. He laid in the hospital for eight weeks and didnt say a word, because of the chemo. That was when I was twelve. I decided right then that I would not be a smoker. I'm thirty-four and proud to say I've never been a smoker.
  • lasertek Nov 15, 2009 @ 6:56 pm | delete
    Definitely agree! Non-smokers must be very vigilant in their fight against smoking because they are greatly affected.

    Visit my lens as well. Thanks
  • paperfacets Nov 15, 2009 @ 4:37 pm | delete
    All I know about smoke is it stinks and is pretty troublesome when you get near it. This is from a former smoker. This reaction does not happen till you have been smokeless for over seven years.
  • Heather426 Nov 13, 2009 @ 11:52 am | delete
    Fantastic lens and ~blessed by a squidangel~ I'm with Brenda, I don't want to be forced to breathe smoke...but smokers should have an area too...it's a quandry.I think it should be a local decision, not a national one.
  • TheBongDude Nov 7, 2009 @ 5:55 am | delete
    Very nice lens and would say I have to agree and I smoke!
  • Artemus-Gordon Nov 3, 2009 @ 2:14 pm | delete
    It really bothers me how smokers stand in front of doors and smoke so that you have to walk through a cloud to go into a building.
  • Tipi Nov 3, 2009 @ 12:58 pm | delete
    This is very good lens on a controversial subject. Well done!
    Squid Angel blessed today!
    Susie
  • Shelly Nov 3, 2009 @ 12:46 pm | delete
    Way back in 1972 I joined the Association for Non-smokers Rights at the university I attended--It has been disappointing to see how long it has taken to get smoking out of the public. Clean air should be a given for all!
  • Spook Oct 28, 2009 @ 1:37 pm | delete
    I said I would come back. By now I also think you well know I detest this type of thing. It's actually beside the point. Why? Because it's a great debate and I have always loved those. Blessed by an Angel.
  • Lee Oct 22, 2009 @ 3:22 pm | delete
    I've been trying to give up for 2 years. I thought the birth of my second child would do the trick - but I'm back on them again.

    For me - the answer is legislation and taxation. The only thing that's gonna make me stop is if someone makes if very difficult or expensive for me to continue. Go ahead - raise the taxes and refuse me medical insurance (you'll be doing me a favor). Use the taxation money to educate kids on why they shouldn't start in the first place.

    http://www.squidoo.com/scimedical
  • Pukeko Oct 22, 2009 @ 6:35 am | delete
    Fantastic lens. Squid angel blessed
  • DeboraR Oct 15, 2009 @ 1:20 am | delete
    Great lens on a very contraversial topic. I'm an exsmoker of 21 yrs. However, I believe its a persons right/freedom to make the choice to smoke or not. All the hoopla over second hand smoke has never shown me any tangible proof that any such thing is deadly.
  • Spook Oct 13, 2009 @ 1:50 pm | delete
    Coming back soon. Oh what fools us mortals be.
  • homebasedangell Jul 21, 2009 @ 9:44 am | delete
    Great lens on a subject that should be debated until nicotine is only alive in history books! The best decision I ever made was to quit (12 years ago).
  • Sarunas Apr 10, 2009 @ 1:34 pm | delete
    Awesome lens : )
    Good job. 5 stars from me.
    Keep it up.
  • Treasures-By-Brenda Apr 7, 2009 @ 2:31 pm | delete
    This is one of those basic debates that I find easy to answer. I don't think anyone else should 'force' me to smoke.

    I'd be thrilled if you'd way in on another 'simple' debate that isn't, well, quite so simple. Banning paper coffee cups is being strongly considered in Toronto. Did you know that they are not recycled!?! Please visit and let me know what you think of that subject!

    I am lensrolling your lens to mine; yours is just on a different type of pollution than mine. And, oh yes, blessing your lens, too!

    Brenda
  • jura Mar 29, 2009 @ 8:50 am | delete
    I agree with the lens.
  • Adrian Haggett Mar 20, 2009 @ 5:21 am | delete
    Let's be totally honest here - how many people do you know personally who have died from pacif smoking? I think the bunny-huggers of this world have gone too far. If you sit around a camp fire you are likely to inhale smoke from the fire, but we don't ban camp fires, do we?
  • JoanneOtt Mar 5, 2009 @ 2:27 am | delete
    I agree that smoking should not be allowed in any public places. I live in a city that banned it about 10 years ago now. It's so nice to go out and not be subjected to second hand smoke!
  • Christene Feb 27, 2009 @ 3:28 pm | in reply to mysticmama | delete
    ha...it does!
  • mysticmama Feb 27, 2009 @ 3:19 pm | delete
    very cool lens, it really gets people fired up doesn't it!
  • LaurieBeth Feb 21, 2009 @ 4:52 pm | delete
    Great debate, Christene.

    Democracy is about compromise; that is what people don't get. Not everybody is going to get what they want--therefore, lawmakers have to weigh the pros and cons of both sides. It does not surprise me at all that at least in my wonderful state of New York, they realized that the con of one side--someone having to go the 2-3 hours it takes to have a nice dinner without a cigarette--pales in comparison to the con of the other, which is a small child or a person with asthma or other form of COPD either being blocked out from all restaurants or being injured because of someone else's choice.

    Your rights end where someone else's begin. People need to remind themselves of that.
  • brandmanager Feb 19, 2009 @ 11:53 am | delete
    I'm trying to quit...it's no so easy
  • healthsensei Dec 27, 2008 @ 2:04 am | delete
    I agree smoking should be banned too. Smoking is not the only way to reduce stress. It might be a quick and easy way to do it but why reduce stress at the cost of jeopardizing your own health? If you live in a house with smokers, I suggest that you get one of those air purifiers for homes to at least clean the air and protect yourself from secondhand smoke!
  • jdttni Dec 13, 2008 @ 5:20 pm | delete
    Great squidoo lens! I personally run an online electronic cigarette guide. It's a great tobacco replacement product and I highly recommend it.
  • Aika Dec 10, 2008 @ 8:25 pm | delete
    I have read an article yesterday that Heart Disease is not now the major cause of death but Cancer, mostly Lung Cancer, which is cause by tobacco smoking! And guess what, it still increasing the death every year.
  • Lexi Nov 28, 2008 @ 3:57 pm | delete
    Great lens! I posted in the duel here, I have had serious problems with second hand smoke in the past. Five Stars!
  • thrivingmom Nov 25, 2008 @ 2:05 pm | delete
    Smoking was recently banned in my city for ALL public buildings. What smokers don't understand is if you have chronic allergies, like I do, and sit in the non-smoking section of a restaurant, you still smell and get irritated by the smoke in the building that is being produced in the smoking section. I know that people who love their cigarettes think this is just a minor inconvenience for allergy sufferers, but if I bring it in for about an hour (which a wait for a table and a meal at a restaurant can reasonably take longer than that) I often end up with bronchitis. Smoking is the only vice that anyone can have that actually negatively impacts the health of people around them. It's completely unfair for me to do my best to stay healthy and then be forced to breathe in that toxic smoke just because I want a night out.
  • Norma_Budden Nov 24, 2008 @ 12:51 am | delete
    You certainly have a controversial lens. I've read some of the comments on either side of your debate and am impressed by the number of comments coming your way.
  • Gordon_Hamilton Oct 22, 2008 @ 6:00 pm | delete
    The bottom line is - of course - that you are absolutely correct: smoking is a filthy, disgusting habit and in an ideal world, would be banned everywhere. Unfortunately, this is not an ideal world.

    I am still smoking - on and off - for two simple reasons: I can't stop and I genuinely enjoy it, even though I know what it is doing to me. Here in the UK, there is talk at the moment about refusing smokers treatment for related conditions on our National Health Service. Sounds fair - until you consider the absolute fact that it is the tax paid by smokers on their cigarettes that funds the NHS!

    I know there is no right or wrong answer to this question but you have certainly picked a fantastic subject for your lens! It is definitely one of those situations where, "You can please some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can never please all of the people all of the time!"
  • Music-Resource Oct 7, 2008 @ 6:23 am | delete
    Hi Christene, Smoking should be banned in all public places = true statement. ~Music Resource~
  • ashleymia Oct 1, 2008 @ 12:21 am | delete
    Nice lens. I am totally agree with you. Smoking is very bad thing in our society.
  • JustAls Sep 28, 2008 @ 5:22 pm | delete
    great lens!!!!! Who KNOWS what cigarette smoke does to us!?
  • thrivingmom Sep 22, 2008 @ 1:11 pm | delete
    This is a great lens and I have featured it as an example on my new lens about the various Squidoo templates. Please come by and take a look.
  • A_RovingReporter Sep 20, 2008 @ 7:10 am | delete
    I agree. Smoking in public places is akin to terrorism, causing deaths, albeit in a slow manner, to innocent people - including the loved ones of the smokers. Passive smoking is known to cause cancer and aggravate asthma. Five stars.
  • MusicMadness Sep 17, 2008 @ 10:17 pm | delete
    Smoking in public places is pretty much banned everywhere I live. It's still a free country, and people that insist on smoking should be allowed to do it anywhere that doesn't affect others. 5* for a timely topic.
  • Sep 14, 2008 @ 10:46 pm | delete
    great stuff here! i agree with your lens!

    banned the cigar!

    5 stars!
  • Aug 27, 2008 @ 10:27 am | delete
    Thanks for the chance to weigh in on the right side of a heated discussion. Smokers have a blind spot when it comes to "walking a mile" in the other guy's shoes. It's all about them. Waaa! I can't smoke wherever I want! Waaa!
  • ThomasC Aug 25, 2008 @ 9:04 pm | delete
    I agree smoking should be banned. It is so obvious what it does to your health. The tobacco companies are making millions off of slowly killing people.
    I blessed your lens for you!
  • annetteghallowell Aug 4, 2008 @ 10:23 am | delete
    I am allergic to smoke. I love it when I can go into an environment where I don't have to worry about not being able to breathe! Thanks for a great lens! 5*
  • WritingforYourWealth Aug 1, 2008 @ 1:46 am | delete
    no arguments from me. :)
  • Springbok Jul 31, 2008 @ 5:01 pm | delete
    Long Live the STOP SMOKING BAN all around the World, especially in the underdeveloped countries where the cigarette manufacturers are now encouraging new recruits with cheap cigarettes - we will all live longer and be healthier if we outlaw smoking! As an previous smoker I want it outlawed, its horrible, smelly and unhealthy and a DRUG. This site rocks keep up the great work Christene Xxx
  • yeastinfectioncures Jul 21, 2008 @ 2:02 pm | delete
    I agree, smoking definitely causes higher costs...but look at all the other things we do to cause unhealthy lifestyles... alcohol, fast food, pollution... there are lots of triggers... smoking isn't the onl
  • JJC13 Jul 18, 2008 @ 8:46 am | delete
    I would have to definitely agree to have it banned and for it to be done immediately. Lots of medical conditions are caused by smoking and is also identified as what causes ringing in ears due to the nicotine content.
  • court1 Jul 12, 2008 @ 7:52 pm | delete
    Congrats on your lens ranking. I'm allergic to smoke, so I like it when I don't have to suffer allergic reactions while enjoying public places!
  • romyraut Jun 27, 2008 @ 9:30 am | delete
    We should stop the cigarette manufacturers the first point.
  • daviddorf Jun 27, 2008 @ 9:16 am | delete
    Would like to share this movie which I just watched --NO SMOKING-- it is a Bollywood movie and supports this lens.
  • marywhitewhite Jun 27, 2008 @ 9:04 am | delete
    Passive smoking as we know is much harmful than direct smoking.
    I agree with your thoughts
  • Hhank Jun 27, 2008 @ 7:41 am | delete
    Smoking is injurious too health. Should be discouraged at any point
  • Pamela2Heaven Jun 24, 2008 @ 3:36 pm | delete
    I agree and I am jumping on the "ban" wagon.

    Great lens
  • journalist Jun 23, 2008 @ 12:05 pm | delete
    Great discussion and lens. As much as I don't like smoking, cigarettes are still legal. This topic really gets you thinking though. 5 stars!
  • Thayer Jun 21, 2008 @ 10:44 am | delete
    I smoke so im on the unpopular side, but while i think people shouldn't smoke inside public places, i would like to point out outside in public i get harrassed by non-smokers, You guys have just as much right not to inhale my smoke as much as i have a right to inhale.
  • beachbum_gabby Jun 18, 2008 @ 10:46 pm | delete
    thanks for the opportunity to express my opinion about smoking should banned in public places.
  • journalistJun 18, 2008 @ 9:18 pm | delete
    I love your lens. I have a smoker in my life and frankly I have a very difficult time dealing with all of the negative aspects of smoking. I avoid smoke indoors and outdoors at all costs. I'm sure most smokers would prefer to be non-smokers, but they just don't know how to go about it. Anyway, you have an awesome lens and congratulations on making the top 100 list!
  • health_advisor Jun 5, 2008 @ 10:55 pm | delete
    Hi! wow congratulations for making it up to the Top 100 lens. I agree that smoking should be banned in public places. I have allergic rhinitis and i really suffer when there is somebody smoking near me.

    Also please don't forget to drop by at my site:
  • contessaxd May 31, 2008 @ 8:29 am | delete
    Congratulations on making the top 100 list!

    I'd have to agree that smoking should be banned in all public places. As an asthmatic,I've certainly benefited from the no public smoking laws here in England.

    Learn How To Harness The Power Of Your Mind To Stop Smoking
  • Doncarlin May 28, 2008 @ 7:55 pm | delete
    My only issue with public smoking is second hand smoke; otherwise I feel people are free to do as they wish to their bodies.
  • JohnDavid May 25, 2008 @ 12:02 pm | delete
    I agree, smoking should be banned in public places and in general. As an insurance agent I see how smokers impact the cost of health insurance for all of us. Wonder why 47,000,000 Americans are living without health insurance? The reason: Insurance costs too much!

    Imagine how affordable insurance would become if we all did not have to absorb the cost of the 8,600,000 Americans who are currently chronically ill with a smoking related disease.

    Smoking in public impacts us all, because eventually a smoker's heart disease, high blood pressure, lung disease or cancer will need to be treated in a hospital and we will all bear the brunt of higher health costs or higher taxes to pay for the those who chose to exercise their right to smoke.
  • LDWorld May 23, 2008 @ 12:00 am | delete
    Congratulations on making TOP 100!
    Useful and helpful info.
  • boodidyajump May 21, 2008 @ 5:14 am | delete
    My parents both smoked whilst I was growing up, but thankfully gave up when I was in my teens.
    They advised me not to start, and although I did try it, I thought it was disgusting. I accept it is a free world, but something that damages other people is not acceptable behaviour. http://stopsmokingforgood.info/" target="_self" name="stopsmokingforgood.info" onMouseOver="window.status='http://stopsmokingforgood.info/'; return true;" onMouseOut="window.status=''; return true;">stopsmokingforgood.info
  • BhareshDedhia May 20, 2008 @ 3:35 am | delete
    People who smoke should do so in the confine of their own breathing space and not pollute the air of others. No smoking in public places
  • scorpionmagnet May 19, 2008 @ 1:15 am | delete
    Smoking is dangerous to your health and since it is the government should do something to regulate allowable smoking places.
  • JCN May 17, 2008 @ 3:19 pm | delete
    I'm with you. NoPublicSmoking.com
  • pyle_mountain May 17, 2008 @ 8:29 am | delete
    I love this lens! Second hand smoke makes it hard for me to breath. Smoking should be banned everywhere except your own private property. 5 stars from me!
  • jzorro May 16, 2008 @ 6:54 am | delete
    I'm not a fundamentalist, but I think and agree that smoking should be ban from all public spaces!

    Smokers should realize that, altough they have rights, smoking has a great impact on others.

    Mike Geary
  • 1crazydream May 13, 2008 @ 3:55 pm | delete
    I am an ex-smoker. My oldest daughter suffers from asthma and has since she was 1 years old, now 13. I just recently quite, but I do no that second hand smoke, DOES, cause bad things. Because we smoked around her when she was little she developed asthma. It was not something she was born with. We always since then, have smoked outside, not in public, but at our home. I am for banning in public. I for one know the damage it can cause to those who don't smoke. I always felt weird smoking in public, it isn't right, it isn't a non-smokers choice to be around smoke. So they shouldn't have to put up with it!
  • iamjoanna May 8, 2008 @ 8:53 am | delete
    I'm for smoking banning with all my hands!
  • FormerlyFatLady Apr 28, 2008 @ 3:43 pm | delete
    It's incredible to me that cigarettes are legal while marijuana is not. But I guess that's another subject. I agree about it being illegal in public.
  • purple83 Apr 27, 2008 @ 4:02 pm | delete
    Well I am a smoker now and when I was not I did not like people smoking around me either so I can see where people are coming from.
    Check out my lens its about GLOBAL WARMING and GOING GREEN just click my name
  • Chris_Fahey Apr 24, 2008 @ 1:53 pm | delete
    While I feel terrible for the poor lady who died at her job, I don't think it really counts as a case against smoking. Its equivalent to saying. Ban the HoneyBees--Tragic Story: Woman allergic to bee stings dies after going to work at bee hive.

    Personal responsibility does have to come into this at some level.
  • JasmineRafique Apr 15, 2008 @ 2:40 pm | delete
    Drinking should be banned.
  • YouCanCallMeDan Apr 13, 2008 @ 7:51 pm | delete
    I have asthma and smoke really sets it off. Would prefer to go places that do not allow smoking... Good job on your lens!!!
  • snoring Apr 13, 2008 @ 1:53 pm | delete
    Great lens.
    In Denmark most of the place been banned.
    only a specific area for smoker.
  • Frankster Apr 12, 2008 @ 5:37 pm | delete
    Excellent lens and topic. 5 stars. I love the restaurant cartoon below. My father smoked for 50 years, then quit and was devastated 10 years later when he was diagnosed with lung cancer. He died 8 months later. You just can't have it both ways. If you smoke, quit now before it's irreversible.
  • BORneo Apr 7, 2008 @ 1:58 am | delete
    My elder brother stopped smoking after some 30 years of addiction. He said it was difficult at the beginning of the "quit" but he turned to candies and chewing gum as replacement. This showed it is very possible to quit smoking after long-term addiction.
  • Drcool Apr 1, 2008 @ 6:22 pm | delete
    I have one simple statment to make: Smokers have the right to kill themselves, but what gives them the right to kill others?
  • Tpico Apr 1, 2008 @ 2:05 pm | delete
    Of course it should be banned. Nicotine is as addictive as other drugs. Quit Cigarette Smoking
  • tom191085 Mar 29, 2008 @ 8:07 am | delete
    Great lens. Really difficult topic. I don't have a definite answer but I've left you my thoughts on the debate above. 5*****.
  • vitahow Mar 28, 2008 @ 9:29 am | delete
    I have to say I agree. It's not a pleasant experience to be sitting next to someone who smokes.
  • GreatToyMom-com Mar 26, 2008 @ 1:32 pm | delete
    I agree -- no smoking. I am annoyed by smokers who, under any other circumstances are lovely poeple, don't either realize or care how offensive their smoke is. AND...those who do realize it seem to think that changing the hand holding the cigarette or turning away from you for the next puff will spare the non-smoker from the smell and smoke!
  • robert320 Mar 26, 2008 @ 10:46 am | delete
    It is so nice there is no smoking in UK bars and clubs now, you really notice the difference... waking up with a hangover is half as bad as it was waking up with a hangover and smelling of stale smoke. Great lens
    An ex-smoker
  • XP Mar 25, 2008 @ 8:59 pm | delete
    Great lens! My hubby quit this year after 20 ... I am so proud of him!
  • Mar 24, 2008 @ 9:18 pm | delete
    I live in Arizona and we do not have smoking in our public places. So nice to go out dancing or go to a bar/restaurant and NOT have to come home to take a shower before I go to bed to rise that stench off me. Smoke Free and Loving It!
  • Grasshoppa Mar 23, 2008 @ 8:43 pm | delete
    Sorry V-- but cars aren't making my apartment smell like cigarette smoke on warm days when I open my windows. How disgusting. It's bad enough I had to put up with that growing up in a chain smoker's home...
  • Music-Resource Mar 22, 2008 @ 10:23 am | delete
    Hi Christene, Great debate topic. Smoking should definately be banned in all public places. Thanx for creating this lens. ~Music Resource~
  • KimGiancaterino Mar 22, 2008 @ 12:11 am | delete
    Great debate topic. My pet peeve is with smokers who throw butts out of car windows. I see it every day. I'm for less government whenever possible, but understand why people are intent on ridding public places from cigarette smoke.
  • WellnessChoice Mar 21, 2008 @ 11:41 am | delete
    This is a fantastic lens! Great work! Visit Minnesota to experience smoke-free places!
  • StephenC Mar 21, 2008 @ 9:24 am | delete
    I guess it depends on the location and whether there is a fresh supply of air keeping the smoke down.
    But indoors is a must ban.
    Gas and Auto Expense Money Saving Tips
    StephenC
  • April Mar 20, 2008 @ 11:37 pm | delete
    i think it should be banned in public places, and i also think if you have children you shouldn't be aloud to smoke in you house.
  • StewartC Mar 20, 2008 @ 5:04 am | delete
    nice post!! great lens!
  • Vasity Mar 19, 2008 @ 10:27 am | delete
    I don't think anyone has a right to ban smoking in all public places, I mean how silly is this. It's enough people can't smoke in bars or restaurants. People drive their cars all around all day maybe this is something that everuyone needs to pay for more directly? How much pollution do you think your car gives off vs a smoke? I am teeling you uoutr car gives up more posin then ciggaeretes ever could. You just trying to make choices for other people you COMMUNISTS!!!
  • CleanFace Mar 18, 2008 @ 9:21 am | delete
    Great lens, I enjoy staying with you. BOOKMARKED!
  • renoman Mar 18, 2008 @ 12:06 am | delete
    Great lens and I agree 100%. I rate you 5*'s...Get a chance I would appreciate a visit and a rating...
  • Mar 17, 2008 @ 4:53 am | delete
    great idea... wow what a great response too! congrats!

    Author of http://www.squidoo.com/byronkatie
  • surfsusan Mar 17, 2008 @ 3:30 am | delete
    I smoked for many years and stopped many times. finally after an acupuncture treatment I stopped. Have not smoked for 10 years now :-)
  • SemperFidelis Mar 12, 2008 @ 12:25 pm | delete
    Wow! I haven't been to this lens in awhile and it looks like you struck a nerve with this one Christene. A SquidAngel Blessing on this one! ;)
  • DebbieJohnson Mar 12, 2008 @ 1:24 am | delete
    Smoking should be banned in public places. It is a nuisance
  • ROBTREE Mar 9, 2008 @ 5:50 am | delete
    Smoking...it's always interesting to see just how many people can be easily conditioned into believing a non fact. If only critics took the time to actually research what other scientists have actually proven that second-hand smoke has no more effect on the human physical condition than breathing in the car fumes. In fact car fumes have been proven to cause more deaths in society than cigarette smoking or second hand smoke.But I don't hear calling for the banning of driving their cars!!
    For all the so called experts on second hand smoke check your facts before you jump on the band wagon preaching on a subject that you really have very little knowledge on, other than the misguided mis-quoted so-called scientific evidence that was originally produced by an American doctor studying
    6 patients who had lung disorders. Based on his conclusions a friendly local senator decided to pick-up the ball and run with it. However, when the results were challenged by various scientists..
  • Abbotts Mar 4, 2008 @ 10:28 pm | delete
    If I am not stuck in a room with someone it is not to bad. But smokers are takeing away from their own days.I know that some live to be ninty and still smoke. But I live in a county of around five thousand. And ninty nine percent that get lung cancer do smoke.We have had several members of my family to (DIE) of lung cancer and lung related disease. We just buried my only nephew three weeks ago. I loved him dearly. He smoked since he was a young boy . He was told a couple of days before his forty second birthday. He lasted six months,and it was heart breaking. Left behind three kids and a wife.I think smoking should not be allowed in public places. It can hold for a few minutes till you get away from others.I guess my point is, it (CAN) happen to you and I can certainly tell you it will not be a pleasure then. Wishing you all good health.
  • spirituality Mar 1, 2008 @ 1:25 pm | delete
    I love the cartoon below. In Europe the legislation is quickly coming over to your point of view.
  • PhillyREInvestor Feb 29, 2008 @ 2:32 am | delete
    I agree, there is really no reason for anyone to smoke.
  • conversational-hypnosis Feb 22, 2008 @ 11:04 pm | delete
    Keep up the good work - smoking is just bad news for everyone.
  • nosmokingczar Feb 21, 2008 @ 9:13 am | delete
    I just wonder if perhaps it might be true that it takes a village to get someone to quit smoking. Public perception is changing, and the private sector is coming around as well, but when I read that over a billion people will have died by the end of the century, thats a problem.
  • EelKat Feb 21, 2008 @ 5:05 am | delete
    what a great lens idea!
  • relax Feb 20, 2008 @ 12:53 pm | delete
    Excellent topic and a great lens. I am a non smoker and dislike taking the smell of smoke home in my clothes after being in a public place.
  • Feb 19, 2008 @ 8:13 pm | delete
    One word: consideration. So we all have to be considerate to one another. If others have the right to smoke, other have the right to breathe clean air. Good topic to read.
  • kaplan Feb 18, 2008 @ 4:17 pm | delete
    Should be banned worldwide - lots of health would be preserved!
  • muddy Feb 17, 2008 @ 7:53 am | delete
    I hate smoking and smokers too and think it should be banned. The concept of picking up fights is really good.
    bye,
    author of thyroid storm , clean pet urine
  • roselyncapen Feb 16, 2008 @ 7:17 am | delete
    Smoking kills. Get rid of it.
  • ThomasC Feb 15, 2008 @ 4:37 pm | delete
    Good work on your lens and congrats on getting your lens Lotd! I am a non smoker and personally I hate the smell of cigarette smoke. When someone lights up around me I leave.
  • earsringing Feb 15, 2008 @ 9:06 am | delete
    I definitely agree with what this lens is talking about! Smoking is not only dangerous to your health but to the health of people around you. It can also be a cause of ear ringing.
  • kidgrifter Feb 14, 2008 @ 10:29 pm | delete
    Great lens! I wanted to invite you to join my group!
    Join my Group MonkeyBrain!
  • totalhealth Feb 14, 2008 @ 10:23 am | delete
    great lens that deals with social issue. whether it is banned in public places or not, smokers must be responsible enough to know where they should smoke.
  • mike1947 Feb 14, 2008 @ 6:54 am | delete
    Super lens, more please
  • DimitriPreacher Feb 13, 2008 @ 11:58 pm | delete
    WOW, 5 stars from me...
  • tmackarney Feb 13, 2008 @ 12:15 pm | delete
    It's pretty obvious that many on the smoking side see this as a personal freedom issue. I have to agree as long as cigarettes are a legal product. There also seems to be a debate about what is and what should be a public place.
  • Oosquid Feb 13, 2008 @ 11:23 am | delete
    Great lens, but . . . ban smoking? No, no, no! I live in the UK where smoking is banned in all public places, it is like living in a fascist state. Think of all the harm that is done by alcohol, do you want to ban that?
  • yourbounty Feb 13, 2008 @ 2:21 am | delete
    A good lens. It allows me to give my point of view. Too many people just want to tell you their side and not let anyone else have a voice. I smoke, done so for almost 40yrs. and don't plan on stopping. We can pay the cops to arrest me or pay them to stop murder and rape. Now you decide.
  • SemperFidelis Feb 12, 2008 @ 10:52 pm | delete
    Congrats on LOTD! :)
  • Christopher_Scott Feb 12, 2008 @ 7:32 pm | delete
    I like the lens, keep it up!
  • garethjax Feb 12, 2008 @ 6:39 pm | delete
    excellent topic!
  • chloecavanaugh Feb 12, 2008 @ 6:11 pm | delete
    Congats on LOTD!
    *****
    Chloe
  • KimberlyDawnWells Feb 12, 2008 @ 10:31 am | delete
    Great lens, great issue!

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Christene

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