Tomato, Tomahto — Potato, Potahto — Inside, Outside — Let’s call the whole thing off

themichiganguy, at 10:45 am EDT on September 25, 2008

It is amazing to me how few people take notice when things like this happen and the US marches ever closer to a Police State, Thought Police and the like...scary.

With Trepidation, What will the title of this book be?, at 11:26 am EDT on September 25, 2008

A little slice of heaven...

I know,I know... this ban will probably be modified, if not outright overturned. And I do feel some sympathy for the union/smoker position, particularly when I imagine the opposite extreme — an all-smoking campus would be unbearable to me.

But in the meantime, as a non-smoker who’s had to run a daily gauntlet of nasty, foul air just to get in and out of my workplace, I plan to enjoy the heck out of not having to hold my breath.

Take a Deep Breath — finally!, at 11:50 am EDT on September 25, 2008

Freedom, Rights, Etc.

Compare the number of posted comments to this article to those posted at the other hot-button issue of today —- political speech.

Then try to relate the “freedom” and “rights” arguments presented there with those here.

I contend that we are being very selective in asserting our rights in pursuit of our freedoms.

Only the Law is the law, and regulations or proclamations are not, by definition, the Law. We are a bunch of hypocrites.

If we accept that we can deny people the right to even politely use a legal product, then we must accept the fact that an employer can ban conditions enhancing a hostile environment. Isn’t this the argument used against harrassment?

Good citizenship does not mean that all of our potential actions be codified. This is impossible to do. We should just not be hysterical.

Let the smokers smoke away from in our faces, and let the motivated campaign away from in our faces as well.

DFS, at 2:21 pm EDT on September 25, 2008

Fresh Air

Smoking is neither a right, nor a privilege. It is an addiction. Worse, smoking is an unhealthy—indeed, deadly—addiction that effects, even destroys the health of smoker and non-smoker alike.

Personally, I fail to understand why the “right” of people to smoke is so often a hot issue. As a non-smoker, I do not have the “right” to leave my desk several times a day to pursue personal (potentially poisonous) activities—and get paid by my employer to do so, to boot! As a non-smoker, my employer does not appreciate it when, sickened by other people’s cigarette smoke and/or the stench of cigarettes on their bodies and articles of clothing, I am forced to miss time from work—not to mention waste the benefits the unions have worked so hard to gain for me!

Can we shoot up on company and/or school property and time and force others to do so as well (just as smokers cause others to inhale sickening cigarette smoke—whether they want to or not)? Can we imbide alcohol on company and/or school property and time, waving bottles of beer or liquor around, splashing and sloshing their contents down non-drinkers’ throats?

A ban on smoking in public environments is not an infringement on people’s rights. Rather, it is protection of the health and well-being of smokers and non-smokers alike. This ban does not extend to people’s homes. Smokers can still smoke in the privacy of their own homes on their own time—and not, incidentally, get paid to do it.

R., at 5:20 pm EDT on September 25, 2008

Stamping out smoking

If we can ban smoking inside and outside at public universities, why can’t we ban smoking in public housing as well? I live in an apartment complex. I am tired of “sharing” the next door nico-addicts’ smoke in my apartment.

TheSaint, at 8:30 am EDT on September 26, 2008

[If we can ban smoking inside and outside at public universities, why can’t we ban smoking in public housing as well? I live in an apartment complex. I am tired of “sharing” the next door nico-addicts’ smoke in my apartment.]

I wish! Too bad smoking can’t be banned, period. It is unhealthy, expensive, and makes smokers and non-smokers ill. I, too, am frustrated by the cigarette smoke that pours into my bedroom from the people downstairs who smoke. I wonder, are there smoke-free apartment buildings anywhere? The only people who benefit from smoking are the tobacco companies, who have a stranglehold on this country.

[If this is about health and other societal benefits, it would be more productive to...]

It is—and getting a handle on smoking is one step toward a healthier society.

[*Ban soda machines and all of the other junk food in vending machines and help reduce the trend towards obesity in this country; college is a good place to start.]

Great idea!

[*Reduce automobile traffic near campus buildings and near sidewalks as the fumes from auto exhaust are more toxic than what is emitted by a smoker’s cigarette.]

Another good idea—of course, reducing the toxic exhaust fumes expelled by automobiles would be a better, more global solution. But you’ve got to start somewhere. Every little bit helps.

[*Prohibit SUV’s and other large, gasoline sucking cars from campus except when needed for job performance or for those who are car pooling with 3 or more people; their contribution to global warming creates a much greater risk to our students’ generation than that of the smokers on a campus.]

Spot on, again. We must develop—and aggressively market—alternative fuels that do not contribute to pollution and global warming. In the meantime, carpooling, public transportation, and the reduction of the thoughtless use of automobiles is yet another good place to start.

I am not vilifying smokers out of misguided anger and disgust. Smoking is dangerous, on so many levels—along with the aforementioned junk food, pollution, and global warming. This country needs to wake up—indeed, grow up—and realize that there are consequences for one’s actions. If we continue to poison ourselves and our environment with these toxic chemicals, we are going to ‘enjoy’ ourselves into oblivion.

R., Good Ideas!, at 1:00 pm EDT on September 30, 2008

Stamping Out Smoking

Dear Dave,

Thank you for your comments. Just for the record:

1. I have never hyperventilated in my life, thankfully.

2. Re: “Note that ’shooting up’ or ‘imbibing alcohol’ must assume some sort of intoxication. No, we don’t get paid to self-intoxicate.” — Smoking is perhaps not intoxicating (although I am sure there are some who would disagree with that.) However, like drugs and alcohol, smoking is addictive—hence the huge industry of drugs and programs devoted to smoking cessation for people who cannot quit due to their nicotine addiction.

3. Re: “If you are the boss, we peons are not allowed even to get up from our desks once per hour and walk around and stretch."—Now, that statement is a bit of a stretch, isn’t it? Nowhere did I say that employees, myself included, should not have to right to get up from our desks and stretch. But come one, let’s be honest: don’t we all know of those employees who take 15-20 minute smoking breaks multiple times a day—in addition to their allotted lunch hour and two-fifteen minute breaks per day?

4. For the record, I do not use perfumes or dryer sheets (I really don’t!) or greasy-kids-stuff on my hair (interesting choice of words, that).

5. As for my “’stink’ of an unwarranted attack against a LEGAL and accepted product"—Awww, Dave. This site requests comments. It is a blessing that we live in a country where we can each express our thoughts and our concerns. I will point out, though, that just because something is currently legal and accepted (I must admit to a shiver going up my spine on that word), that does not signify. Slavery was once legal in this country. And cocaine was once an ‘accepted’ form of pharmaceutical by the medical profession. Things change. Often for the better.

6. I fail to understand the connection between apartment dwelling and ‘being taken care of by the government.’ According to the 2000 census, about a quarter of the U.S. population lives in apartments or condos. Are you suggesting that all of those who choose to rent a home are in some way subsidized by the government?

Frequent use of all-caps is tantamount to shouting. I hope that you are feeling better now.

Sincerely, Rae

R., Thanks for Your Comments, at 10:20 am EDT on October 2, 2008

Dave:

I know a (very) little HTML coding. The two HTML commands I know best are for creating italics and bold letters.

To make something bold, you need to type the appropriate HTML code both before and after the word or words you are interested n formatting. It is probably useless to type the commands here because they will become invisible once I hit Submit. The most important thing to remember, I think, is that you must always “close” your HTML command at the end of your word or phrase. If you just type in the ‘prefix’ before the word or phrase, but forget to tell the computer that you are finished with that command, well, nothing will happen except that you will have some odd characters before the actual words.

This probably makes no sense, does it? Here are links to a couple of HTML tutorials. There are many on the Internet. The first link is nice because you can actually practice with the HTML commands and see your changes as you go: W3Schools HTML Tutorial

(If my hot link does not work, here is th eURL: http://www.w3schools.com/html/tryit.asp?filename=tryhtml_formattingch.)

This second site provides a list of HTML codes. Click on the hotlink for the code you want to use and a popup window provides and example of how to type that command: HTML Code Tutorial

(And if that hot link does not work, here is the URL: http://www.htmlcodetutorial.com/quicklist.html.

I don’t know if the hotlinks I have provided for these two websites (using, by the way, HTML code) will show properly once I hit Submit. These plain text comment boxes can be problematic.

I hope this helps.

Rae

R., HTML Codes, at 11:00 am EDT on October 3, 2008

Thanks, Rae!

You’re not so bad after all. . .

The first link says the file doesn’t exist, but the second one is wonderful.

You’re instructions are so logical and consise that I can correctly assume that you’re not a writer of software Help files, right?

I really appreciate your help.

Davd

DFS, at 3:00 pm EDT on October 3, 2008

Smoking Ban

All I can say it it is about time. Smoking is no more of a right than sleeping on the job.. I am sick and tired of paying increased insurance premiums because somebody wants to spend $6 bucks a pack on cigs.. Let the smokers whining and moaning fall on deaf ears.. Too bad other states don’t have the courage to do the right thing.

CUrt, at 12:25 pm EDT on October 8, 2008

I would like to ban all perfumes (men’s and women’s), and the noxious perfume-laden Old Spice deodorant and the like. In addition, I would like to ban all potpourri, spray scents (including most Febreeze varieties), timed bathroom “spritzers” and any other noxious artificial scents. I am horribly allergic to the above but not “allergic” to cigarette smoke. Every day, I am inundated, and indeed take prescribed medication on days when my colleague, soaked in perfume, prances past my office.

Smoking outside may be an inconvenience, but I’m not convinced that the casual inconvenient encounter outside is any more toxic than the chemicals in your styrofoam cup or scotch-guarded furniture.

As for health—all recent studies indicate that obesity and poor nutrition can be blamed for more deaths annually than smoking. It is the number one killer (causes a variety of cancers, diabetes, surgeries for blown-out knees, results in absenteeism, etc.) So while we “have to start somewhere” as one person mentioned, we did just that. Smoking has not been permitted in buildings for twenty years. Let it rest at that.

One last note of irony: Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) is one school affected by the Pa ban, and I go into allergic fits to the perfumed soap it stocks in every rest room(obviously costing them on the order of three cents per ton, else why else would the institution fill dispensers with something so horrible)? So the smoke doesn’t bother me, but the soap does. (and there I go with another allergy pill, thanks to IUP).

Allergic, Can we also ban..., at 3:45 pm EDT on October 8, 2008