My reaction to local smoking ban
52smoking ban
I live in the midwest and there is much talk of a smoking ban in my area.
If these local municipalities are to ban smoking or our federal government is to ban smoking in public, lets ban tobbaco altogether. If the government was truly concerned about the nations health then an addictive cancer causing drug should be outlawed. There are no deaths due to marijauna use and that is a banned drug. Maybe its the billions of dollars in tax revenue the government recieves from the tobbacco industry. I am a smoker and try to be considerate but I am also a realist and know that any smoking ban is only a bandaid to any problem real or percieved.
in the midwest and there is a lot of talk of a smoking ban in my locality, I have an opinion on this matter, It is not informative but is just an opinion.
I know as a smoker I percieve that I am denied certain rights and have yet to find evidence of second hand smoke deaths. I also realize it is an annoyance issue more than a health issue. I shall start a movement to ban overweight people from my sight. To me that is the same comparison. sorry, remember, this is but a lonely opinion.
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well, I agree with you mortimas. people whine about smoking in bars, but I don't see why the market can't dictate that. there can be smoking bars and non-smoking bars and people can choose and minors aren't allowed in anyway. however some cities and states take a stand to remove that choice from the business owners and patrons.
obesity kills at just as high a rate as smoking and in fact costs more to the workplace and the economy in lost productivity yet there is no uproar against it as there is against smoking. everyone has vices - I thought that was what freedom was all about.
obesity cost link: http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=/www/story/04-18-2006/0004341811&EDATE=
White Paper: Employee Obesity is Number One Factor in Productivity Loss
"Key elements of the report cover research on obesity-related diseases,including: -- Medical costs for obese employees are 77 percent higher than for healthy weight employees; obesity-related disabilities cost employers up to $8,720 per claimant. -- Obesity is estimated to account for 43% of all health care spending by U.S. businesses on coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, stroke, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis of the knee, and endometrial cancer combined. -- Obese workers have the highest prevalence of work limitations, with 6.9 percent experiencing such limitations compared to three percent among normal weight workers."
CDC (Center for Disease Control) even has an interest in it: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/economic_c
"Overweight and obesity and their associated health problems have a significant economic impact on the U.S. health care system (USDHHS, 2001). Medical costs associated with overweight and obesity may involve direct and indirect costs (Wolf and Colditz, 1998; Wolf, 1998). Direct medical costs may include preventive, diagnostic, and treatment services related to obesity. Indirect costs relate to morbidity and mortality costs. Morbidity costs are defined as the value of income lost from decreased productivity, restricted activity, absenteeism, and bed days. Mortality costs are the value of future income lost by premature death."
good comments... jj and lounn, After i reread my post, I have to also explain that I am not actually offended of appalled by the site of obese people, it was only to make a point.. good information above thanks again. {and i cant figure out the squiggle over your name lounn :}
it comes out sounding like Idunn (a norse goddess). I have no idea how to type it either. I just cut and paste it. :P
The ongoing anti-smoking campaign is not about public health or drug abuse. It's not about health care costs or what is best for you. What it is all about is money, control, and jurisdiction.
These anti-smoking zealots in our society have but one agenda... and that is to introduce more socialist policies in our government and to have more control over us.
thank you!!!!!
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jimmythejock says:
17 months ago
smoking is already banned in public places in Scotland,and at first as a smoker, i was against it,i have since come round to the idea and agree totaly with it now,because places are alot cleaner and my children are not exposed to passive smoking when out and about.
you say marijauna causes no deaths but when smoking marijauna,you are also smoking tobacco,so the chances of cancer or smoking related diseases is still the same,and it has also been proven by medics that the regular use of marijauna can lead to permanent brain damage.
as for banning tobacco altogether that is a bad idea too because that just starts an underworld crime spree, remember they tried the same thing years ago with alcohol and called it prohibition.
As i said when the ban was enforced in Scotland I had the same opinion as yourself, but it does make a difference people who dont smoke benefit ,it has been proven that since the ban barmen waiters etc etc are healthier and of the people tested before the ban and after their lungs are alot clearer today.....jimmy