This was a good bit of news in an otherwise awful day for me. I'm sorry that smokers will be put out by this, I really am, but I can't say I'm too upset. My girlfriend was recently diagnosed with asthma, and it's really pretty bad for her when we're in smoking spaces. For me it's just highly annoying. We go to small clubs to see local bands all the time (my best friends' band plays a lot), and sometimes it gets really bad. Sometimes I'm suprised the smokers can take the air in these places.

Anyway, I just wanted to share. I wasn't sure if we had discussed the bans in other cities here before. How do you New Yorkers feel about it? Any smokers happy? Any non-smokers upset?

I find smoking repulsive but it's pretty ridiculous how the government keeps banning smoking from everyplace while still depending on the revenue generated by taxing tobacco.

Minneapolis banned smoking in all bars and resturants a little while ago. The bars complained about losing money because the smokers went to bars in other areas that did not have the ban. Also some bars closed. They are now talking about allowing smoking in bars but not resturants.

I like watching live music but drunks are as annoying as smoking so getting rid of the smoking doesn't make me want to go more.

I'm not a smoker and I hate being around smoke.

However, I think this is bull. People should be allowed to do what they want unless I'm in a place where I can't escape it (airplanes, movie theaters, etc). I support bars that voluntarily are smoke free, but they often don't do well in the Detroit area. That probably says something about the demand for such a thing.

If the decision is made by a property or business owner, I support it. But I don't support actions like this by government. This is an actual, not conceptual, civil rights issue that directly effects millions of people daily in their lives but other than libertarians, I never hear a peep from "civil liberties" activists about this.

The one exception I'd support (at first glance anyway) is banning smoking around children. I get so pissed when I see a mother smoking in a car with the windows up while she has two kids in the back. But I imagine enforcement would be impossible and where would government draw the line? Would speeding then be child endangerment too?

Is this stuff ever put up to a vote?

Oh well, I guess there is nothing I can do about it. I just hope they don't come after whiskey and vodka drinkers.

How can you escape it more in a bar than in a movie theater?

Another city I won't visit again.

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The right of a business owner to dictate what happens on their property?

I say this one.

In Calif. it was tackled as an occupational hazard to be mitigated. Bar/diner/whatever workers were not to be exposed to second hand smoke.

Regulations will get you just a surely as legislation.

I’m a non-smoker and my thoughts are:

«» Smokers are getting the shaft
«» This is one more law in a country with too many
«» Smoking is a terrible habit that will shorten your life and reduce your quality of life
«» Second hand smoke for is not a good thing
«» People should be able to do what they want as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else.

To me it seems like other things could be done besides a ban. Maybe smoking areas (bars, restaurant, etc..) could have better ventilation to remove second hand smoke (I know, probably would have to be another law). Perhaps people could respect each other a little more. Smokers could refrain from blowing smoke in the face of non-smokers and diehard non-smokers could lighten up a little bit and not have a fit when they slightly smell cigarette smoke. .

I loved the cone of silence, that was great.

I just remember when I went to Vegas a couple years ago I was amazed at how smoke free many of the large casinos were when half the people were smoking. They have some killer ventilation systems. Seems like zoning laws could be setup so that if you wanted to allow smoking you would have to install ventilation to remove the smoke like the casinos do. In the long run it might even help their business.

Coming home from the Black Cat lor Nation and not having to deal with stale smoke on clothes or hair is a pretty appealing possibility, however it happens.

--Nathan