Smoking bans: Good or bad?

When I went to West Virginia, I was surprised to find that you could still ask for the smoking section in the local Denny's. (Apparently, the "nicest restaurant in town.")

I am all for a smoking ban on inside facilities, even as a smoker. Except I really think that bars should decide whats best for their own business. I think business owners generally know what their customer prefers.

I've been to uppity bars where people would NOT like having smoke all around them. Thats respectable.

But I've also been to dives where vastly EVERYONE smokes. The smoking bans on these kinds of bars really affects the business, from what I've heard from owners.

But in all other public facilities, I understand people don't want to be swamped with smoke. I've been in smoking rooms of hotels which REEK and even *I* couldn't stand it.

Smoking bans are cool - but so long as you don't tell me where to smoke when I am OUTSIDE, or tell bar owners that they can't have their own right to decide whats good for their own business, I am down with it.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by kinkymagic

It's a good thing, as long as they also ban fatty foods, alcohol and everything else that isn't good for you and annoys other people. If they don't do that then they are hypocrites.

Well, see, that all doesn't really apply.

Smoking ANNOYS other people to the point of physical irritation. They can't argue the whole health angle, in my opinion, but I know smoke can get irritating to the eyes, throat and nose temporarily.

Fatty foods, alcohol, and everything else that isn't good for you doesn't really AFFECT OTHER PEOPLE unless really BADLY abused. You can't really BADLY abuse cigarettes.

There's nowhere I can't reach.