America should ban smoking too

smoking is so stupid why waste your life. you only live it once so make the most of it...... although it is your life and you should be able to livei t your own way. peace out!

I believe that all non-government businesses should have the right to decide whether or not smoking is allowed on their premises. I don't believe that government should be able to make this decision for business owners. I also believe that smokers are being unreasonably taxed. I live in GA where the average price for a pack of cigarettes is $5. I recently visited Washington and Arizona where prices average $8. It seems unfair to me that smokers pay so much for the goods, then have so many restrictions on where they may or may not smoke. The tax money is going to a good cause - insurance for children... So why can't smokers be "rewarded" in a sense, by having a little more freedom?

This girl is obviously against smoking, but she also makes a lot of invalid and contradictable points. For instance, “Smoking is an extremely unhealthy habit”. Yes, it is, but it’s also the smokers CHOICE to smoke. If someone wants to pollute their lungs with cigarette smoke, LET THEM! “Burning just one cigarette releases over 4000 chemicals into the air”. This may be true, but think about our cars. They pollute the air worse than the smokers, but you don’t see any “No Driving In Public” Laws! That would be stupid! And as for her statement about the smoke triggering some asthma attacks, smoking is only one of many triggers. You can’t baby-proof the world, I’m sorry. Smoking is no more dangerous than the drinkers and alcoholics, but you don’t see many people complaining about them. And quite personally, I don’t think smoking is really that big of an issue as people make it out to be. I’m thinking that “Mommy” and “Daddy” have beat that smoking is soooo terrible into all these kids heads, and so they’re going off of what their parents have to say without making their own decisions.

These people that talk crap about the dangers of cigarette smoke should really think hard about the pollutants they put in the air when they get in their vehicles! I would much rather sit next to a smoker in a room,than I would sit in a room with the car running. How many vehicles do you think are on the road each day. I bet these people don't think twice about whether their killing anyone with their pollutants. It's not cigarette smoke causing everybody cancer. It's everybody that gets in a vehicle. Is that YOU?

What absolute rubbish!! This girl has patently no idea whatsover regarding the true issues concerning smoking effects on people or the environment. As a British Scientist and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management, I can only assume she has written this in high school. Her comments unfortunately are obviously 'media gleaned' and, like most of the general public, she believes what she is told by the media. I would most certainly ask her for a list of the Bibliographic proof for her asumptions, with accompanied dates of publications titles and names of essayists and prime statistical facts to give credence to such strength of opinion. It is uneducated people making unsupported and invalid claims that causes a problem to today's society by confusing the ill informed populace.

a lot more people are still being exposed to unhealthy water. yet public fluoridation continues even though it has been largely discredited.

I think America remembers what happened during Prohibition & will have more sense!

I agree with you that not all smokers are low class, but unlike misinformed older generations, we know now that smoking is a drug habit. In reality, it shouldn't be viewed as a privilege. The only reason it's still legal is because of greed. Since it is legal, then it should be allowed in adult environments, such as bar rooms, but not where there are children present. It not only sets a bad example for young minds, it is especially unhealthy for small developing lungs. To say that second hand smoke is insignificant because the air is already polluted is nothing more than a rationalization.

It is extremely unfair to class all smokers as "rude, ignorant, sloppy and inconsiderate". this is ridiculous as are all broad statements stereotyping certain social groups. I am a smoker and take full responsibility for my health, as an individual, if I choose to damage my own health who is the state to stop me? Even though I would not willingly cause discomfort or annoyance to non smokers, I think that if bars, clubs, pubs and restaurants were seperated into smoking and non smoking proportionate to the amount of smokers in that area it would solve the problem. also where did your rubbish statistics come from? "spending one hour with a smoker is the equivalent to smoking four cigarettes", seems unlikely considering only the most heavy smoker would smoke that amount in an hour. also the environmental issue is insignificant compares to the damage done by industry and by us in other aspects of our lives.

I certainly have many objections about how my tax dollars are spent. There are many lazy and dishonest people who are working the system instead of working for a living. I was just addressing the smoking issue here as I know some people who don't take care of their health but continue to smoke and get a government check because they are too "sick" to work. We all know the hazards of smoking & other self-destructive behaviors, so, I don't think that self-inflicted diseases should be subsidized by the government or covered by insurance. That might give people some incentive to take proper care of themselves. I find it hard to care about people who willingly make destructive choices. Every one should take responsibility for their own health and be courteous to others, but I'm afraid with declining social standards, largely thanks to the media, that's not going to happen. As for the subject at hand, the smoking ban, the smokers who are not courteous have ruined it for the ones that are. So is life:(

glad I quit,
I don't like paying tax for people that eat and drink too much, ignore social problems completely, watch sport all day long and smell.

How about those?

There's a lot I don't like about cigarettes but as a taxpayer I don't like paying for people on disability and government assistance programs to smoke them.