Smoking Allowed In Bars or Restaurants?

[RadicalRom]>USK<[]

So should smoking be allowed in bars, restaurants?

Some states already have laws against no smoking in public places, but most do not and allow people to smoke in certain sections.

As a smoker, I believe the changes that have taken place in the last 10 years are good. I agree, smoking at work in an indoor environment (not if you work outside) should not be allowed. I agree restaurants and bars should have smoking sections and they should be required to have some sort of barrier in between a smoking/non-smoking sections. In a local Chili’s restaurant, the setup is perfect. The smoking section is located towards the bar and the room has a glass surrounding it. Yes there is an opening that leads towards the front of the restaurant, but because it is well ventilated and even if you are waiting to be seated you will not smell the smoke (I confirmed this with my wife to make sure because she is a non-smoker).

As I stated I think the laws in the past have been fair. I personally do not smoke in restaurants (I do in bars), but I feel the smokers should have a choice. Until smoking is outlawed, (I believe one day it will be outlawed) then let the smokers have there own sections. Yes, smoking to me in bars or restaurants is not a huge deal, but that is just a stepping stone to outlaw more areas (read below).

It has gotten so bad in the state of Michigan; we even have had at least 1 company (maybe more) that has fired employees for being smokers. They were fired, not because they smoked on the property, but just because they were smokers. Currently my employer 2 years ago banned smoking from our property in North America (42 production facilities). I understand, yes it is their right (they own the property) and that is why I go off the property to smoke.

So should smoking be allowed in bars, restaurants?

[Z]

I think there are two separate questions to be addressed: Should smoking be allowed in bars and restaurants? Should the government step in?

If I owned a bar or restaurant, I wouldn't allow smoking inside unless I had a very effective ventilation system. I despise the smell of cigarette smoke. It makes my eyes and lungs hurt. It gets in to my clothes, hair and skin. In a bar, I think it would hurt business. Smokers won't go to a non-smoking bar unless all the bars in the area are, but non-smokers will still go to smoking bars. A good ventilation system is a better solution for bars, but there's significant cost involved.

I'm torn on government intervention here. I really hate smoking, but government bans go against my libertarian principles. Nobody's forcing people to go to bars and be exposed to smoke.

[The Angel of Death!:D]

well in deanmark where I live its not allowed to smoke bar and so on... ever if u smoke at work u can get fired by doing it...

[Z]

RadicalRom attempted to reply, but managed to edit my post instead. I have removed his reply from my original post, and am posting it here:

I agree that maybe this should of been posed as 2 different questions. I also agree as you can see about ventilation. As a smoker, honestly I would enjoy a place that has good ventialation. As you bring up, the cost of converting business would get costly.

[LamourAlexx]>USK<[]

I do not believe smoking should be allowed in bars unless (like Z said) there is a good vent. system. When smokers smoke in small places like a car or a small house or apartment, the smoke spreads and sits in the furniture. So if the first thing I smelled when walking in a bar was Cig. Smoke on everything, i rather wouldn't be there =/ Plus in some morbit way, i think it encourages smokers to smoke less. But as for restaurants, most restaurants I've been to have it well sectioned off for smoking and non smoking and i think thats good as it is

[Furtive}Nachos{]

surprisingly in PA smoking is allowed in restaurants . If a non-smoking section i think it is the law that they must be separated completely by a barrier or a wall. But i work at a restaurant that has a bar. I would estimate that about 90% of the people that go to the bar smoke, and many people who are sitting eating in the restaurant, get up to smoke in the bar. Ventilation is never a problem there unless it is a really sweet cigarette or cigar. But then it just smells good.


I think smoking should be allowed as long as there is ventilation and a barier.

Also about smoking at work. I dont think legally a company can completely ban you from smoking on their property. If you were to go inside of your car you can smoke in there. But that would be the only place. Your car is not their property even if it is parked in their lot. So if you got fired for that in PA im sure that you could retaliate and sue.

[RadicalRom]>USK<[]

Mar 17, 2008 13:26:42 GMT -5 Z said:

RadicalRom attempted to reply, but managed to edit my post instead. I have removed his reply from my original post, and am posting it here:

I agree that maybe this should of been posed as 2 different questions. I also agree as you can see about ventilation. As a smoker, honestly I would enjoy a place that has good ventialation. As you bring up, the cost of converting business would get costly.

Shooooooooooooot. I am SO sorry. I promise it was not done on purpose.

[RadicalRom]>USK<[]

Mar 17, 2008 17:13:15 GMT -5 Furtive}Nachos{ said:

surprisingly in PA smoking is allowed in restaurants . If a non-smoking section i think it is the law that they must be separated completely by a barrier or a wall. But i work at a restaurant that has a bar. I would estimate that about 90% of the people that go to the bar smoke, and many people who are sitting eating in the restaurant, get up to smoke in the bar. Ventilation is never a problem there unless it is a really sweet cigarette or cigar. But then it just smells good.


I think smoking should be allowed as long as there is ventilation and a barier.

Also about smoking at work. I dont think legally a company can completely ban you from smoking on their property. If you were to go inside of your car you can smoke in there. But that would be the only place. Your car is not their property even if it is parked in their lot. So if you got fired for that in PA im sure that you could retaliate and sue.

Our wonderful Michigan laws allow employers to fire an employee if they are a smoker (not just smoking on the property).

www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6870458/

It is our companies property, so they can do what they want.

[Z]

Mar 17, 2008 17:58:48 GMT -5 RadicalRom]>USK<[ said:

Shooooooooooooot. I am SO sorry. I promise it was not done on purpose.

It must be user error. :-)

[Soldier]>USK<[]

I think that it should not be. smoking should be outlawed completely

[Axon]

Mar 17, 2008 18:06:19 GMT -5 RadicalRom]>USK<[ said:

Mar 17, 2008 17:13:15 GMT -5 Furtive}Nachos{ said:

surprisingly in PA smoking is allowed in restaurants . If a non-smoking section i think it is the law that they must be separated completely by a barrier or a wall. But i work at a restaurant that has a bar. I would estimate that about 90% of the people that go to the bar smoke, and many people who are sitting eating in the restaurant, get up to smoke in the bar. Ventilation is
never a problem there unless it is a really sweet cigarette or cigar. But then it just smells good.


I think smoking should be allowed as long as there is ventilation and a barier.

Also about smoking at work. I dont think legally a company can completely ban you from smoking on their property. If you were to go inside of your car you can smoke in there. But that would be the only place. Your car is not their property even if it is parked in their lot. So if you got fired for that in PA im sure that you could retaliate and sue.

Our wonderful Michigan laws allow employers to fire an employee if they are a smoker (not just smoking on the property).

www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6870458/

It is our companies property, so they can do what they want.

Wewt Michigan laws ft...loss.

I've never had the urge to take up smoking.
BUTTT...

If you choose to smoke in your own home. Then so be it, your hurting noone there. (Please don't bring up risks etc. thank you.)

I strongly disagree with the ability to fire a person based on that.

Now the other side.

I suppose if said person came in with clothes that smelled of smoke it could be different.

Then again I personally would just ask said employee to check themselves or not to smoke right before work.

It's in my nature to solve a problem rather than just remove it.

Why lose a hard worker over smoke?

And also their family would play into my mind as well, who is he supporting? A wife? Kids? I just don't believe that i could fire someone so easily for something that insignifigant.

Flux

[Z]

Ban smoking entirely, Soldier? I probably hate smoking as much as anybody here - more than most, but why do you think it's the government's job to tell people what they can and cannot ingest in private? Prior attempts to outlaw items that people want to ingest have resulted in black markets run by criminal organizations and a significant increase in related violent crime without a substantial decrease in consumption. Is there any reason to believe that the effect of a ban on tobacco would be different?

[Soldier]>USK<[]

That is true but you have to think of the children that have no choice but to breath in second hand smoke for a good chunk of their lives. I have tried to get my parents to stop smoking but I'm too scared to see the side effects of withdrawal. My gf was smoking and I stopped her on that one because we are in a serious relationship(1 year and 5 months as of today) I told her that I am not going to raise my kids in a environment that always has smoking around. My gf commends me for not smoking because my parents smoke, one of my brothers smoke, and a good majority of my friends smoke and I do not. Don't get me wrong I have tried it but that was a one time thing and it will stay that way. Another issue that I have with smoking is the price I would have had a much easier life growing up if my parents weren't buying two cartons of cigarettes a week that is about $80 a week and my parents don't get paid that much.

Well I'm done rambling for now.

I'm quite happy with this section of the forums for reasons like this.

[RadicalRom]>USK<[]

My only concern with banning it from food establishment places is the next step is to ban it from your home. I agree, that if I am only harming myself, then no one else should care.

[«PWC»Jon9908]

I think that it should be allowed in bars but not restaurants because people bring there families to restaurants but bars? i don't see the problem with it there