Gatchamania.net - Print: Smoking in Public

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Posted by amethyst on 23-08-2013 at 02:16:

Smoking in Public

Apologies to all smokers out there, but I really think that smoking in public should be banned.

I'll admit to being biased. Cigarettes have claimed the lives of at least four members of my family, maybe more. I'm allergic to the smoke and have difficulty breathing around it.

What has brought on this rant?

I had to ride the bus today, as my car seems to be in the process of dying. On the way home, some smoker was standing in the bus stop, ignoring the "No Smoking" signs, puffing away. As he got the bus, he cigarette was still smoking and when I said, "Excuse, but I'm allergic to cigarette smoke." He gave me a pissy look as the bus driver told him he should not have that on the bus.

When smokers cannot be courteous to those who would like to breathe cleaner air and choose to ignore designated smoking or non-smoking areas, do they really deserve to continue to have the right to smoke in public. We cannot drink alcohol in public, and unless our behavior becomes unruly or we are stupid enough to try and drive a vehicle, drinking seldom impacts another person. However, every time a smoker lights up, everyone around that person has to inhale second-hand smoke.

Not all smokers are this discourteous. On an early bus, a couple stood several yards, nearly a half a block from the bus stop and completely extinguished their cigarette before returning to the air. Had I seen the earlier smoker first, I would have thanked them for being considerate, even though the smoke which clinged to them still bothered me a bit (I'm that sensitive).

So, please if you are a smoker, and smoke in public, please remember that while some are not bothered by second hand smoke, people with allergies, asthma, or other respiratory disorders can be, sometimes severely, and we do not have signs hanging around our necks to alert you. Thank you for not smoking in inclosed public areas such as the eaves over public buildings, bus stops, and the like. If someone asks you not to smoke around them, respect that, you may help prevent moderate to severe allergy or asthma attacks, headaches, or other health problems.

Okay, so I think there are actually very few active members who are smokers, but I still needed to get this out, even if the idiot who nearly gave me an asthma attack today will likely never read this or care even if he did. Thank you to the rest of you for letting me vent.

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Posted by ElectricWhite on 23-08-2013 at 19:14:

Huggles Therethere

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Posted by Becky Rock on 23-08-2013 at 22:44:

My husband is also allergic to smoke, so I understand you're frustration. He suffers for hours after being exposed to it.

Those who smoke who do not consider those of us around them who do not are usually also the ones who throw their butts out of their car windows because they don't want their car either smelly or trashy - but its okay to trash up our environment with them.

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Posted by Springie on 23-08-2013 at 22:51:

Maybe it is just me, but I've noticed in more recent years that smokers have become more considerate, or maybe that laws have helped non-smokers to be able to breathe more freely in public.

I remember suffering with this a lot as a kid... and I also noticed that certain brands of cigarettes trigger my asthma more than others...

So sorry you've had to deal with that, Amethyst!

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Posted by amethyst on 24-08-2013 at 02:53:

One of the reasons I stay in California is we have some of the toughest laws to protect non-smokers, but there are still those who just don't care.

The only kind I've found that don't bother me are the e-cigs because they are all just vapor no actual burning material. Still not great for the smoker, but better for those around the smoker.

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Posted by Victoria on 24-08-2013 at 05:17:

I wish I could say smokers have become more considerate in here.

Every day when I go to work I have to walk up a pretty steep hill along with the scores of other people who go the same way, as I work right in the middle of the industrial zone of my hometown. And every day as I walk up, anxious to be there in time as I can't go any sooner since I already take the first bus from my village, at least a half a dozen people puff smoke right into my face. Luckily enough I've been cured of my asthma, but it's still very unpleasant. And it's exactly the same at home. Dad never smoked with me in the same room, but mom's attitude can be described as 'man up, because we don't care'. I'm happy to live in the attic, as I/the cat/the fishes/my computer doesn't have to be exposed to it.

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Posted by Tengu on 04-09-2013 at 17:48:

Man, you lot should go to Bhutan!

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