Smoking Bans Increasing

[StrongHeartsWin]

Like leaves from north to south changing colours with the onset of fall, creating a distinct unstoppable front of the seasonal march, smoking bans, too, are on the move covering more and more areas.

G.Adams has a thread going on the smoking ban debate which is over 500 posts of argument and counter-argument regarding it. I am not creating this thread to duplicate the arguments there, but instead to show the relentless advance of the bans. If you come across some news in your home area (or any area) about bans (or court cases) coming into affect or being rolled back, post it here so that we can see the moving battle front in different theaters of the war.

Here is a recent one I am quite happy to see coming about in the state of Ohio because it is targeting a pretty sizable population and geographical area(statewide):

A Hamilton County judge on Wednesday refused to block enforcement of the law, saying that Ohioans don’t have a constitutional right to smoke or to own businesses allowing smoking.

Common Pleas Judge Fred Nelson rejected the order sought by a group of bar and restaurant owners who sued last year. ...

The ban, which could bring fines of up to $2,500 for multiple violations, took effect Dec. 7. But implementation was delayed while state officials hashed out rules governing enforcement.

The statewide law prohibits smoking in most public places, including restaurants, bars and offices.

[Jack]

San Diego just expanded its ban on smoking on the beach to include seawalls and piers. So basically now you can't smoke anywhere on or near the beaches. We've long had bans on smoking in restaurants, bars and public buildings.

[ZNFYRH]

As with all things, from Don Imus to oil, it's all about the money.

Once upon a time, if someone didn't like someone sitting next to them in a restaurant or bar smoking and asked them to stop, they would hear, "Don't like it? Go somewhere else."

Well, those people started taking their money elsewhere.

I know at one point, owners of establishments tried to enforce no smoking policies, and some people would cause trouble by refusing to stop, or leave, by saying it isn't illegal for them to smoke.

Using the health issue as an excuse (a viable one, but not the only reason) laws could be changed to, in effect, bring back the money of the non-smoker population

I asked a friend (who smokes) what she thought about it, and she just shrugged and said the laws are fair. A smoker can always step outside and come back in, but a non-smoker can't "step outside".

[Osborn F Enready]

Anti-smoking Nazis taking the free-world by storm under the pretext of "looking out for your best health, and intrests".

Yea, what a pretty way to color constitutional subversion...... :rolleyes:

[Arawn-ap-Hywel]

Quote by: Isherwood San Diego just expanded its ban on smoking on the beach to include seawalls and piers. So basically now you can't smoke anywhere on or near the beaches. We've long had bans on smoking in restaurants, bars and public buildings.

Isherwood does this include offshore? Just in the tide, upto waist, floating or a 3 mile limit?

[Praxius]

Ohh ho ho.... do I got some silly laws from here for you to read:

http://admin.acadiau.ca/human/main_s...e_free_act.pdf

and

Tobacco Control: Smoke-free Places Act

The Smoke-free Places Act requires on December 1, 2006 that all indoor workplaces and public places to be smoke-free. The Act requires all outdoor licensed areas and patios of all restaurants, lounges, beverage rooms and cabarets to be smoke-free. Designated smoking rooms can be operated for the use of residents in health-care facilities for the acute or long-term care of veterans, in licensed nursing homes and residential care facilities and in homes for aged and disabled persons.

No smoking is permitted in the following enclosed places: daycare, pre-school school, community college or university [also, no smoking on school grounds] library, art gallery or museum health-care facility cinema or theatre video arcade, pool hall, billiards room recreational facility where the primary activity is physical recreation, including a bowling alley, fitness centre, gymnasium, pool or rink multi-service centre, community centre/hall, arena, fire hall or church hall meeting or conference room or hall, ballroom or conference centre retail shop, boutique, market or store or shopping mall laundromat ferry, ferry terminal, bus, bus station or shelter, taxi, taxi shelter, limousine or vehicle carrying passengers for hire common area of a commercial building or multi-unit residential building, including but not limited to corridors, lobbies, stairwells, elevators, escalators, escalators, eating areas, washrooms and restrooms restaurants, lounges, beverage rooms, private clubs, cabarets, clubs or other places licensed to serve alcoholic beverages bingos a casino complex a facility as defined in the Hospitals Act offices of the Government of the Province, a municipality, a village or a school board provincial jail, detention centre, or reformatory Vehicles no smoking in vehicles used in the course of employment while carrying two or more employees Restaurants no smoking at any time Beverage rooms & Lounges no smoking at any time Places used for Bingo no smoking at any time Private clubs no smoking at any time Casinos no smoking at any time Licensed outdoor areas and patios The Act requires all outdoor licensed areas and patios of all restaurants, lounges, beverage rooms and cabarets to be smoke-free Nursing home or residential care facility or a part of a health-care facility used for the acute or long-term are of veterans: Designated smoking rooms are permitted must be enclosed and separately ventilated only residents are permitted signs must be posted at the entrance Building entrances no smoking within 4 metres of windows, air intake vents and entrances to places of employment Tobacco Possession by Youth no youth under the age of 19 may possess tobacco tobacco possession is not an offence, however, peace officers with reasonable and probable grounds to believe that a person under 19 may be in possession of tobacco may confiscate tobacco. Effective Date Comes into force on January 1, 2003

As of December 1st, 2006... further laws were implimented and more restrictions were added. I will see if I can find that info.... however I believe the PDF link lists the new info above.

[The Bacon Guy]

Scotland's businesses have been under the control of the smoke Nazis for about a year now, Wales and Northern Ireland have both fallen within the last month, and England is due to fall on July 21st.