Smoking ban in Austin
We made Yahoo news:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&ncid=519&e=18&u=/ap/20050504/ap_on_re_us/austin_smoking_ban
I'm an ex-smoker so we know how those people are.
That being said, I find it inconceivable that people look at lighting fire to a piece of weed and filling an enclosed space with the smoke as acceptable behavior. All the arguments to let people smoke in bars are total and utter bullshit especially when compared to the health issues. It's not about freedom, it's about breathing.
What is it about a bar that makes it such a special place. Why is filling a bar with smoke any different from filling an office building with smoke? The whole choice argument is, once again, bullshit. Do the people who work in a bar have any more choice than the people who work in an office?
BTW, all of these arguments about people going out of business were made in New York City a few years back. They banned smoking and business actually increased. Even some of the smokers like it now.
It won't pass, Austin isn't that progressive for all it's hype.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&ncid=519&e=18&u=/ap/20050504/ap_on_re_us/austin_smoking_ban
I'm an ex-smoker so we know how those people are.
That being said, I find it inconceivable that people look at lighting fire to a piece of weed and filling an enclosed space with the smoke as acceptable behavior. All the arguments to let people smoke in bars are total and utter bullshit especially when compared to the health issues. It's not about freedom, it's about breathing.
What is it about a bar that makes it such a special place. Why is filling a bar with smoke any different from filling an office building with smoke? The whole choice argument is, once again, bullshit. Do the people who work in a bar have any more choice than the people who work in an office?
BTW, all of these arguments about people going out of business were made in New York City a few years back. They banned smoking and business actually increased. Even some of the smokers like it now.
It won't pass, Austin isn't that progressive for all it's hype.
posted by Big Ed at 12:40 PM
8 Comments:
Because it feels really good for me to smash my fist into a smoker's face. The rush of the violence mixes well with the lowered intelligence of the alcohol.
Yeah, as an ex-smoker I know how well smoking and drinking go together. I also know that a cigarette also tastes really good after eating, I just can't do it sitting in a restaurant.
The point is not how good it is, as Mego demonstrated, that argument just doesn't hold water. The main point is now harmful it is to everyone involved but none of the arguments against the smoking ban take that into account.
Marijuana (and various other substances) has been around just as long. However, they don't have lobbyists and if they did, they would all be too mellow to fight for anything.
If you want to see real live music, other than the ZZ Top size acts, you have to go to a bar. If you want to play live music and get paid, you have to go to a bar. If you're are a bartender, you have to work in a bar. Why do I, the guy who just wants to breathe, have to make that choice because of someone else's addiction? Why can't the smoker choose to not smoke or take his/her ass outside to pollute the air? This is the heart of my confusion, why does the smoker get to sit in a closed room and make me breathe his smoke?
As I've said before, I don't care what other people do as long as they don't force me to do it too.
We have a band twice a year at our swimming pool, bands play at weddings, there is a 3 day 'Big Springs Jam' in the park yearly.
There are probably 40 venues for live music on a Tuesday night in Austin, probably closer to 100 on a weekend. Easily 95% of those are bars. You list 5 or 6 examples for a whole year and call it an alternative. I guess I could wait for an invite to a wedding.
Let's turn it around. I guess I could wait for Doug and the Dougtones to play your swimming pool but what are the choices for a smoker if he can't smoke inside a bar. He doesn't have to do anything different than I do UNLESS HE WANTS TO SMOKE. You get the point, we all sit an enjoy the company and the music, have a few drinks and Mr Smoker just has to forgo the smoking or step outside to do it. I just don't get why everyone else should be unable to breathe and have their clothes smell like smoke because someone is addicted to tobacco and can't be bothered to do it outside.
Businesses are never going to do it on their own. If they were going to, they wouldn have done it.
It looks like it passed.
http://www.co.travis.tx.us/county_clerk/election/20050507/enight_results.pdf
I'm amazed. It also looks like the majority of the people just didn't give a shit. The turnout is only about 10%.
It's going to be very interesting, very interesting indeed.
An interesting if somewhat pointless article.
http://www.suntimes.com/output/mcnamee/cst-nws-mcnamee25.html
It does bring up another argument in favor of the smoking ban.
First, a story. At the place I worked in Arizona, you had to go down three flights of stairs and outside to smoke. The guy I worked with was a heavy smoker (2 packs a day). At first he hated it but soon found that after a while, he only ended up smoking 8 - 10 cigs a day at work.
Why? Sit down by a bowl of nuts and you'll understand. You're hand can't keep itself out of that bowl. Now, take the nuts and put them in the kitchen and compare the amount of nuts you have eaten in an hour.
If you allow smoking wherever, you smoke whenever and you smoke constantly. It's a habit and it's pretty much unconscious. Now, make it a conscious act and make it not so convenient and you will definately smoke less. It's a pretty hard core smoker who is having a good time, listening to good music, making time with a hot chica, etc that will interrupt that to go outside for a cigarette. If you're having fun and can smoke, you will, if you're having fun and can't smoke, you won't.
Does anyone think that you shouldn't be able to have a smoke if you are in an outside area? It seems like a great compromise to me.
Truthfully, I don't see any reason to allow smoking anywhere in public. The more you think about the whole issue, the more you realize how insane the whole smoking thing is.
That being said, I live in the real world. If I'm outside, smoke doesn't really bother me much and I can get away from it, especially if inside is smoke free. My whole point has always been that I don't care what other people do as long as they don't make me do it too and outside an occasional breath of smoke is just not that big of a deal.
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