Blacks don’t choose their skin color, people CHOOSE to smoke (at least those who don’t have to breathe in others anyway). that was a totally moronic statement to make

also, my only interest in bars is seeing live music. i see anywhere between 80-100+ shows a year and i rarely drink when i go to shows (2-3 drinks at the bar = another show).

last year around this time i was diagnosed with Adult Asthma, which was attributed both to my allergies and most likely my over-exposure to smoky environments (100 shows a year in smokey dive bars will do that to you). as someone who grew up in high school running long distance and who was a state finalist 3 years out of the 3 seasons i went out in track, you can’t imagine how much it sucks to have problems breathing day to day now, when just 10 years ago i was able to run a 4:20 mile, and now i’d be lucky if i could run sub 6:00 without my chest feeling like it’s going to cave in.

now yes, going to that many shows was my own decisions and nobody elses, so i suppose in essence i do deserve a bit of the blame, but without smoking at those shows, i have to wonder if i’d currently have my breathing troubles…

all i know is that now i can go to my concerts and not worry nearly as much about my health, and that makes my life a whole lot better.

As much as this will probably make you cringe, you hit the bulk of my point right on the head.

The smoking ban is silly, and a waste of government brainpower. Seriously, if this is the biggest issue facing any municipality, then, the need for municipal government has probably been extinguished. I am sure a lot of bar owners would agree with a tax incentive for going non smoking, but cities neglected to collect more than token bar owner input. Banning smoking in offices and other places of skilled labor make sense, but doing so in bars, where smoking is one of the pilars upon which the business was built, and where workers needn’t advanced training to work, well, that is overkill.

I would truly be interested to see how a voluntarially non-smoking bar would do. But, I guess we will never know. Because the majority has decided to tell the minority that they disaprove of a legal act, so rather than educating the minority as to the hazzards of their ways, they have decided to outlaw the minority class.

And you know it.

“Studys can say whatever Bob wants them to…”

Watch out for Bob. Him have magic powers. Him make studys talk….

I wonder if I can make studies talk, too?

Or in the workplace, or at the airport, or a ballgame. Check out Calabasas, California’s new law. It can’t be done, basically in public, even outdoors.

This has all the earmarks of zealot religion. What’s the difference?

On the other hand, I do favor banning smoking in offices. Not everybody can work somewhere else.

And if I were in that business, I’d have a non-smoking bar and advertise the hell out of that fact. I think I’d have a competitive advantage that I’d like to exploit.