Michael \"Dog3\" wrote:

>
> At first I thought non-smokers firmly believed they would contract lung
> cancer at the slightest whiff of second hand cigarette smoke. Now I
> believe the vast majority of them bitch about it because they don't like
> the smell of it. That is their choice. I bitch about stuff too.

There is no doubt that it stinks. I sometimes wonder if they have changed the
tobacco or added something to it to make it stink. I used to think that most
tobacco smelled nice. Most of it stinks now. Never the less, I find that the
smell of tobacco smoke strikes me for a few seconds, but then it seems to
disappear. You walk into a room where there has been a lot of smoking and you
are hit by that stale smoky smell, But within a few seconds I get used to it
and it does not bother me.

A few days ago I was walking across a parking lot to enter a mall and the
woman ahead of me reeked of perfume. I couldn't help but wonder if she is one
of those who complains about the stink of tobacco, because it could not be as
offensive as her perfume.



> As for myself... I firmly believe smoking should be banned in all places
> of business with the exception of bars. I think banning cigarette smoke
> in bars is ridiculous. Who would go to a neighborhood bar and not expect
> smoke? I'm fine with banning smoking in restaurants. I don't smoke in
> them anyway. Banning smoking outdoors is absurd. Seriously. I think
> there should be designated smoking areas in some places, like casinos for
> instance and definitely hospitals where people who are visiting need a
> place to go.

I agree about places of business, but they should have a designated smoking
area. They can't do that here anymore,, not even under overhangs. They can
have patios with umbrellas but not a full awning. Most drinkers smoke and
IMO, the bar owner should be able to decide whether he wants to cater to a
smoking or a non smoking crowd. Most would rather have the smokers.


>
>
> A close friend and neighbor just recently spent 30 days in a rehab center
> due to alcohol abuse. She also smokes. She said her doctor sent her to
> a 4 day detox unit in a local hospital before she boarded a plane for
> rehab. There was absolutley no smoking, anywhere, on hospital property.
> Seriously... can you even imagine trying to detox off of alcohol and then
> they take away your smokes on top of it?

AFAIAC, physical dependence is highly over rated. I think that it is the
behaviour that is addictive and the trick to rehab is to deal with the
behaviour. When it comes to smoking and drinking, they go hand in hand, so it
seems reasonable to deal with the addictive behaviour(S) more than the
chemicals. I am an on and off smoker, and when I lay off the smokes the time
I miss them is when I have a coffee in the morning.

> There is no doubt in my mind that smoking is bad for the smoker. Smokers
> do it to themselves. The second hand smoke studies floating around may or
> may not hold water. I'm sure in some instances the study results are
> valid. I think the pity of it all is the tobacco industry was allowed to
> glamorize smoking and an entire nation became hooked on their products.
> Weaning off of it is a long and difficult process and I don't see it
> happening anytime soon.
>

Up here they really milked a case of a bar waitress who never smoked but
died of lung cancer she attributed to second hand smoke. My wife's best
friend died of an aneurysm at age 52. She was a smoker. When she died her
organs were donated....including her lungs. Her father never had a cigarette
in his life and avoided second hand smoke. He died of lung cancer.