You should live in Canada then Dougie my friend. Us smokers aren't allowed to light up in much of Canada's restaurants, pubs, public areas,even some bans of smoking within certain specific distance OUTSIDE of eestablishments/buildings now.

BC went completely nonsmoking in ALL establishments across the board. That didn't last long in bars and bingo halls etc .... businesses were dieing/died because the smokers stopped going to these places. They went back to allowing "smoking sections/areas" which in most cases is ridiculous because the smoke "wafts" to the non-smoking areas anyways. Some NON-smoking sections are "upstairs in balcony areas" in a two level room ... well, smoke rises and gets the non-smokers. aaaargh

Drag that the only answer for the non-smoker is "all or nothing" same for the smoker. Either way seems to be no real WIN/WIN solution.

Regards "how did smoking become a public issue anyways?" Someones, probably non-smokers, made a bigger stink about smoke than smokers made with their cigs. The ban-smoking folks have the power of INFLUENCE and MONEY ... somebody up there with lotsa power raised a stink and got others in an uproar, as is the way of life. Who ever is the strongest and pushiest, bullyist, wins the fight.

I'm sympathetic to many "realistic fears/concerns and reasons put forth to ban smoking", but whether I'm a smoker or not, I perceive "all or nothing" as WIN/LOSE either way.

As things stand ... smokers and non-smokers are at a STAND-OFF. Can WW3 AND WW4 be far behind?

I live alone sono war in MY house! GRIN or will as soon as I find an apartment in Winnipeg where the toxic mosquito spraying, and the exhaust fumes of traffic and chimneys and house and building fires, wafts of toxic chemicals from peoples perfumes, colognes and toxic cleaning solutions in public buildings, in new clothes in stores, peoplein public with colds, flus, and worse... toxic chemicals in our preserved foods yessssssss... I could go on and on, as we all can, both sides of the issue, with trying to justify for-or-agin. Some people really DO have severe allergies/respiratory problems to blahblahblah

Health-Risks ... whatever holds the attention by, and is made into a public issue by, someone or groups with noise and clout ..... the pressure and harrassment begins ... sigh

Leave me alone, eh?:

One ISSUE for ME as a SMOKER .... IS the harrassment I sometimes receive from NON-SMOKERS. Verbal abuse, put-downs, shame, bullies. I becomea scapegoat for bully-ing for smoking PERIOD, even when I smoke away from others where they can't be effected etc. The issue isn't me SMOKING, the issue for them is that I'm a smoker at all.

THIS BITES!

Ah well ... I when and where its allowed and doesn't cloud the air around non-smokers.

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