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Anti-smoking bill gets committee aproval in North Carolina

Posted on Mar 21st 2007 4:44PM by Brian White

Filed Under: Fitness

I wrote about the smoking ban possibly coming to Texas public spots just recently, North Carolina is also considering a ban as well at several public venues.

A broad ban on smoking at businesses and public places in North Carolina has been passed by a state House of Representatives committee as of this week.

As usual, opponents of the measure said business owners should be able to decide how to run their own enterprise. This is true, and customers can vote against "smoking allowed" places (like restaurants) with their dollars.

But, at places where non-smokers need to be, toxic smoke is not all that dissimilar to asbestos in terms of being inhaled. On that vein, Rep. Verla Insko stated that "We don't have asbestos in buildings any more ... It's a health risk." Well said.

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7 Comment

Tags: smoking ban, smoking bans, SmokingBan, SmokingBans, stop smoking, StopSmoking

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Candace 3-21-2007 @ 5:40PM

I don't smoke, however, all of this effort to ban smoking and no effort to ban drinking in Public places is very interesting. Drunken drivers have had quite an impact on public health and safety, yet 0 effort on the part of the health police to encourage legislation on alcohol. Hmmm.

basbleu 3-21-2007 @ 6:20PM

I smoked for a long time, I quit a little over two years ago. If I could warn smokers I should but nobody would understand what these little white sticks can do to you unless you experience it first hand. I have emphysema, I can't run, walk uphill, can't bend over, I can't swim, can't exercise. My lungs are pretty well worn out from the constant crap I inhaled for many years. My stepfather died of emphysema, he suffocated and died a slow and horrible death. Not I, when I go it won't be because I abused my health with cigarettes, my Doctor thinks I stopped just in time.
My son just quit, my daughter tries and tries, poor thing, she might die before me. So it is easy to write this and tell you how it is but in the long run, you can't tell anyone to quit, it's their decision and all good intentions will fail unless you self commit to stop.

Good luck to anyone who is trying, more good luck to the ones who are still puffing away.

DJ 3-22-2007 @ 8:10AM

I do smoke, we'll start there.... I generally do not go to restaurants or bars that do not allow smoking. So I don't understand the hub-bub. If you don't like cigarette smoke there are plenty of establishments that provide a non-smoking environment, so use them. I don't see why it has to be an "all or nothing" issue. I most certainly don't understand why it's an issue that needs to be legislated.

bob 3-22-2007 @ 5:45PM

Wish we would put alcohol in the same catagory as tobacco. In fact, drinking causes much more damage to OTHERS then tobacco.
BTW at 3:00am on a sat. would you rather have the driver in the other lane have a pack of cigaretts in him or a pack of Bud?

tcstealth5 3-21-2007 @ 8:40PM

Why do people insist on telling all other what to do...get a life ..PLEASE ! If you don't like smoke go to a place that (on its own ) does not have smoking ....let the public decide not the government !!! are people that stupid that they can't make up their own mind...Do we really need the government telling us what is good for us? How about this is America land of the free.
soon it will be soda that is not good for you ,after all it takes paint off things,right? come on people Stop letting others tell you what to want and do!

Cathy 6-08-2007 @ 8:03PM

Thank you Candace, for bringing up the subject of alcohol. I would be curious to know what the statistics are on alcohol related deaths, injuries and illness compared to smoking. Where are the health police on this issue? Smoking should be a matter of choice, but is fast becoming another "freedom" we are being stripped of.

Tracey 4-17-2007 @ 1:16PM

Weighing in on this issue almost seems futile, but the question that really has me scratching my head is, what is this really all about. Truly there are greater issues that deserve and require our legislative recognition. So you have the non-smokers complaining about the smokers that’s easily remedied don’t go around anyone that is smoking. If you are at work and they have designated the inside as non-smoking then common sense tells you the smokers will be outside. If you go outside and the smokers are there; its big go where they aren’t. Can somebody tell me what this is really about? Have we not got illegal immigrants that are putting a burden on the smokers that pay taxes? How about on the uneducated men and women that are benefiting from the tax payers while they get welfare, food stamps, free housing and free education too; if they have enough about themselves to get it. Do we not face an epidemic of illegal drug production and use in this country? Is there not an overwhelming number of babies being born to unwed mothers? How about the jobs that are being annexed over seas and leaving our people struggling? Our government is now going to tell us that we can’t allow smoking in the private sector but they haven’t done anything to tell the fortune 500 companies that they can’t take jobs from the American people. What about the smut that is being freely displayed on TV and music video. Who’s going to benefit from this non-smoking bill? What is this really about?