you summed it up a hell of a lot shorter than I was gunna

Smoking if fucking stupid.

blah blah blah, thanks for not passing judgement. So... how is smoking life threatening if I'm smoking in open air? IE, not in a restaurant? Well, in some places THAT is illegal.

And are you saying it's the government's right to tell a business that noone is allowed to smoke in it? A much more democratic/business approach would be to not legislate it... places that allow smoking would have some clientele, while places that personally don't allow smoking will have others. Let the populace decide where it wants to eat or whatever. Don't like smoking? Fine, don't go to a smoking restaurant. And I'll go to the no-kids restaurant.

And, lastly, your car is alot more life threatening than my cigarette. The amount of crap it spews into the atmosphere is considerably greater than what I generate with a cigarette (or a pack of cigarettes). I guarantee the smog that many of us are forced to dwell in far outweighs the health-risks of some second-hand smoke.

Woah Sat! Youre feeling way too victimised. I think its time for a ciggie.

eh? What's a ciggie?

Victimized? Not especially. I can go without a cigarette for long enough to eat or whatever. Not a big deal. I just think it's hypocritical, which annoys me.

Everyone seems to focused on the rights of the nonsmokers. What about the rights of smokers? Just like everyone's concerned about the black minority, but could give less of a shit about the white (minority, in Texas) or the hispanic (majority, in Texas). I could go on for awhile, but I'll reign myself in. For the 'land of the free, home of the brave', we sure have alot of freedom-stealing laws.

A ciggie is a cigarette.

There are lots of things i think should be banned/imposed but most of which i know the world isnt ready for yet.

I give cigarettes another 100 years max.

well, that's fine. I personally think they should start legalized stuff. It causes less problems when it's regulated. If the government legalized marijuana, would there be any more marijuana cartels? Not likely. Plus the government could collect huge amount of tax, mass produce it (giving struggling farmers something new to grow), and probably sell it for cheaper than it is now. Totally put that portion of the drug business out of business.

I'm not so keen on legalizing the harder drugs. There are too many people that can't handle themselves... though it would help eliminate crime (to a certain degree, at least), the societal impact may be too great.

Anyway, I'm for less law, not more.

Its not a simple discussion of simply making it legal or illegal.

These things have mostly got to do with timing.

Marijuana is almost ready, smoking is just beggining to creep up in peoples minds as something that we dont need anymore.

Wooo! Calm down mate!

Smoking is very bad for you, just as sticking your mouth over a car exhaust pipe is. I have no problem with smokers smoking outside, but quite frankly - I'm never entering a restaurant with smoking allowed - those places REEK.

Besides - I have asthma - and if I smoked - I'd be in coughing fits constantly - hence my stark disapproval of smoking, as it too causes coughing, and I'm mystified as to why people would willingly force this on themselves.

Who calm down?

Satsi.

oh i don't think i've ever met him.....

1) Satis is right
2) I don't smoke
3) Jesus christ what's with all the smoking laws in the anglo-saxon world? Don't they got something better to do in the governments there besides that?

hey, I've got someone on my side at least.

And I think Inqui is screaming for a title change.

look at it this way though. Have ciggarettes become necesary to maintain a living? no. A car is. if cigerettes were necesary, then maybe, maybe I would hate them less. But no.

And you hear of a lot more deaths of cancer caused by smoking, than cancer caused by breathing.