For those of you who don't live in Ohio, and/or don't know about it, a law passed in the last election -- effective tomorrow -- wherein there is NO SMOKING in ANY workplace or public place. Not only do you hafta step outside to smoke, you can only do it in approved areas.

Even on your own property. Think about that.

The guy I work for owns this building. He owns it. Period. The poor schumck can't even step out into the plant and have a cigarette -- in his own building.

A few thoughts:

*** We have liquor licenses for businesses, why not have smoking licenses?

*** The new Smoke-Free Ohio Law is not a health issue. It's about property ownership and the right to conduct business as an owner sees fit.

*** Maybe the next move should be to forbid unruly children to dine in adult restaurants -- now there's an idea (for those people who want to spend quality time with their kids).

*** Or, perhaps it will soon be illegal for obese people to order fattening foods. After all, some people are disgusted by watching an overweight person eat. Think about what that does to the observer's stress level, watching a fat person scarf down a cheeseburger.....

OH, WAIT. That has already begun. New York City, just yesterday, has banned restaurants from using trans fats. Excuse me, but I thought that people who OWN a business can use whatever ingredients they want -- fully declaring them to their customers -- and then if the customer doesn't want to eat that food they can choose NOT to eat at that establishment.

It's all about choice, folks. And now Ohio business owners no longer have the choice to do what they want within their own walls.

And don't think I'm up on my soapbox because I'm a smoker. I'm an EX-smoker. This has NOTHING to do with smoking. It has EVERYTHING to do with control.

Wow. Now I feel better.

I have worked in a bar in VA for 16yrs. The docor contributes my asthma and brochial problems directly to work. No one else in my fmaily has any problems.

When i come home after working not only do my outer clothes such as shirts and pants stink but my UNDERWEAR AND BRA are also permeated with smoke. It is soo gross.....

I hope va goes smoke free too...

my hubby is a smoker (never inside or even near me)

and HE wants it smoke free...

When I was an aircraft mechanic, I used chemicals which have since been found to cause cancer. They were removed by law from the workplace. Why should cigarettes be any different?

Ok, I don't normally chime-in in the rants and raves section, I like to stay more low key BUT, I just wanted to say THANK YOU!!!!!! I was a smoker until yesterday. This is my second day smoke free, and I am having a really hard day today! The nicotine addicition is the WORST!!!! By having read this thread it has helped me to realize that as bad as I want that nasty ole cancer stick, by choosing not to do it is sooo much better. It is so hard to do though. They put such addictive chemicals in them that makes your body crave them so much! I hate smoking and I hate the way it smells, but my body craves them so much. I do, uhymm I did not smoke in my home, i went outside, but I did smoke around my kid outside and in the car. I always felt guilty about it but I did it anyway! She is the reason why I have choose to say NO MORE will I let that nasty cigarette control me. It would be much easier for me to quit if I didn't have to see and smell them eveywhere I went. ok enough thanks for this thread!!!!!!

They just passed a law in Arizona where no one can smoke in bars... I know that there already are bars that are smoke free, but making all of them that way is rediculous...

You know who voted for it to be that way? People who don't smoke, and probably don't even go to the bars. I was a smoker and I was happy when they took smoking out of bars, restaurants, etc. (it didn't matter who made the decision: whether they smoked or not)- I was ADDICTED and would probably not have made this decision for myself, and even though I bitchedwhen they removed smoking from bars, etc., in the end, it helped me quit. Smoking kills! It is a simple FACT.

I'm sure there also were a few that don't smoke and do go to the bars that voted.

.................................................

I drink. I love to drink and i date smokers (although i consider it a red flag) and i would love for it to be smoke free. I dont care if my smoking husband dies from cancer, he chose to start and has chose so far not to quit. It is his choice. He keeps me out of it by not smoking around me. I dont want his second hand smoke.

I tell him often that if he dies bc he smokes that allows me to get married again.

Oh and Roswelltx- Good luck! You should be proud that you are trying, I am very aware that it is not easy. I wish you the best of luck

... i date smokers. I dont care if my smoking husband dies from cancer, he chose to start and has chose so far not to quit. It is his choice. He keeps me out of it by not smoking around me. I dont want his second hand smoke.

I tell him often that if he dies bc he smokes that allows me to get married again.

Not sure that smoking is your biggest relationship problem, Big Girl.

Not sure that smoking is your biggest relationship problem, Big Girl.

lol Thanks Carlene... i have worked in the prison system where we push "you must accept the consequences of your sctions" SOO much that it seeps into the home. Of course i dont want my DH to die, but if he chooses to cont to smoke and ends up with cancer then he wont get tons of sympathy from me, assistance sure, but it will come with a "i told you so" Esp after we just went thru my BIL having cancer and he told all the men to stop smoking. It is his choice but I cant stop him. We ride motorcycles. It is dangerous. If i die or he dies while riding, it would suck really bad but it was a choice we made and that is a possible consequence.

My grandmother died in the hospital when i was young refusing to speak to her family, even grandchildren, bc we would not sneak her a cigarette. I knew at that time that it is an addiction but that the people around the addiction should not suffer or feel guilty. I never felt the same again about smokers and how bad it can get.

lol Thanks Carlene... i have worked in the prison system where we push "you must accept the consequences of your sctions" SOO much that it seeps into the home.

Actually, I meant the reference to "I date smokers", right before you mentioned a husband. Dating anyone before your DH dies from Lung Cancer might be a roadblock to marital happiness. Or not....guess it depends on your husband.

Yeah, what Carlene said.

I was thinking the same thing. Or, perhaps she has boyfriends AND a husband.

She's my hero.

Actually, I meant the reference to "I date smokers", right before you mentioned a husband. Dating anyone before your DH dies from Lung Cancer might be a roadblock to marital happiness. Or not....guess it depends on your husband.

:funnypost: youre right!! LOL!!

I guess i was trying to say dated, have known to date, etc. I guess that would put more of a kink in things huh

I wish i had the time and energy for boyfriends. Between my parolee clients calling to whine and my DH I have enough men in my life! LOL

lol Thanks Carlene... i have worked in the prison system where we push "you must accept the consequences of your sctions" SOO much that it seeps into the home.

I generally agree that a person must accept responsibility for his actions, however there have been surveys that prove that hardly any adults take up smoking for the first time.

We would not legally allow a 13 year old girl to have sex with a 25 year old man even if she wants to because we know that a 13 year old can not form an informed consent to have sex. So we do not hold her responsible for her actions, but we do hold the adult responsible if he has sex with the child.

Analogously, we should not hold a 13 year old girl (or boy) responsible for taking up smoking. We need to put as many legal obstacles in the path to smoking. The cigarette manufacturers feign innocence of underage smoking, but they fight laws to make it harder to stop children from taking up smoking. They lower the price of the brands that most teens smoke while leaving the price of the brands that teens do not smoke unchanged.

As I said earlier, “When I was an aircraft mechanic, I used chemicals which have since been found to cause cancer. They were removed by law from the workplace. Why should cigarettes be any different?” If we were talking about a non-poisonous product, personal responsibility might be an easy issue to discuss, but in this case, allowing people to poison themselves is a much more difficult issue. Do we have a right or obligation to intervene when people are trying to kill themselves? Cigarettes and food are ranked as the two most prolific items that kill us. There is a difference though. Food is necessary for life. It is only the abuse of food which kills us. Cigarettes are only necessary for the profits of the cigarette manufacturers.

We would not legally allow a 13 year old girl to have sex with a 25 year old man even if she wants to because we know that a 13 year old can not form an informed consent to have sex. So we do not hold her responsible for her actions, but we do hold the adult responsible if he has sex with the child.

Au, contrarie, mon amis.

A 13-year-old girl can marry in the State of New Hampshire:

**"A female between the age of 13 and 17 years...can be married only with the permission of their parent (guardian)..."

I'm guessing that that 13-year-old and her new hubby are gonna have sex on the wedding night (if not before).

**cite: This Page

Au, contrarie, mon amis.

A 13-year-old girl can marry in the State of New Hampshire:

**"A female between the age of 13 and 17 years...can be married only with the permission of their parent (guardian)..."

I'm guessing that that 13-year-old and her new hubby are gonna have sex on the wedding night (if not before).

**cite: This Page

Either way it is the permission of the adult that makes it legal. And if they had sex before, the man could be charged with rape.

But my point is still valid. Children can not make informed concent.