The smoking ban

[gracielle]

Thank you, Maskow for the amplification of my post....my sentiments likewise. This article appeared in La Nacion yesterday, Enfoques section, by Orlando Barone, titled "Un mundo Sin Goles Ni Perdedores". http://www.lanacion.com.ar/archivo/nota.asp?nota_id=859809&origen=acumulado&acumulado_id=It is about prohibition in BA in general. It culminates with the author's opinion on how to handle unruly "barrabravas" during a soccer game. Prohibiting visiting fans is punitive to the team. He suggests they can see the game from inside a cage at the stadium. If they want blood, they can break each others heads. Do I have to explain the analogy?Also from La Nacion's Sunday edition. Diputados in Cordoba will be debating about a proposed law to modify the state civil code. It has been proposed by a woman legislator and has the support of some male counterparts. It would force "husbands to share equally in the household chores". Failure to comply can be used to determine punitive damages during divorce proceedings. I don't think they copied this one from the US!
Elpanada - Nicotine patches do work for some people. But the cost is high here. My point was that the free distribution is part of the law which the gov't has yet to comply. And can you elaborate on your statement..."handing them out for free is not gonna help anyone or solve any problems, it might however create some new problems".

 

[ramon]

Smokers who wish to smoke in public spaces are jeopardising the health of others full stop.
If you need to smoke do it in private as your home is your castle but dont impose my rights and others right to enjoy the city

 

[maskow]

Man! I'd like to blog a post on this subject...but I'm afraid to touch it.Strange, eh? But there is something very strange about the subject and people's reaction to it. Unlike, any other subject I can think of. If you can think of a parallel, please tell me.I'm picking up on a weird circular logic that I'd rather not follow anymore than I'd like to chase my own tail.Lemme give you a frinstince: Fairness/Equity1. Making me breathe secondhand smoke is not fair.2. Eliminating smoking from every cafe and bar is not fair.3. No one ever said the world was fair.4. Can't we have ONE cafe or bar in which we can smoke?5. No. That wouldn't be fair to the other bars and cafes...Yep. There's something else going on here.In the interest of fairness, I'm hesitating mightily before latching on to this subject.

 

[gracielle]

Ah, BJRutledge...if it were so simple. I am addicted to the smoking of a cigarette. I don't plan to quit anytime soon. But chewing tabacco wouldn't do it for me.....spitoons, yuk!The same fiery arguments were hashed out in San Francisco prior to the final phase of the law taking effect. Compromise....North Beach, Noe Valley, and the Castro districts {favorite hangouts for tourists and locals}could continue to have outdoor seating with smoking permitted. In the winter they provide individual outdoor heating to each table. I don't foresee that being a viable possibility here.

 

[gracielle]

Well, BJ...I honestly thought yours could be a viable alternative to some. What the hell, I have heard it all....here and abroad. You are so right about lack of outdoor space. But I have found a solution. Whenever I see one person seating at a sidewalk table, I ask them if I can join them. The replies have been humorous, friendly, charming....but I have yet to encounter a "no". And the conversations have been hilarious!!!

 

[maskow]

It certainly will change a dynamic or two...the availability of sidewalk tables (one of the true joys of this city) to non-smokers is only one.6. Can I sit smoke at outdoor tables?7. Yes. Mind if I join you?8. Please do!9. Would you mind putting that out?I don't know from agendas...hidden or otherwise. However draconian this ban might be, though, I don't think it will "satisfy" (as Mr. Chesterfield used to say.)I've already mentioned late noisy parties in residential neighborhoods. Even I find annoying smokers crouding the doorways. Sidewalk tables could become an issue...if, indeed, the pro-ban people truly do frequent public places the way they claim. That would be an interesting statistic that I would want before taking this on.Banning the consumption of legally consumed items is interesting in itself. There are of course precedents...but I can think of no total ban in public places.I doubt that there will be satifaction. Smoking in private automobiles has come under fire in the US when they are on private property.Neither would I have trouble, I think, finding a workers-rights advocate that agreed that employers have the right not to offer or even continue employment for those that smoke at home.Strange subject.

 

[Elpanada]

Hi I am an ex smoker, I have tried nicotin gum and nicotin sprays and those things certainly are crap so I assume that nicotin patches are so as well. Has anyone here ever stopped smoking by using nicotin patches? I think not. Handing those things out for free could quite obviously create problems just like doing anything else pointless but timeconsuming/dificult and expensive could and probably would. I aint no anti-smoker but I would like to advise anyone wanting to give up the habbit to try 2000 milligrams of vitamin c per day, preferably 1000 mg redoxon water disolvable tablets twice a day.

 

[Paul_NL]

The bars are definitly less full since the smoking ball, and a lot less as well.
But it's like this everywhere in the world, Argentina is no different

 

[tangobob]

I don't think in this that BsAs is a folower, The UK is 12 months behind. In Spain where they have a partial ban, it has just become a fiasco. I have seen smokers embarased in no smoking bars and had the discomfort of eating a meal with a cigarette in my face in others
No I think it is right to have a total ban then you know where you are from the start.
On the subject of other legal substances, I know of non other that effects other people, unless breathing asbestos is considered legal.
I am incidentally an ex smoker, who now enjoys clean air.