"Could you please kill yourself somewhere else?"

[TheReasoner]

"Could you please kill yourself somewhere else?"
It's a quote I have felt like telling a few people every day.
No, it's not (that I know, anyway) that they are depressed.

They smoke.
Everywhere. Wait to cross the road, there they are lighting up cigarettes right among a bunch of other people. Most of whom are non-smokers.
Wait for the bus? There they are again. Huffing and puffing. Leaving or entering theaters, cinemas, or anywhere else people gather? Expect to walk through a tobacco haze.

It's seriously ticking me off. I hate tobacco. Not only because it's dangerous, which we all know. We all know how it clogs your arteries, damages your airways, make you smell like a rotting rat, causes cancer and kills somewhere in the vicinity of half it's users. No, it's not because of that, though that IS a consideration.

My main issue is that I, a non-smoker, am not given a choice. I cannot choose to avoid tobacco smoke. Oh, sure, indoors no-one is allowed to smoke anymore. At least not in public buildings. But outdoors? No limitations. Smoke anywhere. Want to walk into a crowd and light up a pack of cigarettes, it's legal. And 'everyone' does it. And not only do they smoke everywhere, they also dump their cigarette buds everywhere. The worst litter in any city - at least Norwegian - is cigarette buds. Everywhere.

What do smokers think? "I'll head over to that group of people, blow smoke in their faces and litter some more. The ground is far too clear of litter over there! And those people, why, they are not smoking. Let's harm their health a bit!"

Enough is enough! Smokers should feel free to smoke - I guess. But they should have the decency to conduct this expensive and -let's face it- stupid business somewhere where it doesn't affect those among us who have chosen to not smoke. Smoke in your home, smoke somewhere other people don't go. And PLEASE don't just drop the cigarette when you're done with it. Eat it, pocket it, or put it in a public ash-tray. I don't care. Just DON'T litter! Is it really too much to ask? Smokers are usually adult anyway, and should really have enough decency to act appropriately among other people.

Oh, but it's an addiction, you say. They can't help it, they're addicted. Well, a lot can be addictive. Bulimia for example. But I am yet to see a bulimic vomit all over random people on the street.

So my proposal is to ban public smoking. Or set up smoking booths where people can get their dosage of tar and carcinogens without imposing their suicidal tendencies on us non-smokers. Let us non-smokers have a real choice.

 

[marshlewis]

I bet your face was all screwed up when writing this.
Instant coffee and extra minty chewing gum are also a public menace in the olfactory sense.

 

[TheReasoner]

I bet your face was all screwed up when writing this.
Instant coffee and extra minty chewing gum are also a public menace in the olfactory sense.

Not one for wild gambling I take it? Yeah. It wasn't it's usual happy self (my face, that is).
My jacket smells of tobacco smoke. And I have neither been to a pub, nor do I smoke.

/me no like.

 

[Ryal Kane]

The problem is that there are plenty of things that people do that offend others.
While it's true that smoking is different in that it's an actual physical presence, it's a trade off of free society that we have to live with things that offend us and people have to be free to be stupid.

I hate smoking too, primarily because of the pointlessness of it. For the most part, people smoke because they're addicted to it. I just don't get it. Why would ANYONE ever start smoking? Some of my friends smoke, a few quite heavily, some of them young. It boggles my mind to think that young people are still starting smoking.

The littering and the loitering are the two things that bother me the most.
When I finish eating a chocolate bar, it's not okay for me to light the wrapper on fire and throw it on the ground. It's no different for smokers.
And being a smoker shouldn't earn you the special right to have lots of extra work breaks during the day. I had a nonsmoker friend who worked at a retail store where all the other workers smoked. One afternoon she just walked out to the backroom during her shift and ate some of her lunch. When asked what she was doing she replied 'Smoke break'.

 

[RealDealNeverstop]

From my understanding, it has never been proven second hand smoke is the grim reaper many people claim. Diehappy knows this issue well so I may have to hit him up for some help. As for banning public smoking due to health, me thinks it's more about presence annoyance and we can't ban everything that's annoying. (No cheap shots! Lol)

As a smoker I hate when others smoke real close to others and especially when they throw butts on the ground, or out the window. Iam not shy about saying something in my usual sugary-dripping way and the responses have been interesting, to say the least. It's funny how prideful people get when you bust them on something they can't spin out of and most are not used to a stranger pointing out the earth is not a general purpose ashtray.

 

[NotreDame]

From my understanding, it has never been proven second hand smoke is the grim reaper many people claim. Diehappy knows this issue well so I may have to hit him up for some help. As for banning public smoking due to health, me thinks it's more about presence annoyance and we can't ban everything that's annoying. (No cheap shots! Lol)

As a smoker I hate when others smoke real close to others and especially when they throw butts on the ground, or out the window. Iam not shy about saying something in my usual sugary-dripping way and the responses have been interesting, to say the least. It's funny how prideful people get when you bust them on something they can't spin out of and most are not used to a stranger pointing out the earth is not a general purpose ashtray.

Well, I am not aware of what other people have said about second hand smoke but the adverse health effects of second hand smoke exposure have been documented.

Secondhand Smoke Fact Sheet


Secondhand Smoke

What Is Secondhand Smoke? Secondhand smoke, also known as environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) or passive smoke, is a mixture of 2 forms of smoke from burning tobacco products:

• Sidestream smoke: smoke that comes from the end of a lighted cigarette, pipe, or cigar
• Mainstream smoke: smoke that is exhaled by a smoker

When non-smokers are exposed to secondhand smoke it is called involuntary smoking or passive smoking. Non-smokers exposed to secondhand smoke absorb nicotine and other toxic chemicals just like smokers do. The more secondhand smoke you are exposed to, the higher the level of these harmful chemicals in your body.
Why Is Secondhand Smoke a Problem?
Secondhand smoke is classified as a "known human carcinogen" (cancer-causing agent) by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the US National Toxicology Program, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a branch of the World Health Organization.
Tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 chemical compounds. More than 60 of these are known or suspected to cause cancer.

Secondhand smoke can be harmful in many ways. In the United States alone, each year it is responsible for:

• an estimated 35,000 deaths from heart disease in non-smokers who live with smokers
• about 3,400 lung cancer deaths in non-smoking adults
• other breathing problems in non-smokers, including coughing, mucus, chest discomfort, and reduced lung function
• 150,000 to 300,000 lung infections (such as pneumonia and bronchitis) in children younger than 18 months of age, which result in 7,500 to 15,000 hospitalizations
• increases in the number and severity of asthma attacks in about 200,000 to 1 million children who have asthma
• more than 750,000 middle ear infections in children

The 2006 US Surgeon General's report reached several important conclusions:

• Secondhand smoke causes premature death and disease in children and in adults who do not smoke.
• Children exposed to secondhand smoke are at an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), acute respiratory infections, ear problems, and more severe asthma. Smoking by parents causes breathing (respiratory) symptoms and slows lung growth in their children.
• Secondhand smoke immediately affects the heart and blood circulation in a harmful way. It also causes heart disease and lung cancer.
• The scientific evidence shows that there is no "safe" level of exposure to secondhand smoke.
• Many millions of Americans, both children and adults, are still exposed to secondhand smoke in their homes and workplaces despite a great deal of progress in tobacco control.
• The only way to fully protect non-smokers from exposure to secondhand smoke indoors is to prevent all smoking in that indoor space or building. Separating smokers from non-smokers, cleaning the air, and ventilating buildings cannot keep non-smokers from being exposed to secondhand smoke.

Public Places
Everyone can be exposed to secondhand smoke in public places, such as restaurants, shopping centers, public transportation, schools, and daycare centers. Although some businesses are reluctant to ban smoking, there is no credible evidence that going smoke-free is bad for business. Public places where children go are a special area of concern.
Children are especially sensitive. In the United States, 21 million, or 35% of children live in homes where residents or visitors smoke in the home on a regular basis. About 50% to 75% of children in the United States have detectable levels of cotinine, the breakdown product of nicotine, in their blood.
American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures 2008. Atlanta, GA. 2008.
[FONT=verdana,arial,sans-serif][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,sans-serif]June 2007[/FONT]

Secondhand smoke, also known as environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), is a mixture of the smoke given off by the burning end of a cigarette, pipe or cigar and the smoke exhaled from the lungs of smokers. It is involuntarily inhaled by nonsmokers, lingers in the air hours after cigarettes have been extinguished and can cause or exacerbate a wide range of adverse health effects, including cancer, respiratory infections, and asthma.1

• Secondhand smoke has been classified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a known cause of cancer in humans (Group A carcinogen).2
• Secondhand smoke exposure causes disease and premature death in children and adults who do not smoke. Secondhand smoke contains hundreds of chemicals known to be toxic or carcinogenic, including formaldehyde, benzene, vinyl chloride, arsenic ammonia and hydrogen cyanide.3
• Secondhand smoke causes approximately 3,400 lung cancer deaths and 46,000 heart disease deaths in adult nonsmokers in the United States each year.4
• Nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke at work are at increased risk for adverse health effects. Levels of ETS in restaurants and bars were found to be 2 to 5 times higher than in residences with smokers and 2 to 6 times higher than in office workplaces.5
• Since 1999, 70 percent of the U.S. workforce worked under a smoke-free policy, ranging from 83.9 percent in Utah to 48.7 percent in Nevada.6 Workplace productivity was increased and absenteeism was decreased among former smokers compared with current smokers.7
• Fifteen states - Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, Washington and Vermont - as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico prohibit smoking in almost all public places and workplaces, including restaurants and bars. Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon and Utah have passed legislation prohibiting smoking in almost all public places and workplaces, including restaurants and bars, but the laws have not taken full effect yet.8
• Secondhand smoke is especially harmful to young children. Secondhand smoke is responsible for between 150,000 and 300,000 lower respiratory tract infections in infants and children under 18 months of age, resulting in between 7,500 and 15,000 hospitalizations each year, and causes 430 sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) deaths in the United States annually.9
• Secondhand smoke exposure may cause buildup of fluid in the middle ear, resulting in 790,000 physician office visits per year.10 Secondhand smoke can also aggravate symptoms in 400,000 to 1,000,000 children with asthma.11
• In the United States, 21 million, or 35 percent of, children live in homes where residents or visitors smoke in the home on a regular basis.12 Approximately 50-75 percent of children in the United States have detectable levels of cotinine, the breakdown product of nicotine in the blood.13
• New research indicates that private research conducted by cigarette company Philip Morris in the 1980s showed that secondhand smoke was highly toxic, yet the company suppressed the finding during the next two decades.14
• The current Surgeon General’s Report concluded that scientific evidence indicates that there is no risk-free level of exposure to second hand smoke. Short exposures to second hand smoke can cause blood platelets to become stickier, damage the lining of blood vessels, decrease coronary flow velocity reserves, and reduce heart rate variability, potentially increasing the risk of heart attack.15

For more information on secondhand smoke, please review the Tobacco Morbidity and Mortality Trend Report as well as our Lung Disease Data publication in the Data and Statistics section of our website at www.lungusa.org, or call the American Lung Association at 1-800-LUNG-USA (1-800-586-4872).

Fact Sheet

Secondhand Smoke

(updated September 2006)



Health Effects of Secondhand Smoke Exposure

• <LI class=main>Secondhand smoke exposure causes heart disease and lung cancer in nonsmoking adults.2 <LI class=main>Nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke at home or work increase their heart disease risk by 25–30% and their lung cancer risk by 20–30%.2 <LI class=main>Breathing secondhand smoke has immediate harmful effects on the cardiovascular system that can increase the risk of heart attack. People who already have heart disease are at especially high risk.2 <LI class=main>Secondhand smoke exposure causes respiratory symptoms in children and slows their lung growth.2 <LI class=main>Secondhand smoke causes sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), acute respiratory infections, ear problems, and more frequent and severe asthma attacks in children.2
• There is no risk-free level of secondhand smoke exposure. Even brief exposure can be dangerous.2

Current Estimates of Secondhand Smoke Exposure

• <LI class=main>Exposure to nicotine and secondhand smoke is measured by testing the saliva, urine, or blood for the presence of a chemical called cotinine. Cotinine is a byproduct of nicotine metabolization, and tobacco is the only source of this marker.2 <LI class=main>From 1988–91 to 2001–02, the proportion of nonsmokers with detectable levels cotinine was halved (from 88% to 43%).3 <LI class=main>Over that same time period, cotinine levels in those who were exposed to secondhand smoke fell by 70%.3 <LI class=main>More than 126 million nonsmoking Americans continue to be exposed to secondhand smoke in homes, vehicles, workplaces, and public places.2 <LI class=main>Most exposure to tobacco smoke occurs in homes and workplaces.2 <LI class=main>Almost 60% of U.S. children aged 3–11 years—or almost 22 million children—are exposed to secondhand smoke.2 <LI class=main>About 25% of children aged 3–11 years live with at least one smoker, compared to only about 7% of nonsmoking adults.2 <LI class=main>The California Environmental Protection Agency estimates that secondhand smoke exposure causes approximately 3,400 lung cancer deaths and 22,700–69,600 heart disease deaths annually among adult nonsmokers in the United States.4
• Each year in the United States, secondhand smoke exposure is responsible for 150,000–300,000 new cases of bronchitis and pneumonia in children aged less than 18 months. This results in 7,500–15,000 hospitalizations, annually.5

For Further Information

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Office on Smoking and Health
E-mail: tobaccoinfo@cdc.gov
Phone: 1-800-CDC-INFO
Media Inquiries: Contact CDC's Office on Smoking and Health press line at 770-488-5493.

http://http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/Factsheets/SecondhandSmoke.htm


I can provide some 50 or more other cites documenting the harmful effects of second hand smoke. Let's not deceive ourselves in believing second hand smoke is not harmful.

 

[Panzerkamfwagen]

I'm annoyed by busybodies that want to ban smoking. Can we ban them?

 

[NotreDame]

Yeah because ensuring the harmful habits of people does not harm others are worthy of banning. Good point.

 

[trunks2k]

I don't much mind people smoking outside. Generally there's not enough of them concentrated in one spot near more, or there's enough air movement that being a couple feet away keeps most of the smoke away. But there are a couple people I work with that reek so bad of stale smoke when they come back from a smoke break that it makes me gag.

The thing I really do mind about people smoking outside is them throwing cigarette butts on the ground. Why the hell is this considered acceptable?

 

[MoonlessNight]

Well, I am not aware of what other people have said about second hand smoke but the adverse health effects of second hand smoke exposure have been documented.

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I can provide some 50 or more other cites documenting the harmful effects of second hand smoke. Let's not deceive ourselves in believing second hand smoke is not harmful.

But the thing is that all studies that have been successful (or close enough to it that the WHO changes their standards on statistics to say that they are successful) have been on people who live with smokers (at least that I've seen, there may have been also some on people who work in very heavily smoke filled environments). But we aren't talking about that. We are talking about walking by someone who is smoking outside, which is far less exposure to smoke.

That's not to say that I think it's okay for smokers to smoke wherever they want to, because it is unpleasant. But when people act like being in sight of a lit cigarette is going to kill them, I find it a bit ridiculous.

I remember having a conversation with someone about why I don't have a major problem with my friends smoking (if we are in a well ventilated area, like the outdoors). I said that I don't see it as any sort of risk because my exposure is so limited. Their response? "Well I wouldn't want to have "limited exposure" to nuclear waste, so why are you okay with limited exposure to cigarette smoke?" I was dumbstruck, really.

Littering, however, is not acceptable and it is stupid that smokers get away with it.

 

[TheReasoner]

I don't much mind people smoking outside. Generally there's not enough of them concentrated in one spot near more, or there's enough air movement that being a couple feet away keeps most of the smoke away. But there are a couple people I work with that reek so bad of stale smoke when they come back from a smoke break that it makes me gag.

The thing I really do mind about people smoking outside is them throwing cigarette butts on the ground. Why the hell is this considered acceptable?

If they smoke somewhere where people won't get the smoke blown in their faces and don't throw the buds on the ground, fine. It's stupid, granted, but I won't fight their right to smoke. Stupidity is still legal. Mind you I don't like the way smokers smell either. But at least I won't smell like it if they don't blow their smoke on me. Smoke, if you want to do so. But don't litter, and don't make others suffer because of your bad habit - says I.

As for in the working place, smelling bad is one reason for firing someone. On grounds of bad hygiene. At least it is here. I do not think extreme smoking (to the point of making other people gag for the smell) will not count as bad hygiene. So for all intents and purposes, smoking CAN get you fired. And rightly so, I think. If it makes coworkers, or (possibly worse - for profit at least) customers gag....

 

[trunks2k]

That's not to say that I think it's okay for smokers to smoke wherever they want to, because it is unpleasant. But when people act like being in sight of a lit cigarette is going to kill them, I find it a bit ridiculous.

I agree, some people are way too crazy about it. But I do like the smoking bans in restaurants and bars - mainly because it's so wonderful to come back without smelling like a twenty year old unwashed ashtray. I'm much more likely to go out to bars now because of the ban in my city. It's also had a side effect of restaurants opening more outdoor dining areas, which are nice.

 

[GodGunsAndGlory]

What a blatant hate for civil rights.

 

[TheReasoner]

What a blatant hate for civil rights.

What about my right to choose whether or not to smoke? What about my rights?
If they choose to smoke where I am I have no choice all of a sudden. So I am robbed of my freedom. They would, even despite such a ban still have the freedom to smoke, just somewhere where it won't affect how other people and their clothes smell, where it won't affect others' health negatively. And not least to ensure that people still have a right and ability to walk in public areas and use public services even if they happen to be allergic to tobacco smoke.

What blatant hate for civil rights indeed! To allow such impeding actions to occur in public. Such hate for civil rights indeed.

 

[GodGunsAndGlory]

What about my right to choose whether or not to smoke? What about my rights?
If they choose to smoke where I am I have no choice all of a sudden. So I am robbed of my freedom. They would, even despite such a ban still have the freedom to smoke, just somewhere where it won't affect how other people and their clothes smell, where it won't affect others' health negatively. And not least to ensure that people still have a right and ability to walk in public areas and use public services even if they happen to be allergic to tobacco smoke.

What blatant hate for civil rights indeed! To allow such impeding actions to occur in public. Such hate for civil rights indeed.

No one is allergic to tobacco smoke, another blatant lie of the anti-civil rights tyrants.

 

[Ringo84]

No one is allergic to tobacco smoke, another blatant lie of the anti-civil rights tyrants.

Ah...so suddenly, you're an expert on allergies?
Ringo

 

[praying]

"Could you please kill yourself somewhere else?"
It's a quote I have felt like telling a few people every day.
No, it's not (that I know, anyway) that they are depressed.

They smoke.
Everywhere. Wait to cross the road, there they are lighting up cigarettes right among a bunch of other people. Most of whom are non-smokers.
Wait for the bus? There they are again. Huffing and puffing. Leaving or entering theaters, cinemas, or anywhere else people gather? Expect to walk through a tobacco haze.

It's seriously ticking me off. I hate tobacco. Not only because it's dangerous, which we all know. We all know how it clogs your arteries, damages your airways, make you smell like a rotting rat, causes cancer and kills somewhere in the vicinity of half it's users. No, it's not because of that, though that IS a consideration.

My main issue is that I, a non-smoker, am not given a choice. I cannot choose to avoid tobacco smoke. Oh, sure, indoors no-one is allowed to smoke anymore. At least not in public buildings. But outdoors? No limitations. Smoke anywhere. Want to walk into a crowd and light up a pack of cigarettes, it's legal. And 'everyone' does it. And not only do they smoke everywhere, they also dump their cigarette buds everywhere. The worst litter in any city - at least Norwegian - is cigarette buds. Everywhere.

What do smokers think? "I'll head over to that group of people, blow smoke in their faces and litter some more. The ground is far too clear of litter over there! And those people, why, they are not smoking. Let's harm their health a bit!"

Enough is enough! Smokers should feel free to smoke - I guess. But they should have the decency to conduct this expensive and -let's face it- stupid business somewhere where it doesn't affect those among us who have chosen to not smoke. Smoke in your home, smoke somewhere other people don't go. And PLEASE don't just drop the cigarette when you're done with it. Eat it, pocket it, or put it in a public ash-tray. I don't care. Just DON'T litter! Is it really too much to ask? Smokers are usually adult anyway, and should really have enough decency to act appropriately among other people.

Oh, but it's an addiction, you say. They can't help it, they're addicted. Well, a lot can be addictive. Bulimia for example. But I am yet to see a bulimic vomit all over random people on the street.

So my proposal is to ban public smoking. Or set up smoking booths where people can get their dosage of tar and carcinogens without imposing their suicidal tendencies on us non-smokers. Let us non-smokers have a real choice.

I am with you brother! I hate that stinkin' vile, filthy habit!

This from a former smoker.

 

[GodGunsAndGlory]

Ah...so suddenly, you're an expert on allergies?
Ringo

Find proof there is such a thing from a study because "TobaccoFreeSomething" people are lying piece of craps.

 

[Ringo84]

Find proof there is such a thing from a study because "TobaccoFreeSomething" people are lying piece of craps.

You first. Perhaps you can find proof that "TobaccoFreeSomething" people are, as you claim, "lying pieces of crap".

I suspect that such a statement will be found to be as truthful as the "Separation of Church and State was 'invented' in 1947" one.
Ringo

 

[Suomipoika]

At my pedagogical classes this year we had a girl who was allrgic to electricity - so the lecturer asked us all to turn off our cell phones at the beginning of every lecture.