The Anti-Smoke Debate

Anyway if you're interested in the debate, here's some websites (and my oh-so biased comments).

Washington Times Article-of course this rag who undoubtedly benefits from Phillip-Morris et all, would put up a libertarian argument against the smoking ban proposal. Fuckers.

http://www.smokefreedc.org/ Heartily support this organization, I don't care so much for the restaurant workers protection argument (I was one, and worked in a bar too); more for people who would probably enjoy the nightlife experience more without smelling like ass afterwards.

http://www.philipmorrisinternational.com/pages/eng/smoking/Secondhand_smoke.asp Right from the horse's mouth.

If someone wants to slowly kill themselves I don't want to experience the by-product.

I do have quite a few friends that smoke. And I do admit, I give them hard time (but it's their habit that's giving me a hard time no?). Anyway, one of my girlfriends decided to try and quit by using the patch. She explained to me the weird psychological concept of smoking, which to someone like me who is physically incapable of inhaling and living to tell the tale, was pretty odd. Some choice quotes:

The cigarette was my best-friend.

I felt guilty if I didn't have a cigarette.

The cigarette comforted me.

There's an argument about how a smoking ban would drive business's bankrupt. I've heard of bars going out of business in Montgomery because the smokers are going to VA and DC, but honestly I wonder how much more business they could attract if non-smokers knew they could have an enjoyable time thus spend more time, thus drink more and alleviate the fact that people who wanted to smoke are somewhere else. I mean, maybe these bars can also sell temporary nicotine patches or something. Also I hate economic theory in general, which believes one can put a numerical value to anything. Sorry I don't buy the argument that I can just be around ETS (environmental tobacco smoke), get tongue or throat cancer later, and be okay with the costs (including pain, emotional anguish, recovery) of surgery, chemo, etc.

It's like how one guy told me that it's okay to always eat red meat and not exercise because there's always by-pass surgery. Huh???

The interesting thing is I'm not allergic to tobacco itself. I've smoked hookah's at Guarapo's, chi-cha, and other place and have been fine with the tobacco in it. The theory is that hashisha is pure tobacco without additives. Which makes me think I'm allergic to the other ingredients. Those people arguing that studies showing second hand smoke is unhealthy for non-smokers are moot, are nuts: I mean how can these ingredients be safe to inhale?