Quick off topic point the government made a big mistake by saying "you're allowed x amounts of units before you are over the limit to drive... what!? alcohol effects everybody differently! You should be allowed
NO alcohol before getting in your car. That takes out the grey area, and stops arguements like, i asked for a single... but the bar man gave me a double by mistake - yes sombody i know used that! My mum never drinks, she could easily be under the limit and totally unable to drive, but leagally able to!
I'm all up for freedom, and human rights, and especially sustainable living. but smoking should not be allowed in public places. I should be able to walk into any pub bar or restaurant or even down the street and have the right to breathe fresh air, just as the employees of such places. As i first mentioned a major chain pub has announced that it will be banning smoking, in may i think it was... so maybe one pub in a town will be non smoking... it should be the other way around. I guess a comprimise would be to ban smoking in all public places, then grant a licence to establishments who want to have smoking. The licence should only be granted to places if they meet to certain criteria, like sufficient air conditioning / extractor fans etc. If that was the case, then i would be able to make a choice, smoky pub? non smoky pub? but know that if i chose a smoky pub that i wasnt putting my health at too much risk.
Also people seem to be forgetting the fact that fags get hot, one of my mums friends little girl almost lost her eye, because somebody wasnt being especially careful with their cigarette. You can have items conviscated if they are classed as a 'dangerous weapon' errr... she nearly lost her eye? granted kids will be kids, and have accidents, but still.
And as for the health risks on children... it's a health risk to adults, so kids don't really stand much chance. yea the human body is an amazing thing, it can evolve build up imune systems, but only a small percentage of children will have the healthy bodys to be able to do this, and even then i doubt how effective it would be.
At the end of the day, when people smoke in a public atmosphere, its not just themselves they are damaging. I'm not harming myself buy sitting next to a guy drinking a pint, im not harming myself even sitting next to a guy who's snorting cocain, but sitting next to a guy who is smoking a fag or a joint is harming me.
Also i know one person who has died through smoking, two people who have ephicemia (sp?) one of which is my aunty, who is only using something like 25% of her total lung volume, yep one lung has completely collapsed, she has been in and out of intensive care, her husband and two children have been told three times, that the doctors dont expect her to live to the morning. She is not ever going to get better, her lungs can not repair themselves. She cant get out of her chair without panting, and walking up the stairs is like climing mount everest on rollerskates...
So i do wonder why so many ppl smoke? Hollywood? Because it's avaliable? Because they want to try it, then get addicted? I wonder how many people smoke dope on a regular basis, and how many people would smoke it if it was leagal, and how many ppl would smoke if tabaco was illeagal...