Smoking ban proposed for England
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Ms. Jenn
Fresh, Hot & Wild
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Joined: 14 Feb 2004
Posts: 7935
Location: Suite 550
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 Posted: 11/16/04 - 11:43 Post subject:
Ok, Ok we understand Sonny and Mega.
I recently voted to up the tax on cigarettes to help pay for anti-smoking education and smoking related illness costs.
Smoking is a decision made by individuals. If I want to smoke in my home, I think that is my right, just as it's my right to own a gun in my own home. But I can't bring that gun into a restaurant.
If smoking is banned, what is the punishment? Fine? Jail?
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elkid
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Joined: 18 Nov 2002
Posts: 8353
Location: hiding out in Philly
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Posted: 11/16/04 - 11:58 Post subject:
| sonnylax wrote: | | let those who choose to smoke pay more for their insurance premiums. |
With private pay/self-funded plans, they do. Smokers also pay higher life insurance premiums. For those that use a group plan through work, no can do. Unless you also say those who use the system more should contribute more, like cancer patients, cardiac cases, and organ recipients. It's a shared risk structure. An example: should Joe O pay more than you because he has a critically ill child who has extensively used the health care system?
I was once a hard core smoker. I hated when people would smoke around me while I was eating in a public place. HATED it. NYC feared the smoking ban would kill the bar scene, but it didn't. I can't imagine how this would go over in the UK, however, where so many people smoke.
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Gogirlgo
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Joined: 25 Jul 2002
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Location: No deal, stalker.
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Posted: 11/16/04 - 12:01 Post subject:
| sonnylax wrote: | I'm already well aware that some local US governments/states are banning public smoking. Whether or not that is the case in your backyard, the question remains is it legal and/or an approriate use of government to govern such conduct at private business.
P.S. The cost of insurance (rising to cover smoking related illnesses) is secondary to the issue I'm trying to address. I don't want Big Brother watching anymore then you do, but let those who choose to smoke pay more for their insurance premiums. |
I understand your fear of according Big Brother too much power, but I would ask you the larger issue: What is the appropriate role, in your opinion, of gov? And I mean not just in the case of smoking, but in general?
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kristin31
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Joined: 15 May 2002
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Location: Caught in the crossfire of childhood and stardom
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Posted: 11/16/04 - 12:16 Post subject:
The ban is also in place in Florida, for all restaurants and bars, but it's up to the establishment to enforce it. Most do. The only "legal" way around it is if your food sales are 10% or less of your total sales. In that case, smoking is permitted. This allows bars that have "package stores" attached to permit smoking.
I don't have a problem with it. No one else really seems to either. Every so often you'll hear some old grumpy fart bitching about it.
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sonnylax
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Joined: 30 Sep 2003
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Location: Living in a lollipop and unicorn world
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Posted: 11/16/04 - 14:03 Post subject:
Easy... But charging those people who want to smoke higher insurance premiums (vs. those who do not smoke). Why should we (the non-smokers) subsidize their health care insurance?
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RexRacer
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Joined: 17 Aug 2004
Posts: 814
Location: A pancake house of ineffable crappiness
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Posted: 11/16/04 - 14:59 Post subject:
| Ms. Jenn wrote: |
If smoking is banned, what is the punishment? Fine? Jail? |
Indeed. Any idea how the no smoking in pubs thing is going in Ireland?
I think what they did in NYC and Ireland (to discourage intentional chronic flouting of the law) is to have a fine system in place for random violators, but to make your license an issue if you simply constantly refuse to comply with the ban.
FYI-I think smoking should be allowed in bars, optional in restaurants. Of course, there are bars that choose to be smoke free, and they get a chunk of clientele for that very reason. They'd get my money too if they weren't otherwise such jerks!!!
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