OT Calif. City Bans Smoking in Public Places

On Mon 20 Mar 2006 07:42:10p, wrote in rec.pets.cats.anecdotes
):

All the same, I think the justified concern over second-hand
smoke has unfortunately been conflated with our tendency to go
on puritannical witch-hunts, to the point where it has reached a
certain hysteria. I certainly don't want to go back to breathing
smoke everywhere I go, but jeez, why can't someone enjoy their
cigarette if nobody is *forced* to breathe it?

I've just been catching up on reading this thread (with much
interest!), and a smoker myself, I'd never knowingly force others
to breathe in my second hand smoke. In Maryland (Merlin ) we've
had a smoke-free workplace since the late 80s in most places, and
malls and other public places have been smoke-free since the mid
90s (for the most part), but it took until the last couple of years
to completely ban smoking from restaurants and clubs. The owners
were afraid it would hurt business and that people would go to DC
where they had no such regulations. Well, it's finally been passed
to allow no smoking indoors, and I believe I've heard that it
didn't hurt business. Heck, we're all used to having to go
outdoors. I would go outside even when smoking was allowed at the
bar, and away from the entrance. I don't even smoke in my own
house. I'm outvoted with 4 non-smokers vs just me.

--
Cheryl

"Matthew AKA NMR ( NO MORE RETAIL )" 10 points a troll
@linethetrollsup.com wrote in message
...
Legal or not I would never hire an employee that used it. All our
employees get a up front drug test ( blood, not urine ) and random drug
test you fail unless there is a reason you failed Good Bye!! All I
need is a stock person running a lift to drop the merchandise on a
customer because he or she was stoned

Now the part about smoking. It is not allowed of course inside the store
or within 60 feet of the entrance due to the Florida laws. Security will
ask you to put it out or to leave if you hang out in front smoking. No
employee may smoke on property while in work uniform ( on or off the
clock) or if you are on the work schedule. Before we changed the policy
luckily Florida made it easy for with the state laws coming into effect.
Smoker used to take smoke breaks while outside without clocking out Non
smoking employees complained why can he or she take 5 minutes to take a
puff and I can't take 5 minutes to grab a soda. I also never thought it
was a good image of employees hanging out smoking while in company
uniform.
Our insurance company test you for nicotine if you are a smoker they
will not give you health benefits. I understand smokers being a ex smoker
of 7 years; one of the best things I ever did. But there is something
about being out and some body is chain smoking outside a business and you
end up reeking of cigarette smoke. If common courtesy was done by
everyone I could see not banning it but since the world is the way it is.
It is coming down to where you are going to only be able to be bad in your
own home and than your spouse will be able to divorce you or your kids
will be able to sue you since you are a smoker

DH is *NOT* allowed to smoke within 20 feet of our house! ;

--

Hugs,

CatNipped

See all my masters at: http://www.PossiblePlaces.com/CatNipped/




"CatNipped" wrote in message
...
"EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)" wrote in message
...


Fat Freddy wrote:

"Those who smoke out of doors are hurting only themselves, and so far,
that's still their right."

Then why do not heroin, cocaine, or meth addicts have that same right?

Perhaps because their "drug of choice" impairs judgement? Aside from the
issue of "second-hand" smoke, tobbacco doesn't cause the user to put the
lives of others at risk! (On the other hand, "driving under the
influence.....")

The drugs could be made legal but driving under their influence kept
illegal - like alcohol. Also, to stretch a point, drivers who are
distracted by fishing out and lighting up a cigarette could (and do)
cause accidents.

--

Hugs,

CatNipped

See all my masters at: http://www.PossiblePlaces.com/CatNipped/

Monique Y. Mudama wrote:

On 2006-03-20, William Hamblen penned:

An employer can hire just about whomever he pleases. If he wants
only nonsmokers he has the power to do so. Laws prevent unfair
discrimination on the basis of race or sex and some other things,
but smoking isn't one of them.


According to my husband, who recently took management classes, it's
also legal to decree that no men may wear beards. I assume that this
would be legal unless it were attempted on a person who had to wear a
beard for religious reasons.

Yes, I can see where an orthodox Jew or a Sikh might have
grounds for a class-action suit - but usually the scumbags
who make such arbitrary rules don't offer jobs worth having,
anyway! (Expecting an employee to maintain a neat
appearance and dress appropriately to the job is one thing -
to flatly say "no beards" or "no mini-skirts" is another!)

Pamela Shirk wrote:

It was about that time that marijuana was made illegal, and LSD was thought
to be a safe pastime.

Pam, SFAIK marijuana has ALWAYS been illegal in the U.S.!
(They even enforced it - a lot of jazz musicians regularly
got "busted" for smoking it.) And FYI, LSD didn't even
exist until well after WW2. (It came along just about the
same time as the Beattles, IIRC - remember "Lucy in the Sky
with Dianonds"?)

CatNipped wrote:

"EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)" wrote in message
...


Fat Freddy wrote:


"Those who smoke out of doors are hurting only themselves, and so far,
that's still their right."

Then why do not heroin, cocaine, or meth addicts have that same right?

Perhaps because their "drug of choice" impairs judgement? Aside from the
issue of "second-hand" smoke, tobbacco doesn't cause the user to put the
lives of others at risk! (On the other hand, "driving under the
influence.....")


The drugs could be made legal but driving under their influence kept
illegal - like alcohol. Also, to stretch a point, drivers who are
distracted by fishing out and lighting up a cigarette could (and do) cause
accidents.

Not nearly so many as those do drivers distracted by their
cell-phone conversations!

"EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)" wrote in message
...


Pamela Shirk wrote:

It was about that time that marijuana was made illegal, and LSD was
thought to be a safe pastime.

Pam, SFAIK marijuana has ALWAYS been illegal in the U.S.! (They even
enforced it - a lot of jazz musicians regularly got "busted" for smoking
it.) And FYI, LSD didn't even exist until well after WW2. (It came along
just about the same time as the Beattles, IIRC - remember "Lucy in the Sky
with Dianonds"?)


Shussh you will tell all of our secrets of the past
The colors man the colors
Woaah is the room moving or is it me

"EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)" wrote in message
...


CatNipped wrote:

"EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)" wrote in message
...


Fat Freddy wrote:


"Those who smoke out of doors are hurting only themselves, and so far,
that's still their right."

Then why do not heroin, cocaine, or meth addicts have that same right?

Perhaps because their "drug of choice" impairs judgement? Aside from the
issue of "second-hand" smoke, tobbacco doesn't cause the user to put the
lives of others at risk! (On the other hand, "driving under the
influence.....")


The drugs could be made legal but driving under their influence kept
illegal - like alcohol. Also, to stretch a point, drivers who are
distracted by fishing out and lighting up a cigarette could (and do)
cause accidents.

Not nearly so many as those do drivers distracted by their cell-phone
conversations!

or eating Mcdonald's
trying to put on their makeup
or turned around and yelling at their kids

Matthew AKA NMR wrote:

I never understood why they had smoking and non smoking sections
there was no solid divider

I'm sure you've heard the joke that goes, "A non-smoking section in a
restaurant is like a non-peeing section in a swimming pool."

Joyce

Pamela Shirk wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...
I wish I could remember the name of the corporation--it was on the news
a couple years ago and I remember the story distinctly because I was
pretty horrified. Employees had to have their blood tested for
nicotine, and were given a three-strikes-and-you're-out ultimatum.
Of course there was all the propoganda about wanting employees to be
healthier and it was "for their own good." They were given all kinds of
help to stop. But still, it creeped me out.
My FIL, who was at Pearl Harbor, talks about how the Red Cross would
ship cigarettes to the GI's. That's mind-boggling, too. :-)



If you've ever seen early (black and white) Television programs from the
fifties, Cigarettes were often touted as being healthy for you. They
cleared your throat, helped you de-stress after a long day, etc. I used to
find it funny, but am now horrified how people were propagandized into
smoking. Back in WWII, testing was just started on the effects of smoking.
It was about that time that marijuana was made illegal, and LSD was thought
to be a safe pastime. Do you know that cocaine was only made illegal in the
30s, if I recall correctly. It was still used for medical purposes in the
mid-70s. I was given some when I had a bunch of broken facial bones put
back into place. There's a wholeeeeee story about that.

Pam S. remembering


Actually, after I had one of my cataract surgeries, one of the stitches
worked out enough that it was painful. My opthalmologist
(ofphtalmologist, heck with it - EYE DOCTOR) was licensed for topical
cocaine and used it to deaden the eye while he pulled the offending
stitch. This was '85 or so.

--
Sam, closely supervised by Mistletoe

EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque) wrote:
Pamela Shirk wrote:

It was about that time that marijuana was made illegal, and LSD was thought
to be a safe pastime.

Pam, SFAIK marijuana has ALWAYS been illegal in the U.S.!
(They even enforced it - a lot of jazz musicians regularly
got "busted" for smoking it.) And FYI, LSD didn't even
exist until well after WW2. (It came along just about the
same time as the Beattles, IIRC - remember "Lucy in the Sky
with Dianonds"?)

Veering *way* off topic, but "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" wasn't
about LSD. :-)
It was inspired by a drawing by Julian Lennon when he was a small
child.

Back on topic, I watched a movie, I believe it was a Stephen King
vignette, called "Quitters." This thread is eerily reminding me of that
movie! Ever seen it?

Sherry