Smoking

[dolfan]

I wish they WOULD ban smoking in cars, it makes me MAD to see parents smoking in a car with children inside, with or without the windows open. Make it illegal to smoke around children or while pregnant, period, I say.

I think the law in TN now is that you have to be a 21 or up club/bar to be able to have your patrons smoke inside. A lot of places in Nashville changed to that in order to keep their patrons, from what I understand. You can still smoke on the patios though. I'm just glad that not only do I not have to worry about getting in the non-smoking section, I don't have to worry about WHERE I sit in the non-smoking section so as to not get the smoke that wafts over. YUCK.

I'm preparing to make it an issue in a custody case. New, difficult arguments to make in this state where, in spite of our tendency to love regulation of individual conduct, we still (for now) give wide berth to abusing our kids with cigarette smoke. And, although I'm 100% in favor of people smoking pretty much anywhere they want (i.e., smoking-designated places in restaurants are okay with me) if they do smoke at all, I'm 100% against exposing it to someone who's trapped and has no power to escape -- and that's the case with kids.

[pastorables]

Tupelo, MS has a city wide ordinance now. All restaurants are smoke free. We went to O'Charley's recently and I asked for none smoking. The hostess stated she knew I was going to ask that and added that the establishment is smoke free now.

pa

[scooter]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22910820/?GT1=10755

[Dr. Ron]

I totally agree with dolfan on this one. I don't think it is the right of the government to tell a business owner he can't designate a place for those who wish to smoke.....if he provides for the comfort of those who do not. He should be allowed to make those distinctions.

I feel the same way about parents smoking in cars with their children present as I do about piercing the ears of children. It's abuse!

[Alan]

smokers cant be in public places in georgia. tenn. just started a few months ago so now we eat in tenn. without choking.

Actually it's only in restaurants in Georgia. Other than that it's up to the owner of the property to decide. I can't stand going into or coming out of wal mart or restaurants with all the smokers near the doors. Originally it was going to be you couldn't smoke within 100 ft of the entrance to a restaurant, but that got changed along the way.

[dolfan]

Where I work, Decatur, AL, has an ordinance since 10/1/07 that bans smoking in all public places, businesses, commercial buildings, bars, restaurants, etc. You can't smoke within 10 feet of any entrance to any such building. A few brave souls tried to fight it in court, but after losing round 1 of that fight, I think they folded up their tents and went back to their now-smoke free businesses.