Maybe a similar system could apply to smoking (wacky or non-wacky backy lol). Maybe even "light" recreational drugs which the Drug Advisory Board specify.
Smoker for example could face a fixed penalty if smoking in front of children, whether it's their own kids or not.
Smoking in a car (in my opinion) is dangerous as it distracts the driver from keeping control of the vehicle (it's the same as barbie doing her make-up in the mirror while driving). Smoke all you like in your own home, with no kids, and keep putting the price of cigs up to pay for the NHS (though it should be reviewed every few years to show that smokers aren't paying for other things).
A "rehab" tax should be put onto all legal drugs like alcohol and cigrettes which are addictive. Then rehab centres, nicorette patches, gum, "electronic" cigarettes, hypnosis treatment, nicotine-free cigs, etc should be free (or massively reduced in price).
Here in Holland you can buy cigarettes without nicotine in them for about 15 euros per pack!!! My friends want to try them but can't afford to. Aparently they taste like normal cigs and you loose your addiction in a month or two.
Last point... society should stop criminalising people for smoking weed, taking ecstasy, etc while smoking tobacco and drinking alcohol are socially acceptable. A fine for possesion is one thing, but to ruin someone's life (possibly loosing their job, chance of getting a new job, etc) for smoking weed is outrageous.
It's funny that my friends here who smoke weed (I dont) say things like "ah I'm out of weed, need to go down to the shops. What does everyone want?" lol.
All comes back to the same problem tho. How do you maintain individual freedoms in what is supposed to be a democracy ?
Before we ban anything, be aware that there'll be someone who wants to ban what we do.
There's too many instances of this govt trying to control the extremes and, in practice, curbing the freedom of the responsible majority.
Cissy... is it your right to smoke crack cocaine or inject heroine? Whats the difference between that at smoking? Where do you draw the line? Is it your right to smoke weed? Again a grey area. In my opinion - it's your CHOICE to do what you want to do, but don't make people around you suffer, especially kids.
Matt... first of all, smoking is LEGAL, crack, heroine, cocaine etc are all ILLEGAL, so, no, I do not have the right to smoke crack etc.
I in no way make people around me suffer. I smoke outside in my garden when at home (nope, no-one else there) and I smoke in DESIGNATED SMOKING AREAS when out and finally (for the third time) I do NOT smoke around my kids, or anyone elses for that matter. So, does that make me a responsible smoker I wonder?
At the end of the day, the police can't stop people using their mobile phones in their cars, so I can't see how they are going to stop smokers. I would like to see an immediate ban on people who lob lit fags out of their car windows when a bike is behind them, but I doubt that will happen either. This is gonna be an unpoliceable offence at the end of the day.
Some great statistics though Matt, thanks for sharing
I'm talking about your morole right, not what you can legally do. Just because weed is illegal, do others not have the right to choose to smoke weed if they want? But it's ok as long as it's within the law? Why is something that's legal and far more dangerous than something illegal considered fine just because it's been legalised hundreds of years ago?
For 40 years the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (the offical government council) have been researching every kind of substance and making countless recommendations to government. These professors, doctors, scientists etc are constantly ignored by the powers that be who favour tax money over peoples' health. It's so bad that half of the council quit in protest last year!
So if the ACMD say something is bad, but the government make it legal, that means you then have a 'right' to do it? There's a difference between what's allowed and what's a human right (like water and food are a right, tobacco is not).
RustyKnight In: Newton Aycliffe
Posts: 2462
Karma:
Matt I hope you're not tryin to turn this into a non smoking site. I think you'd be surprised how many of your customers on this site are smokers and sit down to enjoy the site with a cig/spliff and a beer. I don't smoke in front of my kids for moral reasons, i'm quite capable of reaching for my fags while driving the same as you are of reaching for your indicator and if you want the right to clean air I presume you only ride/drive electric vehicles as your principles wouldn't allow you to contribute to the smog in every major city would it?
Matt...one person can not dictate what is a moral right and what is a legal one. If the law says it is legal, then that's good enough for me, and I would NEVER stand in judgement of someone for smoking if I chose not to. Not sure about where you live, but here we are watching our rights be stripped away, slowly and surely. It is not my right to smoke around people and children who do not like it, because that directly affects them, but it is my right to smoke if I choose to do so, away from anyone else, or in company of other smokers.
I was living abroad when the smoking ban came in here, I returned in October, and was appalled at being forced to stand outside in the freezing cold. I couldn't avoid pubs as we were gigging in them, or I would never have gone in one again! But, now, I actually have got used to it, and don't give it a second thought... and as I think i said before, the smoking area outside pubs is usually the most sociable anyway.
Like RK, I can reach for a smoke as easy as reaching for a CD to put on the stereo whilst driving, or the indicator. And I might be harping back, but the police cannot enforce the mobile phone ban, so I would like to see them try with this one if it ever comes in!
No smoking in cars, Oh that'll work, it's unenforcable, just like the mobile use, and eating a bar of choccy,
There's not enough Police on the streets, to make a difference, iwhere were they yesterday when some K/H pulled out on me on a roundabout on his mobile without looking....
Fair point about not going home stinking of someone else's smoke. I don't have a problem with the indoor smoking ban, but I DO object being told that I can't smoke in my own car when I am the only person in it!
I had a chat with a local copper yesterday, and he just laughed when I asked him if he thought this could be enforced!
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