WE Blog

It would truly be absurd if, after trying to cram these coal plants down our throats, Speaker Neufeld supported a smoking ban. Nah, won’t happen. He probably won’t even be Speaker again.

I have an idea, PM. People could stay in the hospital and just not smoke.

This editorial descibes two problems. The obvious one is tobacco use. Enough said about that. The second problem is, ” …it’s just a matter of time before Kansas follows the lead of many other states and enacts a statewide smoking ban.” It seems that this is our legislature’s over-all strategy – wait until every other state institutes social, economic or political change before we do it. That means the situation is always better everywhere else before it gets better here. It would be nice to see some leadership from Topeka for a change.

“Do gooders, with their take on all emissions are trying to control your lives. Smoking is just one of the freedoms you are losing”
Did you read the article? I saw nothing about Sebelius in it. Why are you projecting what Neufeld wants onto “do gooders”? Neufeld is no do gooder!

One of the few instances I’ve agreed with the republicans. Smokers shouldn’t have to be the sole financers regardless of how noble the cause.
If we want it we can all pay for it.

Gawd, all the spin and BS….how is not being able to smoke around me punishing YOU? And the last I looked, cigarette smoking isn’t going to be illegal, you can puff away all you want at home, in your car, outside.
Geez..y’all want a little cheese to go with your whine?

Guess how long it takes for the filter tip on the end of cigarettes to decompose? Like ions! I don’t understand how smokers, contaminating me in a public place, is taking away THEIR freedom!

Of course, all these smoke free zones does open a legal can of worms.

Stating the reason for prohibiting smoking, is that it causes irritation, health affects and general ‘unfriendly’ breathing environments, might lead some eager attorneys to be involved in lawsuits or even better class action lawsuits of establishments that allowed smoking including private homes.

Imagine if you’re a smoker and you get a subpoena by mail to appear in court because your kid or your “former spouse” is sueing you because you smoked in the house against their wishes and health desires.

I can see the lawyers lining up for a piece of the pie

awaiting moderation, so I posted again.

Ya know what I do if somebody is doing something that bothers me?

I move away from that person.

I almost never confront them or complain.

I just put distance between me and them. And if I know where they hang out? I avoid those places.

Of course, I have on occasion inserted myself into the occasional public cell phone conversation….

“Dammit come back to the party! The donkey is all greased up!”

We do not any of us have the absolute right to go through life without the occasional, minor affront to our particular peeves.

“Ya know what I do if somebody is doing something that bothers me?
I move away from that person.
I almost never confront them or complain.”

LOL, judging from your other posts, I find that hard to believe, JR.

As the child of two smokers, who smoked IN THE HOUSE, I remember not one time when I was really bothered by the smoke. You know the one and only time I really remember it being an issue was when my grandmother in Tacoma took me to bingo and there was absolutely no ventilation…it made me so sick I had to leave the building.

Sure I used to do all those good kid things, I nagged them about smoking, even tore up their cigarettes once…usually during that whole smokeout nonsense.

You are not that bothered by smoke in restauarants Mary, just admit it.
You just want to be one of those that complain.
If my aunt whose nose runs and eyes water can handle being in a well ventilated restaurant with smokers, then you can too.

Garden City has the smoking ban. They have even banned smoking outside in the park and Lee Richardson Zoo. Last year Garden City hosted the “Kansas Sampler”. It was held at the park and zoo. And guess what??? I saw people smoking!!!. Nobody in charge said anything to the people that were smoking–probably because they were afraid these people might leave and not spend any money there. I repeat–not spend any money there. They also waived the “no liquor in the park” ordinance. Because there were businesses there showing their samples of beer. But today if I went into the park with a cigarette and a paper cup of beer, I would be arrested.

And just for the record, I used to smoke but quit 2 years ago.

And you do not have the absolute right to go through life polluting the air and subjecting others to your secondhand smoke. I HAVE the right to breathe clean air…and your rights stop where mine begin.

Although I don’t disagree with you, Mary, there’s more to this than cigarette smoking. What about scent allergies? I had a cousin in high school who I sat next to in band, first hour. She was allergic to the cologne I wore at the time. It gave her a headache. I chose not to wear the offending scent until after the class was over. I belong to a very large organization that’s predominantly women. Each year the members are aksed to refrain from scents at the annual conference where over 2,000 attend. Believe me, climb on a crowded elevator with 10 women, and breathing is almost optional. I won’t even go into the alcohol argument.

Then there’s what Kelly said above. It’s absurd to quack over second-hand smoke, when the air you breathe outside is much more hazardous, unless you choose to stay in a completely filtered home environment and never leave it. The air we breathe is far worse than having a meal in a restuarant even once a week where smoking is allowed. And yet we see our legislators intent on having 2 or 3 coal plants built that would spew even more toxic crap into ALL the air.

Talk about cheese with a whine. If I choose to go, fully aware, into a smoking establishment how exactly is it that I’m breathing “second hand” smoke? I made my choice.

Watch what you eat. The fat ones are next.

Eventually that is precisely what you’ll be told. It’s the precedent that these progressive, social changing mandates set. There will always be more and more and more. I come, originally, from a place where the government has more than enough power and things like this never ever stop.

The funny thing is that I don’t even smoke. I do, however, know whose fault it is if I breath someone else’s smoke. It’s my fault.

Pretty soon smoking will be banned in your car. Now you will only be confined to smoke on the toliet.

Dear Mr. Neufeld,
I certainly appreciate your concern for people allergic to cigarette smoke. When you’ve finished attending to that, how about passing and enforcing a statewide ban on the giant ragweed?

Ban peanuts, and peanut products. My grandson is highly allergic and the allergy is becoming more common everyday! He should not be put at risk from coming into contact with some child or adult that has just consumed a handful of nuts!
Actually non smokers were on their crusade long before the attorney generals ruling, that just gave them some ammo.

P Mom…It isn’t coming from the liberals? Really? So Lawrence is filled with conservatives. Is that what you’re telling us?

Is Mary going to hop on our ban wagon?

The US banned alchohol in the 20s. About the only thing that produced was a stronger, wealthier and more powerful mafia. Nice idea and all. Don’t get me wrong. It just doesn’t seem at all practicable.

Well, I’m with the heathens…I like my cigarettes and I like my booze. And if I can have both at the same time, even better!!! :)

What?
Actually TJs fills up every day at lunch and only a very few smoke…they won’t lose any business, in fact it may increase because many people stay away from places where cigarettes are allowed.
You can’t exactly lump alcohol and fast food in with cigarette smoke. If you get snonkered sitting next to me, it has no affect on my health. If you weigh 300 lbs and sit next to me while you eat a double cheedburger, that has no affect on my health. If you wear perfume and sit next to me, I might sneeze, but it won’t increase my risk of getting cancer.
Second hand smoke increases the risk of cancer in the nonsmoker by 25%, and increases the risk to the smoker 13 times more than that of a non smoker.
I don’t give a rat’s ass if you get cancer because you care more about your addiction than your life, but I’ve had cancer before and I don’t appreciate you selfishly exposing me to your carcinogens.
I can walk down the street and the air isn’t going to give me cancer…it’s NOT worse than being exposed to second hand smoke. If that’s what you believ, than prove that the air in Wichita is more hazardous to our health than second hand smoke.
I feel sorry for your kids who have grown up breathing your poisons, and I do know people who have been adversly affected by growing up with smoking parents. It can contribute to low birth weight, SIDS, asthma, allergies, emphysemia, and cancer in nonsmokers. Most OBs today won’t even take on the care of a pregnant woman who smokes because the liability is too high.
Maybe you can’t handle the guilt about the damage caused to others by your smoking, that’s why you’re in such denial about the affects.
I really do feel sorry for you.

I don’t wanna sit next to you either there Mary.

I don’t think I could climb up that high.

You can’t afford a hamburger and fries, JR? Now that IS sad.
It’s sad that you have so much resentment toward anyone who has the drive and determination to try and achieve their goals in life. You always accuse me of judging others, when you are one of the most judgmental, stereotyping, and assuming people on this blog. You have such a distain for any success by anyone, it’s no wonder you’ll never be able to buy yourself a hamburger unless the government pays for it.
As long as you blame everyone and everything for where you are in life..you’ll ALWAYS be where you are. Sad.
How’s your neighbor’s cow doing these days?

“I don’t think I could climb up that high.”

LOL…with your lungs, I’m sure you can’t!! :)

I went to lunch at TJ’s yesterday and as usual it filled up at lunch…and NO ONE smoked the whole time I was there. Maybe the smokers think the ban has already taken effect? It was nice not to put up with that foul stench while my husband and I enjoyed our lunch.

I’m happy you were able to enjoy an annoyance free lunch there Mary. It is important that the folks who live by the lake never be annoyed or inconvenienced.

I hope you didn’t have to walk more than 3 feet. Did you use the handicap parking?

PS…I can walk across a parking lot without any effort, JR…..how ’bout about you? :(