Discrimination against Smokers

Status
Not open for further replies.
C

claire_tigre

Ooooh, Pretty Kitty!
Joined
Dec 17, 2009
Messages
68
Reaction score
0
CLARIFICATION AND DISCLAIMER: This is only to discuss the legal use of tobacco. the illegal use of marijuana, cocaine, or any other illegal substance that can be smoked, probably belongs elsewhere.


im a smoker. and, this is to discuss opinions about companies who refuse to hire poeple who chose to smoke, or fire poeple for smoking. also, discuss the laws that are being considered in may areas (or maybe are already in place) against allowing mokers to smoke in their cars, or homes.

i think it is wholly unfair that an amscot representative informed me, before my interview, that he saw me smoking in my car before coming in, and that he would go ahead and interview me, but that i would not be hired, because i smoke. i think it was wholly unfair to have been fired from a job, because, on my break, i choose to step away from the public eye, and away form any one who may be offended, to smoke a cigarette. im pretty sure that this is, unfortunately not illegal, but since my use of tobacco isnt illegal, i feel it should be.
If Walt Disney World doesnt mind hiring and employing smokers, then why, exactly, should amscot or that sign twirling job care!?

and to tell an adult that they are not allowed to pursue a perfectly legal recreational activity in the privacy of their own private property (home or car) is simply wrong!

im ok with restaurants being largly smoke free, i dont smoke when i eat, and as a waitress, people constantly smoking around me would be distracting, id want one, which would cause me to not perform my job well. thats fine. and, that prevents people who dont want to be exposed from being exposed.

opinions?
 
I'm fine with people smoking in their homes. I'm not fine with it anywhere else because then it begins to affect me. I don't want to have to smell that crap.

Frankly, smoking is stupid. Just saying.
 
Smoking has consequences, and chosing to smoke means chosing to live with the consequences.

Personally, I think that you can smoke it up all you want, as long as I don't have to live with your consequences. Insurance is one way where I do have to live with your consequences, as the third party payer system makes it so that I end up paying for someone else's care from smoking.
 
I think limitations on smoking are perfectly fair because smoking causes problems for others. Non-smokers would prefer not to have to breathe the fumes of smokers. Even when a smoker isn't smoke, they still stink of smoke as their body, their home, their car, and everything they own is permeated with smoke particles. Non-smokers don't want to have to put up with that. It even threatens their health. If you don't like how you're treated as a smoker, QUIT SMOKING! Because I shouldn't have to inconvenience myself so you have an easier time feeding your vice.

I'm proud to say my state is #38 in banning smoking in most enclosed, public places.
 
Phoenicks: i assume that you dont live in the US, since i wasnt aware that my choice to smoke could affect more than people who choose to associate with me while im smoking. interesting point. and that is unfair to you, i apologize that that system is in affect for you.

Ryuutakesh!: what about smoking in your car? i mean, im totally for you having the right to not be exposed to smoke, and taking reasonable actions to prevent that (moving out of the high traffic areas, not smoking a crowd, etc) that i usually take anyway.
also, smoking is dumb, wish i didnt pick the habit up, but its proving very difficult to kick, and i dont like who i am when im trying.

sorry, al, we must have posted at the same time. hmm... how to respond, because i respect that opinion, but disagree...

ok, this is kinda silly, but better than assuming you drink soda or alcohol.

a majority of people feel that having portable video game devices near them, or used near them, is offensive, and recent studies show that the glow of the screens, in high doses, could cause skin cancer. so, the use of them in public areas, enclosed or not, is banned. and now, there is talking of banning the use of them in private homes, or passengers in cars using them. not talking of making it illegal to use them, simply limiting the places that you can, until it is illegal to use them almost everywhere.
(please, feel free to change that example to soda, or alcohol if you do partake of those, its less silly that way)

how would you feel about that?

as for the comment about it harming others health, yes, second hand smoke has been proven harmful, but that sounded more like you were meaning third hand smoke, which is a really new idea, and hasnt been proven harmful yet, though some people think it may.

also, another thing that annoys me.
as stated above, i take reasonable measures to ensure that im not bothering people when i smoke, to the point that i will walk well away from people when i do it, so as to not offend. but, occasionally, i have someone who chooses to follow me to the secluded area i chose, and then request that i put my cigarette out. now, it would have been rude of me to smoke near that person, without permission, or knowing they didnt like it. but i find it a thousand times more rude for that person to have followed me to make their displeasure known.

and, again, i respect all of your positions, and opinions, but, i do request that if the point of you responding here is to remind people that smoking is disgusting, or harmful to your health, without any other real substance, please dont. thats not helpful to the discussion, and may offend some people.
 
Last edited:
claire_tigre said:
Ryuutakesh!: what about smoking in your car? i mean, im totally for oyu having the right to not be exposed to smoke, and taking reasonable actions to prevent that (moving out of the high traffic areas, not smoking a crowd, etc) that i usually take anyway.
also, smoking is dumb, which i didnt pick the habit about, but its proving very difficult to kick, and i dont like who i am when im trying.
Click to expand...

Smoking in your car? Well, so long as your windows are up.
 
I'm for smoker's rights when it comes to smoking in public. Set aside a room for smokers that sends the air out of the building if ya have to, as sending them out in the cold will just make 'em more susceptible to illnesses (Further harming productivity).

And from a tax-revenue stand point, the government has hefty taxes on tobacco products, and the more people who quit, the less revenue so they'll take it out of some other group (Already happening with Obese workers in Alabama). Also, with that revenue, it's usually to support public buildings, quit-smoking campaigns, and healthcare. It's almost like a catch-22. =S
 
claire_tigre said:
Phoenicks: i assume that you dont live in the US, since i wasnt aware that my choice to smoke could affect more than people who choose to associate with me while im smoking. interesting point. and that is unfair to you, i apologize that that system is in affect for you.
Click to expand...

Oh no, I'm in the US. I'm just complaining about how the insurance system is set up so that people who are at risk for smoking or overeating or whatever end up being paid for by other people.

The Big Al said:
I think limitations on smoking are perfectly fair because smoking causes problems for others. Non-smokers would prefer not to have to breathe the fumes of smokers. Even when a smoker isn't smoke, they still stink of smoke as their body, their home, their car, and everything they own is permeated with smoke particles. Non-smokers don't want to have to put up with that. It even threatens their health. If you don't like how you're treated as a smoker, QUIT SMOKING! Because I shouldn't have to inconvenience myself so you have an easier time feeding your vice.

I'm proud to say my state is #38 in banning smoking in most enclosed, public places.
Click to expand...

This I can agree with. Just as long as smokers still have their limited rights.
 
Honestly, I wouldn't have such a problem with the anti-smoking liberal crowd if it wasn't causing the possible prevention of better alternatives such as the electronic cigarette from actually gaining more exposure. The fact of the matter is that in many cases, stop-smoking aids are extremely expensive for someone who is trying to quit smoking to buy.

Ryuutakesh! said:
Smoking in your car? Well, so long as your windows are up.
Click to expand...

Might as well shove a filter up the tailpipe too. It would seem that the emissions that come out of a car would actually be more harmful.

The Big Al said:
I think limitations on smoking are perfectly fair because smoking causes problems for others. Non-smokers would prefer not to have to breathe the fumes of smokers. Even when a smoker isn't smoke, they still stink of smoke as their body, their home, their car, and everything they own is permeated with smoke particles. Non-smokers don't want to have to put up with that. It even threatens their health. If you don't like how you're treated as a smoker, QUIT SMOKING! Because I shouldn't have to inconvenience myself so you have an easier time feeding your vice.
Click to expand...

Some limitations on smoking are fair I believe. If an owner of a bar wishes to ban smoking, they should be allowed to. On the other hand, if the owner of a bar does not wish to ban smoking, and has a majority of patrons who smoke, they should not be forced to do this (especially if they are going to lose income due to it).

Also, yes, smoking does cause a person's clothing to smell. Honestly though, I'd much rather breathe the air as a smoker (who isn't smoking at the moment) is walking by than breathe the air as someone who does not practice good hygiene or use deodorant walks by. The clothing of a smoker is not going to threaten your health, unless of course a firefighter walking by threatens your health. That's just going a bit too far.

Finally, I will say that generally most insurance companies charge smokers higher. I can understand this, and I feel that is fair as well... except that there are no extra charges for alcoholics to my knowledge.
 
I'm with Sato and Al on this one. For me, it's all about whether or not the choice(s) you make are going to negatively affect someone else. So for something like smoking, that choice can affect another person's health through secondhand smoke. I agree with limitations in public places, but smoke all you want in your own vehicle and home.
 
I'm a smoker, it was my choice, I do regret it, quitting is hard as fuck, I don't smoke around non-smokers or children, I only smoke in my own room or outside with no one around me, I have nothing against people who hate smokers.

That about sums it up for me.
 
One of the main causes of my mom's death (when I was 12) was from her smoking. My dad has kind of a judgemental-pet peeve view towards smokers, but I don't. Frankly, I don't really care is somebody smokes or not, just don't do it around me in a closed space or area (inside a home, building, car, ect.) In my senior year of high school, I had to go to different businesses for a school assignment with a couple guys who smoked. And they smoked ALOT inside the car while on the drive.... I had gotten sick from it unfortunately.

And before somebody jumps on me and screams "Then why did you go into that car in the first place you stupid ho!", read back through my post.... I said it was part of a school assignment, to drive to different businesses....therefore I had no choice.
 
KPTitan said:
One of the main causes of my mom's death (when I was 12) was from her smoking. My dad has kind of a judgemental-pet peeve view towards smokers, but I don't. Frankly, I don't really care is somebody smokes or not, just don't do it around me in a closed space or area (inside a home, building, car, ect.) In my senior year of high school, I had to go to different businesses for a school assignment with a couple guys who smoked. And they smoked ALOT inside the car while on the drive.... I had gotten sick from it unfortunately.

And before somebody jumps on me and screams "Then why did you go into that car in the first place you stupid ho!", read back through my post.... I said it was part of a school assignment, to drive to different businesses....therefore I had no choice.
Click to expand...

Honestly, the people who you were riding with should have had the courtesy to ask if anyone minded if they smoked first. Back when I was a smoker (for ten years), I made it a point to ask. I also would not smoke in cars owned by non-smokers. It's the lack or courtesy on the parts of some who are ruining it for the smokers who actually do give a damn about people.
 
seriously KPTitan. they were jerks.

im seriously considering the electric cigarette... aslo, thsoe magnetic earrings, if they ever come out in stores. you can buy them on tv, for like $50 USD, but i dont have a charge card, and after shipping and handling, it gets pricier. but, for the price of two months of cigarettes, i can have something that can be used while i smoke, to simply make the cravings lesson, and eventually go away. and ifthey dont work, oh well, it was only $50. patches and gum, for a full 6-8 weeks would cost the same as nearly two years worth of cigarettes, for a 45% chance of success. that doesnt seem like a good thing to me.
 
Satoshi-kun said:
Might as well shove a filter up the tailpipe too. It would seem that the emissions that come out of a car would actually be more harmful.
Click to expand...

That's actually a very good statement. I'm very much opposed to smoking but I don't hate smokers. They're just like anyone else with bad habits. I have bad habits, I bite my nails and whatnot so should someone hate me for that? One reason I'm very opposed to smoking is because how it took my step-grandfather away from me. He quit too late.

One thing that makes me very disgusted is how they put so much stuff in the cigarettes to make them very addictive. I'd prefer electronic cigarettes. It's pretty much nothing more than water vapor last I heard about what they are. They're much safer, they don't smell so you could use them anywhere. But when it comes to smoking in public, truthfully I'm glad places are going smoke free. I'm not gonna lie about that. But this is such a controversial issue since smokers should have rights just like everyone else, but yet their rights harm anyone in their vicinity.

And I just want to add one more thing, I appreciate the smokers that respect us non-smokers. Thank you for being considerate of us. Courtesy goes a long way.
 
claire_tigre said:
im seriously considering the electric cigarette... aslo, thsoe magnetic earrings, if they ever come out in stores. you can buy them on tv, for like $50 USD, but i dont have a charge card, and after shipping and handling, it gets pricier. but, for the price of two months of cigarettes, i can have something that can be used while i smoke, to simply make the cravings lesson, and eventually go away. and ifthey dont work, oh well, it was only $50. patches and gum, for a full 6-8 weeks would cost the same as nearly two years worth of cigarettes, for a 45% chance of success. that doesnt seem like a good thing to me.
Click to expand...

Honestly, I would recommend checking out this electronic cigarette forum if you do decide to make that plunge, there's lots of helpful people there. Honestly, I wish you the best of luck. I am all for harm reduction, especially since those of us who are hooked do understand how hard it is to quit nicotine. Sometimes a lesser evil is a much better approach than to quit and keep going back to the cigs.
 
thanks!

also, as for smoking being banned in public places, im all for that, i mean, i dont think that i should get to trample all over you to enjoy my vice where i please. i just think things like firing/refusing to hire someone because they smoke (when it has nothing to do with the job description), or telling smokers when/where they can smoke in/on their own property is taking it a bit far.
of course, the person who mentioned that cigarettes are taxable has a very good point, and they just raised those taxes too. if laws continue to be enacted against smokers, more and more people will quit, which is good from a public health point of view, but bad for revenue.
 
My nan used to be a smoker
I personally believe that smokers should be allowed to smoke in their own homes
However i agree with the UK ban on amoking in places like Restaurants and shops and places like hotel rooms
However it should be allowed in pubs and members clubs and it should also be allowed in hotel rooms if its a specific room
 
What people have to realise is that while smoking is each persons decision, it affects everyone around them. They have to smell that shit, and you polute their air which they have to breathe, which does cause them health problems. You may not care about your own health and just think that you look cool smoking, but at the end of the day when you take the control of someone's health out of their hands, you're just a dick.
 
I don't really hate smokers. I hate smoking. Quite frankly, I don't even see how smoking is still legal, but being realistic, I can't see that coming any time soon anyways. Public places are a no-go. Especially when they just throw away their cigarette wherever they want. That just annoys me.

I don't really know about smoking in homes either, at least in front of people that really shouldn't be exposed to smoking, like kids. Without the kids, okay, but I don't think you're setting a great example smoking in front of kids. At all.

To ban smoking in public areas is not discrimination. I'd say allowing smoking in public areas is discrimination against non-smokers.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom