New Orleans Passes Extensive Smoking Ban

Some places it may work and others it won't, depends on the demographics of the area.

Helena Montana did the exact same thing years ago before I moved from there and everybody from the bars and other places started going to "East Helena" which is technically a different town without the same law. Helena lost so many bars and other businesses due to them having no customers. East Helena cleaned up on the deal.

Don't know if it's still the same laws there but I imagine it may have changed.

mikell
"Sounds like Michigan and it works well. Some whine but the rest of us can have a couple of beers after work without having to leave our clothes outside when we go home."

I love how it "works well" for you and anyone who opposes it are "whiners". As long as you get what you want then the hell for anyone's rights who disagree with you..

It is THE BUSINESS OWNERS RIGHT TO BAN SMOKING in their establishment and people who want that can go to those places and stay out of the smokey ones. The government has NO business getting involved.

originally posted by: framedragged
a reply to: AutOmatIc

Because noxious, carcinogenic, acrid smoke is comparable to BO.

Totes malotes yotes.

Hey if people are allowed to just fart wherever they want to, and subject me to their deadly noxious gas, then I should be allowed to smoke wherever I want. I mean, some people's flatulence is more deadly than me smoking ten packs of cigarettes at once. /my weird sense of humor

a reply to: AutOmatIc

That's an old Steve Martin joke.

He's in a restaurant and someone asks "do you mind if I smoke?" He turns to them and says "no, do you mind if I fart?"

a reply to: kosmicjack

Looks pretty standard to me. Maryland is already like this. Makes the bar scene more enjoyable when you don't have to sit in a cloud of stale tobacco smoke.

originally posted by: jude11

originally posted by: snowspirit
a reply to: kosmicjack

Canada set in most of those same laws at least a decade ago.
Hotels /motels usually have a couple of rooms for smokers, which are also the rooms for people traveling with pets.
No smoking in commercial vehicles either - taxis, buses.
People just go outside to smoke, at a required distance from the building. Usually a few feet.
In the winter we see various employees freezing their butts off smoking outside.

I don't think it affected tourism much, there's a lot of nonsmokers these days.

It closed a lot of bars and pubs tho. People started staying home where they were free to have a cig with their beer.

That's a huge impact.

Peace

That's what happened in the major metro area I used to live in, killed the bar scene and the bar business within the city limits; bars outside the city limits, i.e., "in county", flourished but were then killed by the '08 recession, never to return. Meh...it doesn't really matter though and the people who never enjoyed the bar scene or are too young to have participated and enjoyed it aren't missing it because...they never participated to miss it. Freedom's a funny thing. The people who had it and enjoyed it miss it when its taken away. The people who grow up without it? They don't know what they're missing and don't care.

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
a reply to: kosmicjack

Looks pretty standard to me. Maryland is already like this. Makes the bar scene more enjoyable when you don't have to sit in a cloud of stale tobacco smoke.

I used to like the tobacco smell of a bar, these days you get a wiff of BO and farts.

Im not even sure why government enforces this no smoking rule, it should be upto the bar owners to enforce this rule,
I can understand family and hipster bars banning smoking, old school guy bars should not be subject to this rule, you know the grimy bars that don't serve food, only sell booze and peanuts, these are the bars I felt comfortable drinking in.

Sadly they don't exist anymore.

24 pack of beer: $30
Pack of cigarettes: $14

Freedom to fart and smoke all I want in the comfort of my home: Priceless

a reply to: NeoSpace

As someone who has had bronchial problems his whole life, nothing was more infuriating to me then going out to a bar on a Friday night, only to get smoked out of it within an hour or two, unable to breath. I can deal with the smell of farts and BO (which really isn't a problem in Baltimore anyways. It was initially, but then everyone either started bathing more frequently or bars got better air circulation).

You can go outside to smoke. Newer bars in Maryland are being built with outdoors smoking sections and such (complete with heaters to stand around when it is cold).

you know the grimy bars that don't serve food, only sell booze and peanuts, these are the bars I felt comfortable drinking in.

Sadly they don't exist anymore.

Dive bars still exist... I know of several that a few of my friends frequent at times (they tend to have cheaper beer).

a reply to: Krazysh0t

So you have a disability! It isn't enough for you that you have bars and restaurants you can choose to patronize that cater to non-smokers. EVERY bar and EVERY restaurant MUST cater to YOUR disability and the rest of the population can go hang!

And if a bar owner who have invested his money in a bar to cater to smokers must go out of business - so be it!! The world is all about YOU YOU AND ONLY YOU!

The call smokers selfish but in the past 12 years as I have been watching this issue, smokers have moved over every time!

It is puritans that are greedy, self-centered and controlling.

Tired of Control Freaks

a reply to: TiredofControlFreaks

What are you getting all feisty about? Smokers can go stand outside, it really isn't that much trouble. Just about all of my friends are smokers. I've learned how to deal with these things. It's not like I'm calling for a ban on smoking or anything. As a Libertarian, I would never ask for such a thing. Is it really SO hard for you to get off your ass and stand outside for a few minutes to huff cancer?

By the way, Baltimore still has Hookah Bars. So your point about bars that cater to smokers going out of business is dumb and untrue.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

The average winter temperature in northern ontario is - 17 degrees celcius - Yes it is a great big deal to stand outside - 25 meters away from any wall that may stand as a windbreak.

Non-smokers already have every government building and every retail store to their taste - Is it such a big deal to allow smokers a place where they can socialize with their friends (you know as it states in both our constitution, the right to peaceful assembly)?

Would it be such a big deal to allow smokers to have humane shelters from the elements as required by law for dogs and pigs?

Tired of Control Freaks

a reply to: TiredofControlFreaks

Actually, we already know the reason why owners of private property (ie restaurants and bars) can't be allowed to choose whether or not their property is smoking or non-smoking!

Its because intolerent non-smokers are in the minority and more profit is to be made by catering to the smoking crowd and their non-smoking friends.

The ONLY reason a smoking ban is imposed is because that is the only way in which a non-smoking venue could survive financially. The only reason smoking bans continue to exist is because of rigorous enforcement.

So what happens when the money for enforcement runs out?

Tired of Control Freaks

originally posted by: TiredofControlFreaks
a reply to: Krazysh0t

The average winter temperature in northern ontario is - 17 degrees celcius - Yes it is a great big deal to stand outside - 25 meters away from any wall that may stand as a windbreak.

Bars where I live have started supplying heaters for their smokers. Where there is a will, there is a way. Good thing economies are self-correcting for government intrusion huh? But we also don't have minimum distance laws either. You can literally stand outside the door of a building and smoke, just as long as you aren't on the other side of it.

Non-smokers already have every government building and every retail store to their taste - Is it such a big deal to allow smokers a place where they can socialize with their friends (you know as it states in both our constitution, the right to peaceful assembly)?

I wasn't aware that the outside didn't count as place to assemble peacefully.

Would it be such a big deal to allow smokers to have humane shelters from the elements as required by law for dogs and pigs?

Tired of Control Freaks

I guess that is up to the establishment on whether they want to supply one or not. Places here in Baltimore have been known to supply such things. Though are you by any chance suggesting further government intrusion and forcing businesses to supply them?

a reply to: Krazysh0t

Krazyshot

Bars and restaurants in Ontario spent 100's of thousands to build patios to cater so smokers. Now smokers are banned from outdoor patios and must stand at least 25 meters from the door.

"peaceful assembly" does not just mean being able to stand together in one place. Peaceful assembly means that you are getting together for a purpose. Smokers want to socialize in the same comfort as non-smokers. We want to get together for the purposes of smoking together. Non-smokers are not invited to assemble for the purposes of socialization in a snow back with wind chills of -50 degrees and no shelter from the elements. Why should smokers. Are we not equal under the law.

The anti-smoking laws are nothing more than a rip-off from the old Jim Crowe laws (without the separate but equal clauses).

Tired of Control Freaks

originally posted by: TiredofControlFreaks
a reply to: Krazysh0t

Krazyshot

Bars and restaurants in Ontario spent 100's of thousands to build patios to cater so smokers. Now smokers are banned from outdoor patios and must stand at least 25 meters from the door.

Sounds like an Ontario problem. Know this tough, I don't approve of such laws. Standing outside is good enough for me. That way the smoke dissipates easier (being close to a building is irrelevant since the amount of smoke that would leak into the building even if standing right next to the door is inconsequential to the people inside's health).

"peaceful assembly" does not just mean being able to stand together in one place. Peaceful assembly means that you are getting together for a purpose. Smokers want to socialize in the same comfort as non-smokers. We want to get together for the purposes of smoking together. Non-smokers are not invited to assemble for the purposes of socialization in a snow back with wind chills of -50 degrees and no shelter from the elements. Why should smokers. Are we not equal under the law.

Take that up with Ontario politicians. That is awful.

The anti-smoking laws are nothing more than a rip-off from the old Jim Crowe laws (without the separate but equal clauses).

Tired of Control Freaks

Again, all I care about is that you stand outside. Minimum distance laws are going to far.

a reply to: TiredofControlFreaks

Sorry I forgot to explain smokers shelters in Ontario. By law - a smoking shelter can only have a roof and 2 walls! Completely in adequate for the purpose of proving shelter from the elements for a human being. Not like the laws for animals which allow 4 walls and a roof.

Tired of Control Freaks

a reply to: TiredofControlFreaks

You really just compared smoking ordinances/laws to Jim Crow? Last I checked, people can't just decide to quit being black.

a reply to: kosmicjack

They passed similar laws in Washington State years ago. I understand why they did it, but i do not agree with it whatsoever. IMO it takes the freedom of choice away from the business owner and the citizens.

In Seattle there was a prominent cigar bar where you could get a nice bourbon and fire up a stogie, but they pretty much got shut down. I think that if an individual wants to run a bar that allows smoking, they should be able to do so if they property owner is ok with it. The government has no place in dictating what a business owner can and can't do inside their own business (within reason) and it should be up to the market. If there is a niche for a cigar/cigarette friendly bar, let the people speak with their money. There is nothing that forces anybody who does not like smoke to enter the building. If you don't like it, don't go there! If enough people are against it, the business will not make any money and will close anyways.

More recently laws have been passed that prohibit E-cigs in doors. This shut down a handful of vape friendly bars and made it difficult/impossible for vape supply stores to offer their customers the chance to sample the different flavors, regardless of whether or not there was nicotine in the juice they wanted to sample.

More nanny state BS and taking the freedom of choice away from business owners and patrons. I hope i see a time in my life when the government starts letting the people make their own choices and stops acting like they know better than we do, but i doubt i will see it.

a reply to: xDeadcowx

The problem is that smoking doesn't just hurt your lungs, it hurts your neighbor's lungs as well. I am all for personal responsibility, but personal responsibility ends when you start negatively effecting someone else through your actions.

Buy a vape pen.

a reply to: xDeadcowx

I detest smoking but I agree with you, for the most part.