To think it will serve some smokers right if outdoor smoking is banned

[user1485342611]

Yesterday a friend and I were sitting outside a cafe in a park (no indoor seating) having a coffee. We were the only people there as it was late in the afternoon. A couple sat at the table right beside us and proceeded to light up and enjoy a couple of cigarettes with their coffee.

I was sitting at the bus shelter a couple of evenings ago and a guy sat down beside me and proceeded to light a cigarette. I got up and walked a few feet away and stood until the bus came. He just smoked away, oblivious.

There was a long queue at the ATM today as several in the area weren't working. A woman smoked away in front of me and around loads of other people as we all waited for our turn.

Surely, just because smoking isn't illegal out of doors, it doesn't mean smokers don't have to show any consideration of cop on towards others.

AIBU to think that some smokers (and I know it's only some) will have only themselves to blame if smoking out of doors is eventually made illegal?

MerchantofVenice it's smoke from a cigarette. Really not that big of a deal. If you don't like it that much to the point it's making you uncomfortable then either ask for a resolution or move away from it. Maybe it's me being simplistic but I really don't understand some of the dramatic posts in this thread

Well, if everyone thought like you mission we would probably be surrounded by cigarette smoke - after all, each cigarette is just one measly cigarette in the open air.

Honestly. Do you think passive smoking was made up?

I just think people should consider the effects of their behaviour before strangers have to take action.

It's not about being dramatic- it's simply the principle of the thing.

It's like a dog owner saying "well, if you don't like my dog's shit on your path, just ask me to move it." It shouldn't fucking be there to start with!

See someone smoking nearby to me is the difference between enjoying myself and not. We went to the lakes last weekend and people were hanging over the fence of a play park smoking (they clearly thought being on the outside of the fence meant it was fine) I didn't think "no big deal" I thought "FFS it stinks, it's in my baby's face now and we'll have to move". I smelt of smoke afterwards from just being nearby for 30 seconds.

Remember the days before the ban and the stink and smog of nightclubs? The fag smell in the hair the next morning did little to cure a hangover. And I've lost count of the amount of times me or my clothes got burnt on the dance floor!

I wish it was banned for those within so many meters of a small child. I constantly see people pushing prams with babies in (even tiny ones), puffing away on a cigarette at the same time, smoke billowing around the poor baby. Poor little mite has no chance with parents with that attitude.

Yep - I remember those days - your coat would stink after a night in the pub!

Yanbu

Filthy disgusting stinking habit and saying you don't like it always winds people up on here.
It also gives you yellow teeth, bad breath and makes you taste off for oral sex.

Yay! despite the shit weather it's proper British summer. YABU.

I never knew about the oral sex thing.
I don't think you can ban it outside - otherwise people wouldn't be able to smoke all day if they worked away from home. However I do think public gathering areas - e.g. Parks, bus stops, outside tables - should be off limits

You are being completely unreasonable, I am grateful for the outdoor smokers because as a reformed smoker I still love the smell and will randomly follow smokers just to indulge in the sweet sweet smell they leave in their wake.

Ok so smoking should be banned inside and outside as well. Where would you allow it? Space shuttles? Get over yourself.

Im sure the complainers make a beeline for smokers.

I smoke occasionally. Nowhere near food, or children, or groups of people who clearly aren't smoking. There are both considerate and inconsiderate people in every walk of life aren't there

Anti-smokers online (but I don't come across any such thing in RL) seem to be apopleptic about Vaping as they can't stand smokers having an alternative to real cigs. Its control freakery gone mad

I can't stand it if Im out where people are drinking so much alcohol that they're braying. Or sloshing drink about. Or falling about. I don't go over and make my disapproval apparent, I just immediately move as far away as I can. Im not going to invite confrontations and arguments into my life

There's big money in tobacco the government aren't going to ban it and the hardcore "we don't want anyone to smoke crew aren't going to be able to prevent people from smoking no matter how much they go on and on and on about it. Just move away. If its outdoors its unlikely you are boxed in anywhere you can't move.

I think a ban in beer gardens would be fair personally. I hate cigarette smoke but banning it on the street is a tad far even for me! Plus it would mean I could no longer do my aforementioned passive aggressive arm flapping and tutting

I'm surprised to hear that it's banned outdoors in some places in the US. You can smoke indoors still in Vegas casinos!

I completely disagree with them, vaping should be only tolerated where smoking is, or at the very least banned indoors and in all eating and children areas, but for the rest it's would be a decent start

www.rsph.org.uk/our-work/campaigns/smokefree-communities.html

But vaping isn't smoking coddi, so why should it be lumped together with smoking?

Vaping shouldn't be lumped in with smoking. However, I have seen many a frothy thread on here either about vaping itself or smoking which then turns to include vaping and the same terms are used by those against smoking with vaping. Disgusting, harmful, stinks, anti social etc. Even when in the last one I spotted a few weeks ago a lot of the myths about vaping and it's harmful effects had studies posted refuting those myths. They were dismissed as not being in depth enough or biased.
It's true anti smokers want smokers to give up and go cold turkey, they don't want an alternative, even if it is safer all round.
I'm with the pp who doesn't get the vehement frothing of ban this ban that. Where's the compromise? We've turned into an angry mob with pitch forks in this country. The thing is once the smokers have been chased away the self righteous indignation will still be there so who will be targeted next?

YABU.

The only time I will stub out a cigarette outside is if there is children or sick people near by as obviously they have weakened immune systems.

I'm not a selfish smoker. I wouldn't go and sit in a bus shelter with 10 other non smokers and light up I would stand at the side and try not to get in anyone's way. But if I'm alone in a bus shelter and someone chooses to come and sit next to me then that's their call IMO.

Nobody is a mind reader OP. For all those people in the cafe knew you were a smoker yourself.

Try being polite and asking people if they would mind moving if there is plenty of seating options available and you may be surprised.

because vaping is not harmless, it might be less bad for smokers but not completely innocuous either, so it's completely unreasonable to impose it on other people.
it also stinks, and it's ridiculous to expect people to have to find themselves in a cloud when they are peacefully having diner. Basic manners?

no shortage of information online, anyone can google for details

pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.est.6b05145

It will never be banned outside. If they can't smoke outside then where the hell can they smoke? 🤔
It's banned in some outside public spaces ATM, but will never be banned from smoking outside completely.

I don't like the smell of fried food and obesity kills. So can we also ban cooking smells please?

Especially KFC, that has actually made me wretch before 😳

If you lump vaping in with smoking then you have the risks of
Giving the impression that vaping is as harmful as smoking (it's not)
Making it more difficult for smokers to switch because of the different rate of nicotine absorption when using ecigs (e cigs are little and often thing)
Making it just as convenient to smoke as to vape

Jeopardising vapers' efforts to quit smoking by sending them to stand with smokers - and also risking their health

Public health englands view
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/use-of-e-cigarettes-in-public-places-and-workplaces/e-cigarettes-in-public-places-and-workplaces-a-5-point-guide-to-policy-making

And backed by cancer research UK
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/e-cigarettes-an-emerging-public-health-consensus

Around a billion people will die prematurely from smoking this century. Imagine the lives saved if they all swapped from tobacco to vaping. Imagine the health points - if they swapped to vaping, all the people around them would benefit from no second hand smoke. And so on
By vilifying vaping, you're effectively telling people to keep smoking. Why should they quit if people keep saying "well it's still smoke, you have to stand with the smokers and oh yeah, it's just as bad for you, probably worse. And it stinks. And you look stupid"

So can we also ban cooking smells please?

Here we go with the comparisons again! Does smelling food have a measurable effect on the health of your lungs? No? Not even vaguely comparable then. I know it's relatively rare, but people have developed serious and even fatal illnesses from other people's smoke. Not from other people's KFC though.

FWIW I don't think we're necessarily talking about the possibility of banning smoking 'outside' as some vague, all-encompassing term; OP referred to specific designated public spaces in her examples. And I have specifically referred to outside areas at cafes. This is not too much to ask, surely?

The fact is, no other bad habit forces those nearby to participate in said habit and share the health-related effects (to some extent). Smoking is a case all by itself; there are no other habits that are directly comparable.