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?

JacquesHammer - I'm not sure why you think a holiday complex has a responsibility to care about people's health other than the basic health and safety of its guests?

I don't. I was commenting on your obvious glee that smokers had to stand next to the bins. I was concerned that someone with that sort of attitude might have a job connected to public health, given your previous post, but I can see now that it's more of a hobby horse sort of a thing.

'Many people smoke who don't want to smoke'.

All addictions are ultimately a choice, the smokers smoke because they choose to, I don't buy the narrative that we are all helpless in the face of our addictions.

I smoke because I choose to, not because I am in thrall to a nebulous higher power.

And if I give up, that will be because I choose to.

We are not all helpless in the face of our addictions. We are individuals with choices.

And I choose to smoke. Because I enjoy it.

Good for you, hairy.

I started smoking when I was 12 and was thoroughly hooked within a couple of years. I'd still be smoking now in my late 40s if I couldn't vape, even though my habit caused me to lose half my teeth. I have family members in very poor health who know they need to stop, who desperately want to stop, but who just can't stop, despite frequent attempts.

Most smokers started as children and well over 90% of all quit attempts end in failure. Half of all long term smokers smoke themselves to death. Who would 'choose' that?

Nothing to do with being 'in thrall to a nebulous higher power', everything to do with pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and psychology.

Well Pencil, that's because people with views of that nature are somewhat stunted in their thought and any action by another human being is directly connected to their view of the world.

It is utterly inimical to them that you not only have different views, but you are a functioning human being, completely separate to their wants and desires.

Well I'm in my latter mid-40's, I'm not a child.

There was a X post there.

I was commenting on your post about smokers by the bins.

Oh right. Yes, prickish attitude in that post laughing about smokers by the bins. I think they just don't really see smokers as people.

Please tell me you didn't take up smoking in your 40s?!

I took up smoking at 14, been a good 30 years.

No, they don't see smokers as people, that was my point before we unfortunately crossed posts.

Do you really believe it's a choice for you now, after all those years? Could you for instance just decide not to smoke for a week and be completely fine with it? If you ran out of fags on a Sunday could you just decide to wait til Wednesday when you're going shopping anyway?

Pencils I see smokers as people. Just rather sad people who care so little about their fellow humans they will inflict their revolting habit on them.

So yeah, if it's a choice between being able to sit at a gorgeous restaurant over looking the sea but in a cloud of cigarette fug, or be able to have a meal with unspoilt air, I'm not losing any sleep over the placement of the smoking area, not my circus, not my monkeys

That's nice Jaques.

I see people who laugh at how smokers are treated as people too. Just rather nasty people who care so little about their fellow humans they think it's funny when people are treated like garbage because they have an addiction they mostly acquired as children, and which will kill half of them, and from which the government takes £9.5bn/year.

You don't have to lose any sleep. You don't have to find the whole situation hilarious either though, do you?

I don't find it hilarious. Just rather pathetic really.

The issue is I am yet to meet a smoker who isn't entitled. Whether it's the desire to light up where they wants or take regular breaks from work to smoke whilst others pick up their slack. Smokers tend to make everyone else's life revolve around their habits too

Jacques I used to smoke before I started trying for my first child. Gave up a few weeks before I fell pregnant and haven't smoked since. I was never entitled. I didn't ever smoke during the day at work. Only with wine, only away from people who didn't smoke and never dropped ends on the floor. Smokers can be considerate too, actually. Just as non smokers can be - in case you ever wanted to give it a go?

Also, I could have absolutely waited days between smoking even though I'd been doing it for 15 years.

I think you are both wrong.

There is no moral imperative to do what others want us to do. Nothing compels us to behave in any way.

Likewise, we are free to behave as we want. A person's habits only affect us if we chose them to.

A smoker taking regular breaks in no way impinges on your work, unless you choose it to.

I think we can all agree that smoking is dumb. Not saying that smokers are dumb, just that smoking is dumb.

A smoker taking regular breaks in no way impinges on your work, unless you choose it to

I completely agree with this.

I refute the fact that smoking is dumb any more than any other Human action is dumb.

The act of being willfully ignorant when it comes to bring an individual is dumb to me.

Physical actions are just what we do.

Being. Not bring.

I refute the fact that smoking is dumb any more than any other Human action is dumb.

Again - very true. Not every single action we do as human beings is necessary for our species existence or our health.

Spot on Hammer.

A smoker taking regular breaks in no way impinges on your work, unless you choose it to.

It certainly doesn't anymore, I work for myself.

The funniest thing I ever heard was many years ago a smoker telling me they weren't prepared to clear out ashtrays in the bar at the end of the night as they didn't like the smell

When I was a conveyancer, my assistant smoked. It very much impacted on me when she disappeared once an hour to smoke.