AIBU to think banning smoking in public would be a good thing?

[MumOfTheNorth]

Interested to get the general consensus on this.

Cigarette smoke makes me feel really ill and I'm often in public situations where people are smoking near me. Sometimes I can't move away, for instance when I'm in a qué or the other day I was sitting outside in a restaurant and a person sat down and started smoking and the wind blew the smoke and ash onto me and my food.

Maybe this is really selfish but I don't want myself and my baby to be exposed to second hand smoke when we're out and about. AIBU?

Where are you?
In the UK smoking is banned inside. On public transport. In shops. In restaurants. It's great!

Yes absolutely needs banning in all outdoor public places!!

I'd ban vaping. I loathe getting a faceful of foul, sweet chemicals. It really affects my breathing worse than cigarette smoke. God knows why people seem to think it's better than smoking.

It's just as revolting second hand.

I am a smoker but trying to stop. I try not to smoke in outside public areas. I hate walking behind someone that is smoking or vaping and I get it full in the face! I can imagine it's much worse for non smokers. I also hate when people drop their fag ends in the street along with chewing gum. I will always keep hold of the end until I find a bin. As a smoker I hope a full ban does come in to place. At home I smoke in the garden and never ever in the house. I don't think you are selfish at all, my smoking habit is my habit and quite rightly you should not be subjected to my smoke or anyone else's.

It's banned in all inside places and some outdoor places. Smoking is not illegal, you may not like it, but it is a legal activity that generates approx £10billion per year in tax revenue.

The cost per year is often hailed as being about £17billion per year but thats actually made up of £2.6billion for NHS, £1.4billion for social care. The rest is "estimated costs of lost productivity for businesses", so it's an activity that's providing a significant amount of money 8n to government coffers.

It would be unreasonable to ban people from doing a completely legal thing.

I'd ban smoking and vaping in public.

But I'd also ban drinking in public too.

And laughter, fun, sports, Christmas, ideologies, loud cars, dogs barking too much, fat blokes taking their shirts off and people wearing sports clothing when they're not doing sports.

Vote for me!
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I agree, I'd love for it to be banned in public places. I think the normalisation of smoking needs to end, kids don't need to see or experience it, and second hand smoke shouldn't be foisted on any unwilling participants and in public no one person can consent for everybody.

I agree. It also creates loads of litter, that would hopefully be reduced / stopped. I can’t see it happening though, as the passive smoking rationale doesn’t make a huge amount of sense in the open air.

YANBU if that's how you feel.

It doesn't really bother me though and come to think of it, I very rarely come across cigarette smoke nowadays.

I think it's only really if I go to the theatre or something and want to pop outside for some air during the interval.

There's always lots of smokers and vapers around then.

@CyberCritical Yes it all comes down to money. Same with alcohol. They totally ignore that it is a carcinogenic poison. Out of all drugs alcohol comes out at number one for the leading cause of 15 types of cancer, yet it is still legal. They will never ban what is making money.

And of course alcohol has the added effects of causing violence, road traffic accidents and anti-social behaviour but you'll never see a 'should we ban alcohol' thread on here.

Yeah I agree

i don’t know anyone who smokes now though. At uni in the 1990s I knew several.

I agree but expect it would be difficult to enforce. If someone smokes inside a shop, restaurant, Library etc they can be asked to leave. How would that work in the street?

@CyberCritical Yes and the cost to the police. Noone has ever been held in police custody for lighting up a cigarette!

We should ban drinking in public before that as I can't think of a legal activity that causes more violence

Drinking is far worse - go to A&E any weekend and see the real cost mount up, not to mention police, courts, traffic accidents,

But hey if you don’t like eating near a smoker, stay home.

I'm a smoker and I would like to ban cars. Foul-smelling, polluting death machines.

I'm a smoker and I'd like to ban religion.

I'd ban smoking and vaping in public- if people want to do it at home/friend's home that's up to them. I feel the same about drinking- I'd allow alcohol to be served with food but limit it and in pubs but limit it. Drinking just to get pissed should be banned so should drinking in the streets/parks etc.

I'd also ban cars over 1.6L and 4 wheel drives unless they are needed for work purposes.

And I think there should be no level of alcohol acceptable for driving.

I'm a smoker and I'd like to ban cars, religion and dogs.

I’m a smoker - I’d like to ban idiots.

It would be unreasonable to ban people from doing a completely legal thing.

Clearly, the discussion is about making it illegal...

I too am a smoker and I think we should ban children in public.

The really great thing about my plan is I don't have children so this doesn't affect me.