Smoking ban story chat

It's on fire!

Jason K from St. Cloud
Number of Posts: 21
Comment Posted: 12/15/2006 6:22:23 AM

Tom Emmer's statement is a major reason why I no longer associate with the Republican party. When someone makes comments like that, it shows complete lack of understanding on the issue and perhaps just as bad- lack of tact.
Fortunately, he is in the minority this time around and his opinion should be drowned out by the voices supporting clean air.

Too bad Emmer is not an Assistant Minority Leader...I think more of these gems are coming!

northernlights
Number of Posts: 161
Comment Posted: 12/15/2006 9:28:55 AM

no global warming and no proof that smoking kills, oh to live in the shoes of the right. Well Pawlenty just accepted global warming, so maybe the shoes of the ignorant is better.

GBGirl from St. Cloud
Number of Posts: 522
Comment Posted: 12/15/2006 10:24:17 AM
I still think there should simply be a "smoking" license, similar to that of a liquor license. I feel this way for a couple of reasons...
Smoking is NOT illegal. If it is so unsafe and is putting patrons and employees in such grave danger, why isn't this substance illegal in the first place? Since it isn't illegal, how can someone say it shouldn't be allowed?
Privately owned businesses should be able to do what they want to (within the law). It is up to the patrons to decide if they want to go to the establishment or not.
The money from the licensing could go back into smoking education, research, etc.
If shs is truly such a concern...then businesses wouldn't survive withOUT going smoke free on their own. This isn't happening, therefore, the fear or demand for it must not be as great as the perception of it.
We could also require air purifiers (of particular strength and quality) for those places that do wish to have a smoking license.
I don't enjoy being in a restaraunt where there is smoke...and I do feel that shs is a danger. Smoking is not illegal however, and I think the government intruding on a privately owned business is a slippery slope.

northernlights
Number of Posts: 161
Comment Posted: 12/15/2006 10:24:48 AM
Once they are out of the womb, who cares right?
Secondhand smoke is especially harmful to young children. Secondhand smoke is responsible for between 150,000 and 300,000 lower respiratory tract infections in infants and children under 18 months of age, resulting in between 7,500 and 15,000 hospitalizations each year, and causes 1,900 to 2,700 sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) deaths in the United States annually.

GBGirl from St. Cloud
Number of Posts: 522
Comment Posted: 12/15/2006 10:27:30 AM
But Northern...then why is it not illegal period? Why aren't people trying to make it an illegal drug. Marijuana seems less harmful than nicotine! I agree with all that you are saying....but how can we force bans on something that is not an illegal activity?

Its not illegal because the tobacco lobby is powerful. When you go after a large corporate entity, the big guns come out. Last year when we put togehter a text book bill, calling for an inquiry into price gouging, the text book industry flew lobbyists to MN to fight the bill. Tobacco is big money!

Ron from Fairhaven
Number of Posts: 4
Comment Posted: 12/15/2006 10:37:11 AM
Conservatism is fine, but when it obstructs well-established principles of public health, it is time to change course. Yes, it is high time that Dems exert their clout and pass this overdue measure - statewide. And, with Michele Bachmann now out of the legislature and Steve Sviggum neutralized, maybe MN can follow New Jersey's example and give same-sex couples some degree of civil rights. Some thought is not progressive; these two measures are.

Archie from Coon Rapids
Number of Posts: 261
Comment Posted: 12/15/2006 10:43:49 AM
Northers lights:
What a cheesy place to collect information, the American lung Associan, But if it fits your fancy, soak it up. for instance the American SIDS alliance has already told the anti's like the Lung dynasty to STOP using the sids deaths to promote anti smoking messages because NO ONE KNOWS THE CAUSE OF SIDS besides it is a cruel ploy toplay on parents that have lost a child to SIDS, But when the means justify the ends why should these concerned ctivists care about parents.
Here is another tactic used by the "critters of the ALA" uysed throughout the country
Prepare a pigs lung with cosmenics that make it look like a mass of oozing puss then carry it into schools 5th and 6th graders (Most impressionable) and tell them that they are looking at a human lung from a dead smoker, On feb 19 2004 on the capitol steps Ron latz along with ALAMN held up a sandwich bag that contained a human lung, He told me that the ALAMN told him it was human, Of course it was not.
The Minnesota Air national guard did the same tactic, flying Hueys on to school property to scare the kids into not smoking. Only this time when I confronted the ANG about the Pig Lung I was told that there were MUslims in the ANG and they had to change to a sheep lung..............Nothing but liars of the worst sort

Calling out someone for using a doctored or fake lung photo heh. Ever seen the GOP abortion photos. They are fake as well, where is your criticism of that?

boatman from St. Cloud
Number of Posts: 125
Comment Posted: 12/15/2006 11:18:25 AM
What brand of cigarettes did Jesus smoke ?

GBGirl from St. Cloud
Number of Posts: 522
Comment Posted: 12/15/2006 11:21:37 AM
Northern: LOL @ the Global Warming ;o) Yep...I do think we agree.
I am kind of shocked, however, that Archie is so passionate about smoking being a healthy event....when if a pregnant woman smokes, she has a higher risk of "aborting" her fetus. So much for "pro-life" I guess. Smoking abortions=ok in Archies world?

GBGirl from St. Cloud
Number of Posts: 522
Comment Posted: 12/15/2006 12:02:07 PM
Joseph: I said he has a death certificat AND medical records. Death was lung cancer......causes, IN HIS RECORDS, are due to smoking.

Archie from Coon Rapids
Number of Posts: 261
Comment Posted: 12/15/2006 12:05:21 PM
To Joseph:
There was an old intoxicated democrat that was reaching for a cigar butt was hit and killed by a car, The anti smokers wanted it to say died from smoking on the death certificate but reasonable minds settled for a "smoking related death"

130 posts by noon. It will be entertaining to check this out later. Obviously this is a hot button issue. I stand firmly on the side of a statewide smoking ban.