One way to get people to quit or cutbak on smoking is to ban in all public places. It has worked in California, teen smoking down by 47%, as well as other states and communities. The best way to help the smokers to quit is to ban it. At the same time it would help protect the non-smokers. If smoking had been banned in public back in the sixties then I probably never would have started. Instead I smoked hard for 27 years before I quit. I have been paying the price. A lot of my friends have died, including my ex-wife at age 49, and a lot of them have been diagnosed with cancer and will die from it. We need to ban smoking in public to protect the non-smokers as well as the smokers. Second hand smoke is killing around 50 thousand people a year, it's time to put a stop to it. Thank you, Bob

EXCUSE ME?! Ban it in PUBLIC places? Who do you think you are? Public quite literally means "of or for the people". "People" includes SMOKERS. I don't NEED to quit and I don't WANT to quit. I do NOT need someone else telling me how to live my life. Let me kill myself in peace.

Obviously nothing I can respond will change your adamant views of your "right" to smoke in public places. Though there are numerous scientific studies which point to the fact that second hand smoke is as deadly as your first hand inhalation, it is hard to imagine how someone can ignore proven scientific facts. My main comment is this...Your "right" to smoke in public should somehow supercede other's rights to being in public without being subjected to the possibly of being subjected to life threatening second hand smoke? Just a comment for thought.

Public includes non-smokers too! I don't NEED to smoke, I don't WANT to have health problems and die prematurely because you NEED to smoke! More than that, I don't want my children and grandchildren to do so. Would it be fine with you if someone were to sit next to you in a Public enclosed space and proceed for the next several minutes,to spray a mixture of benzene, nicotine, formaldehyde and the thousands of other poisons found in secondhand cigarette smoke, oh...I forgot, let's mix a hefty dose of carbon monoxide in there, you know the same poisonous gas that we protect ourselves from in our homes and garages because it can kill us. How about if this person works in the same space as you all day and NEEDS to spray this mess around at least 20 times a day. You know, they are a pack of day sprayers! So, you are right, you have the right kill yourself in peace but you do not have the right to kill anyone else.

If you don't NEED to smoke, don't smoke. If you don't WANT to smoke, don't smoke. I DO NEED to smoke and I DO WANT to smoke and it's not just your world. IF smoke were as poisonous as you describe it, people would be dropping like flies. Where on God's green earth do you work that a person can smoke? Do they need any help?

EXCUSE ME TOO. Yes, I agree that we must ban smoking in ALL public places. "Public" does not mean that smokers have the right to kill non-smokers. The word "Public" has nothing to do with smoking. Only God has the right to give me cancer, not smokers. I don't care if you smoke and if you don't want to quit, don't. But smoke in your own home, not in any public place. Sure, if you want to kill yourself in peace, do it but don't take me with you. Don't stink up my skin and hair; don't stink up my clothing and closets; don't cause me to choke for hours; don't cause my eyes to burn. Your smoke is killing thousands of us non-smokers. The problem is, you're not really killing yourself "in peace". Your taking me with you.

I personally think this should be the way it should be. I also think the FDA should be allowed to control tobacco products with the same control they do other things, which would hopfully remove all tobacco products until the added poisons were removed 100%.

I am a smoker and I agree that smoking in an enclosed public place is not necessary. I am also very careful not to smoke around others when outside. I have been ridiculed and insulted by others who think smokers are "open game". As long as cars can spit toxins in the air I guess there should be a place for smokers. There are some smokers who have no intention of quiting but many of us that want to. My hope would be some compassion from the general public in understanding how difficult an addition Nicotine can be. Believe it or not when I go long without a cig I become light headed, my head begins to hurt and the anxiety causes my heart rate to go up. I was going up a set of steps once and actually fainted. The physical addiction can be very significant. I understand the desire to totally eliminate public smoking but I don't totally agree.

Interesting post, littler1. You appear to be a considerate smoker who understands the evils of smoking. I'm sorry that you are so addicted. And, you describe your symptoms very well. But please understand the we non-smokers also don't want to become light-headed, get headaches and have high anxiety, all from second-hand smoke. We also have no wish to contract cancer from second-hand smoke, or smell like a burning bond fire or choke all night after a night out in a bar or pub that has no "non-smoking" areas. Most pubs don't segregate smokers from non-smokers. Some do, but unfortunately, not where I live. From our viewpoint, we have just as much of a right to go to these places as smokers do. It should not be a terrible inconvenience for smokers to step outside for their nicotine fix.

I agree that smoking should be banned in public. I am a former smoker and if this issue were raised four years ago when I smoked I probably would have been outraged by the thought. But I have since quit, done some growing up and have had children. I realize that it's not worth putting other people at risk just so a smoker will not be a little inconvienenced. I will not take my children anywhere that smoking is aloud indoors. Why should my kids have to suffer and not be able to go to certain restaurants or go bowling with out inhaling damaging chemicals?

There's a much simpler way...why doesn't the FDA take cigarettes off the market completely?

I think we should ban all bars. Do you know how dangerous it is for a person to drink and then drive home? Look at the lives at stake. I also think perfume should be banned. I happen to be allergic to it. And what I wish they would really ban is all sugar and everything with sugar in it. People are dying everyday from weight related illnesses. Cars should be banned. Cars are violating my rights. Do you know how much "poison" comes from the exhaust pipe of a car? They should be taken off the market.

Howdy Laura, interesting post. I don't know that we should ban all bars, but perhaps a breathalizer test when patrons leave the bar should be in order. It only takes a few seconds. If you're over the limit, you don't leave until you are under. What do you think? Fortunately, someone's perfume that I rarely smell, does not give me cancer. Sorry that you are allergic to it. If someone takes sugar with their coffee, that does not give me cancer either. If their sugar causes weight problems for them, that doesn't give me cancer either...or cause me to choke or cause my clothing to smell or kills my sense of taste and smell. The emissions from today's cars are indeed, a problem. But thanks to stringent legislation, they do not emit anywhere near the pollution that older models do. And the emission standards keep getting tougher and tougher. As a partial offset, unfortunately we are indeed driving more miles today than yesterday. State and federal governments monitor the air in all 50 states. If emission criteria is exceeded, then the feds issue a mandate for the states to reduce tailpipe emissions and take other preventative measures. Those zones that exceed the allowable standards are known as areas of "non-attainment", meaning they do not attain the federal and state requirements for clean air. Within these areas, measures are required to be taken to minimize pollution and return the air quality to acceptable levels, under established time frames. It's the law. It's called the "Clean Air Act" of 1970...along with updates. In addition, there are more and more "hybrid" vehicles out there...much less tailpipe exhaust. My point is that there are many things being done to minimize tailpipe emissions. We need more of that kind of thinking behind the push to abolish smoking in ALL public places...and eventually, abolish it altogether, period. Yes, I do know how much emissions come from the tailpipe of a car. HC, NOx, CO, CO2, VOC, lead. But much less today than yesterday and much less tomorrow than today. Vehicles are a NEED, but I don't know that I would call them "habit forming" like cigarettes.

FDA isn't regulating tobacco for the same reason that the oil industry in the US get away with making excessive profits and gouging us all for gasoline and heating oil! Billions spent in lining the pockets of legislators at all levels!

Hi Susan. If you ever run for president, you will get my vote.

We need to ban smoking in public to protect the non-smokers as well as the smokers. Second hand smoke is killing around 50 thousand people a year, it's time to put a stop to it. =========================================== This is NOT the answer! In fact, you could go back to your history books and re-read about prohibition to see why this idea is bad. It would start as taking your right to smoke away, and then later on you have NO rights, period.

Come on guys....Banning smoking in public is a "smoke screen" I COMPLETELY agree with banning smoking in ANY indoor venue. HOWEVER... Please tell me how smoking on the beach (if you take your butt with you) Or smoking in a park is dangerous? If you see someone smoking, AVOID em if your worried their smoke will go in your lungs instead of into the air! People who stink pollute our air, but can we force them to take a shower? You cross the street with all those cars sitting there, and you inhale TONS of pollution. Fireplaces emit smoke that at times comes downward. Oh my...how about Camp fires?? Ok...get the Hint? You can not force people to quit! What will we force Americans into next? Think about it all...Just be polite.

Yes, you are true, outside is different than inside, and it is easy to avoid. To others who said people who are non-smokers and in public are the same as people who are smokers and in public is ignorant. I'm sorry, but why should people who choose to live without one less additive in the air be compromised. It is that smoker's CHOICE AND DECISION to smoke and doing so should be their SOLE choice, they are not choosing that for the people around them. It is something that can be helped, and just because there are those who are innocent enough to still go out in public and deal with those smokers doesn't mean we should. If you want to smoke, do it in the privacy of your own presence.

Nice post Rascal, and I must both agree and disagree. I certainly agree with you on banning smoking in ANY indoor establishment. And, I agree with you that smoking on the beach or park is OK as long as we are both not in the immediate proximity. Nice idea to take you butts with you. Where I disagree: if people refuse to use soap, any smelly molecules that I may inhale won't give me cancer. Also, visually compare the air in a smoky pub with the air outside when you cross the street. I can pretty much walk on the smoke inside a bar. It's so thick that I can't even see the other side of the room; burns my eyes; stinks up my skin, hair and clothing. But, I don't see auto emissions or smell them outside, even in bumper-to-bumper traffic. My eyes don?t burn, my skin does not smell. Yes, I realize that the tailpipe emissions are there. But just to back up that statement, I'll do some research on how many pollutants are inhaled in a smoky bar compared to what people breath in crossing the street and let you know. Also, in the state that I live in, no campfires are allowed, because we are "non-attainment" for ozone and in some counties, for particulate. And, I have never seen smoke back up into my living room when I light my fireplace. If it were to back-up, it would only be for a few seconds anyway. Very minimal risk, if any at all. I agree with you, I alone cannot force people to quit. I can only ask smokers to "just be polite" as you say, and give us non-smokers a break by avoiding smoking in ANY indoor, public establishment. Be polite and just go outside to light up. Eventually, all smoking will be banned. Yes, it will take years and I doubt that I will see it in my lifetime, but it will indeed, happen. My grandchildren will love it...especially when they go out for a drink at a local pub.

Smoking causes hardened vessels(Atherosclerosis) which leads to circulation problems of the blood, not letting it get to your legs/arms, causing Peripheral Vascular Disease. THis is a huge reason for amputations. (I have taking care of a lady with both and she had both legs above the knee amputated, her left arm right below the elbow amputated, and was currently having to have her right hand fingers amputated, was miserable, depressed, had trouble breathing, because it was moving up her body, and ending up dying a couple days later) YOU dont want to be like this. Also, the atherosclerosis is a huge cause of HEART Attacks because they get narrower and plaque builds up, and can cause a blockage. OR you can get HYPERtension which is a HUGE cause of STROKES, try and remember is someone you knew that had a stroke or Heart attack was a smoker. Also, DIABETICS, if you have numerous complications due to diabetes and smoking, you are setting yourself up for disaster. Diabetics are very bad healers, and say they were in need of that amputation....well good luck to you, b/c not only are you a poor wound healer, you already have compromised circulation to begin with, that might just lead to an infection, and well....it goes downhill from there. PLEASE QUIT OR DON'T START, DO IT FOR YOUR FAMILY AND YOURSELF, YOU DO NOT WANT TO SUFFER!!!! IT IS A DIRTY HABIT AND ONE OF THE MMMOOOSSSTTT PREVENTABLE RISKS FOR DISEASE THAT YOU COULD EVER HAVE!!!! GOOD LUCK!!!!