[Karen W.]

All Better! LO sorry Denty!

[dentstudent]

All Better! LO sorry Denty!

It's ok! I didn't see it before you edited!

There is still one thing that REALLY annoys me about smokers. They (and I'm aware I'm making a generalisation here, but it's very close to the truth) seem to think that their cigarette butts are somehow excluded from the classification of "rubbish" and just throw them onto the ground without a moments thought. Therefore, we all have to wade through thousands of the damn things whenever there is an agglomeration of humanity - at stations for example. I find this supercilious behaviour particularly abhorrent.

Discuss.....

[kdlynn]

well, here in ohio since the general population accidentally passed a smoking ban, the cigarette butt problem has been reduced a great deal. now anyone smoking has to be outside at least thirty feet from an entrance to a building. since this is terribly confusing to a state of people who couldn't properly read the issues on the ballot, designated smoking areas have to be marked and all of them contain very large outdoor ashtrays

[dentstudent]

How did they "accidentally" pass a ban?

[kdlynn]

there were two smoking issues on the ballot. one was for the smoking ban, the other was not to have a smoking ban. the way they were worded, some people who read too quickly voted for the wrong one. then when everyone said hey wait, that's not what we wanted, the people that decide these things said well too bad, now nobody can smoke, although we're raising the smoking taxes and you have to pay for all of the nice new buildings and stadiums, where you are also not allowed to smoke.

[Karen W.]

 I hate how they think it is ok to just toss their butts, me mom actually got a hot cigarette butt in her eye.. we were driving along on the freeway , windows down, a car began passing us to the left in the fast lane when this womens window came down and she flipper cigarette out and it came whizzing into the window connecting with my moms eyes, my mom apparently caught sight of it as it made contact and had been able to get her eye closed upon impact it burned the crud out of her eye lid as the wind had really heated the end of the cigarette! I was so mad we almost wrecked...

[lyner]

Bored Chemist as far as the comment about the land used for tobacco farming which could be used for food instead...I don't think people are starving to death as a result of a lack of available food...but a lack of available funds to purchase the food, which has nothing to do with acreage of farming land.  I know at least in the United States the grocery store shelves always seem reasonably well stocked (depending on where you shop) with food (and cigarettes)...yet people still die of starvation.  Regardless of what scientific studies suggest about the ill effects of smoking...I know many smokers who have lived long lives, yet not one person who has been a non-eater and lived very long at all.  Perhaps therein lies the real tragedy.  

Actually, there are many instances where people are very short of food even though there are a lot of export crops planted locally. These crops are much more subject to failure than the traditional ones which have been displaced. The problem can be that people who used to have a working food based (subsistence) economy are forced into a cash based economy
The Irish Potato Famine was a great example of a local population suffering because of this. At the time millions of people were dying because they could not afford the food which was being exported from Ireland.

There is great inequality everywhere in the world and that accounts for a lot of suffering. Tobacco achieves nothing of worth for anyone (except company profits). It takes up growing space, fertiliser and fuel. There is no justification for any land to be wasted on its cultivation. (Can anyone doubt the evidence against smoking?)

Comparing Smoking with Starvation is a pointless exercise.

[Don_1]

Now, would you believe, ASH wants the government to ban smoking in private cars!!!

They claim the cost to the health service from tobacco related disease was £2.7 billion this year. A terrible cost indeed, but they fail to realise that the duty and VAT on tobacco products brought into the treasury £10 billion in 2006/7.

There is an estimated £18 billion cost to the NHS & Police for alcohol related problems, from a revenue of £13 billion collected in duty and VAT. So why not ban alcohol?

When did you last hear of a bunch of rowdy smokers creating a disturbance in the early hours? Or starting a punch-up, or attacking innocent people going about their daily lives?

[that mad man]

There is still one thing that REALLY annoys me about smokers. They (and I'm aware I'm making a generalisation here, but it's very close to the truth) seem to think that their cigarette butts are somehow excluded from the classification of "rubbish" and just throw them onto the ground without a moments thought. Therefore, we all have to wade through thousands of the damn things whenever there is an agglomeration of humanity - at stations for example. I find this supercilious behaviour particularly abhorrent.

Discuss.....

The laws are already in place to combat smokers rubbish and some have received heavy fines for dropping cigarette butts. I think it depends on the how the local council enforce the law. Here in Sheffield they are very strict and a woman from Derbyshire was recently fined £290. The fine would have been much less but she failed to pay the fixed penalty fine of £50 or attend court.

The cigarette butts don't annoy me that much, its the chewing gum everywhere that needs targeting.

The evil thing about Tobacco manufacturers and growers is because of the new smoking laws they are targeting poorer countries which have little controls on smoking. Bush wants to protect the tobacco growers as well as it still provides work and plenty of income for them.

[Bored chemist]

Now, would you believe, ASH wants the government to ban smoking in private cars!!!

Well, here's their current policy web page and it doesn't mention private cars so, erm, no I wouldn't believe it.
They do say that the govermnent needs to consider whether or not legistaltion covering smoking in cars would be effective at reducing the exposure of children (who are most at risk) to second hand smoke.
http://www.smokefreeaction.org.uk/news/strategy_priorities.html
That's a whole different ball game from a blanket ban.

http://www.ash.org.uk/ash_uw78hlcv.htm

[Don_1]

BC, take a look at this from Reuters yesterday. http://blogs.reuters.com/uknews/2008/10/07/ban-smoking-in-cars/

[that mad man]

Electronic cigarettes anyone?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/video_and_audio/7658334.stm

I never realised they existed, seems like a good idea to me.

[Don_1]

Now I've seen it all! Electronic fags!!!


Or have I

[2jessica]

Hi to all,What are the effects of smoking on human health?

[Mathew.joselin]

Hi 2jessica,
Smoking cigarettes causes various diseases because they contain nearly 4000 chemicals and hundreds of toxic substances. The toxic ingredients in cigarette smoke travel throughout the body and causes damages in several ways. Nicotine is found in every part of a smoker’s body with the carbon monoxide affecting blood cells and preventing a full load of oxygen from being circulated in the system. Cancer causing agents damage genes that control growth of cells. Visit this website to know more about the effects of smoking:  newbielink:http://smokingharms.com/ [nonactive]

[Chemistry4me]

Oh, how convenient! []

[Variola]

Oh, how convenient! []

He he Well yes, but apart from the commercial side of it on there, its not a bad site, if seen much worse!

[DoctorBeaver]

Now I've seen it all! Electronic fags!!!

Techno-gays?

Or "Do Gay Androids Dream Of Electronic Fags?"  []

[Hugh888]

If you need a why there are many.

1) You stink!

2) You have been all but shunned in the eyes of lawmaker's business owners and the public in general.

3) Ciggies are astronomical in price. I mean you could pay for your kids' college with ease by not smoking.

You may want to quit but you are just not sure how to do it. You have heard how tough it can be and are worried if you have the will power to stop. I know, I get it, I have been where you are and now I am on the other side. I am a non-smoker. I have climbed that mountain and am now the person I never thought I could be. A non-smoker!

[Don_1]

Well done Hugh, but do please remember, there are none so righteous as an ex smoker. Without fear of contradiction I can say that the non smokers I know are far more tolerant than the ex smokers.

Don't get me wrong, smoking is a bad habit in every sense and I would always strongly discourage it. But damn it all, I enjoy a smoke sometimes and I will not be dictated to by some bunch of do gooders who actually benefit from smoking to the tune of £3 billion per year! That's the difference in the cost of treating smoking related problems (£5 billion pa) and the revenue from tax on tobacco (£8 billion pa).

Perhaps alcohol will be the next target of those do gooders, and why not, since there is a net cost to the nation of £5 billion pa, as a result of the £13 billion pa in medical, policing, judicial etc costs against £8 billion pa in tax revenue.

If we in the UK all stop boozing and take up smoking, we'll get the national debt under control in no time at all. He said 'tongue in cheek'.