NJ Smoking Ban RANT

Non smokers forgive me.

Everytime I go on travel I have a freedom I don't have otherwise. I can smoke when I'm in a bar, or after dinner in a restaurant. I don't have to go freeze my bits off, or get rained on. I can just light up as long as I'm in the right section.

Once I get home however I have to stay in if I want a cig with my beer. Or deal with whatever mother nature decides to throm my way, be it wind, sunny, rain or hail. I'm not alone in this, I'm always with 2-3 other people having a cig. Perfect strangers who are as annoyed as I am. Trouble is the law that went into effect is flawed. It's also unwanted.

The NJ smoking ban is a bad idea. The idea is to protect patrons and employees from the effects of second hand smoke. Interesting statistic, 58% of new jersey smokes or have smoked. That includes the employees. The very same employees that tried to sue the state to stop this bill from becoming law. Funny, if the people this was "designed to protect" doesn't want it, why should the government have any say. This is a democrasy, or at least it pretends to be, if the people want something, shouldn't it be in our power to change it?

Think of this, cigarette smoking can cause lung cancer, emphysema, mouth cancer and a host of other problems. We as smokers know and don't care. The positive effects are it's soothing, relaxing and helps with the feelings of depression and anxiety. If they want to demonize something, try alcohol. Alcohol, changes, the way your mind works by intoxicating you and repressing your inhibitions.

Have you ever heard of a guy having a couple of cigarettes and in a tobacco induced haze gets into a fight or beat up his girlfriend or wife? I'll bet you heard of it when it was alcohol though. Not that i propose that, it's just something to mull over.

Now casinos are exempt from this ban. Why? Money. To much money is generated by the casinos to dare mess with their smokers. This makes the ban unconstitutional by violating the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution by singling out casinos.
http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060309/OPINION/603090342/1046
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Mar-13-Mon-2006/news/6267425.html


http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060308/NEWS01/603080365/1006


This sixteen year old has a better grasp than most adults as to why the smoking ban is wrong.
http://www.strike-the-root.com/61/facchine/facchine1.html

More pricks messing with us, A proposed bill to make smoking while driving a crime. Thankfully it got stopped. Whats next? Are they going to try to ban what we do in our homes next? Do you realize more accidents and deaths, come from people adjusting the radio or climate controls than cigarette related accidents? Think about this, do you really want a jittery person who can't have a cigarette and desperately wants one behind the wheel of a car? Thats a major distraction.
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8713518/

And here's an articles about raisng the age to purchase tobacco to 19, they can die for their country but can't buy smokes?!?!?
http://www.thedailyjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051203/OPINION01/512030332/1014

But wait it gets worse... there's the Proposed "25 foot rule". It intends to screw us even further by not allowinig smoking within 25 feet of the building.
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-6/114490963643940.xml&coll=1

I hate it when government tries to legislate my life, it is my choice to smoke. I know the risks. IF I dont care, why should you? Who give these people the right to screw with my personal choices and my health. My health shouldn't be legislated. Sure they have the right to clean air, but they don't have the right to cause me vexation and shouldn't cause me to have to sacrifice something I very much enjoy. They have the right to use a different venue that does not have a smoking section.

Even if you don't smoke, this should concern you. My small group of smokers are having our civil liberties violated and legislated. You could be next easily. Next it could be drinking. Or using your cell phone in public. Or any one of the hundred things you do that are fine, but may annoy someone. Imagine if they outlaw obscene handgestures from cars. Or legislate that you can not bring your child in public because his crying is a nuisance to those around you?

We gotta find a way to stop this guys. This kind of govenment interference is the worse kind.