The Birmingham City Council just (unanimously) passed a ban on smoking in restaurants and all public places. The ban does not include bars and lounges that do not serve food. For more info, check out http://www.al.com/birminghamnews/breaking/.
All hail governmental control over ever aspect of our lives!!! In my personal opinion, this is a decision that should be left to individual business owners: if their enough consumers want a smoke-free environment, then the business will change.
Last edited by demopolite; 04-05-2005 at 16:42 PM.
Oh how we danced and we swallowed the nights for it was all ripe for dreaming
Oh how we danced away all of the lights we've always been out of our minds
Bryan Whitfield hospital has implimented a smoke free policy for the entire grounds--including outside the building, the parking lots, etc. The only employees getting a quick smoke in while on the job are the EMT's after a drop-off.
Regardless if you agree with the decision on the restaurants, it's the right thing to do. Smoking sections only allow for sharing of ash trays. The smoke will travel all over the eating area if it's done enough.
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My husband has worked for smoke free companies and he refuses to do so again. It leads to employees including supervisors and such to sneek around smoking which leads to grounds for termination for the non supervisors. My husband saw it all the time. I love smoke free restaurants for the sake of my kids but understand how that would offend some people. Hey maybe it will hurry people up. LOL It also leads to walking through a group of smokers just to get into the place. I agree with the fact that its for the best but also agree that business owners should be allowed to decide if they want to have smoking in their business or not.
Location: linden but thinking of relocating to some distant country.....
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Re: Breaking News: Smoking Ban
that is a rip off. come on. its not a government decicion. all they are doing is imposing themselves further on our lives and our freedoms. this soooo does not bode well for the future.
My hands tremble, my voice quakes,
my heart cries out, my body shakes,
my tears fall, my breath stills,
my strenght fails, my mind reels.....
I personally am fine with this decision. I hate going into a restaurant and having to go through areas of smokers. Being an ex-smoker myself the smell really offends me now and not something I want lingering in the air when I'm trying to eat. I still see people standing outside the hospital smoking their cigarettes so I guess their ban isn't inforced too strictly yet.
Maybe this will be an incentive for more of them finally quit the nasty habit once and for all. It simply isn't worth the expense and hassle anymore.
I am also an exsmoker. I have no desire to smell it, or see it. Much less, be in an environment where I breathe the second hand smoke all of the time. It is a nonsmokers right to not want to eat or be around it at all. I for one do not want to die from second hand smoke inhalation when I was a smoker for years and quit. I believe it is a matter of respect, and that smoking is a selfish habit. So be it.. Smokers have their rights too, but do it on their own time, and not at everybody else's expense while they are trying to enjoy a meal... Just my opinion.....
Government running amuck again. I am a non-smoker with asthma. There are places in Demopolis that I don't eat because of the smoking and non-smoking sections being too close to each other and the Albuterol I have to use makes the food taste funny. But should a restaurant or bar be forced to have a no smoking policy? No. I believe individual businesses should set their own policy. A sign should be posted on the front door to let customers know if the restaurant or bar is a smoking or non-smoking business.
Although I don't agree that it is the right of smokers to infringe upon the rights of non-smokers, I can't help but wonder why so many think it's okay for the rights of non-smokers to infringe upon smokers. To say "Do it on your own time" makes no sense to me when we're talking about privately owned businesses who should have the right to choose what LEGAL things are occurring in their establishments. To me, it seems as though this is nothing but another step of government out of control for Big Brother.
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Angel Wing did you see employees still smoking or were they visitors? I know of some visitors who were smoking in the parking lots because they did not realize that when we went smoke free it applied to anyone on hospital grounds. Employees can't even go to their car during lunch and smoke, they must be off the clock and leave the premises.
