tboy said:
During the second to last "ban on smoking" in toronto, there was an estimated 30% increase in bar/restaurant/coffee shop closings.
Oh BS. There was a bit of a transition period where there was a sudden drop of smokers, but it took some time for the non-smokers to take their place. Now that's done, the bars are booming, the coffee shops have record profits, it was all just a lot of FUD from smokers. The only places that went under were places there were already going under and could not survive the few months of disruption in business while the crowd changed over to non-smoking.
Check out the bars and clubs downtown: PACKED! I hear it's another record year for Tim's too. There's no economic downside, that was just excuses from people whose businesses were already failing wanting to blame their problems on the government rather than accept that they'd failed. I just don't see where the supposed economic downside is, from where I stand, business appears to be booming.
2) With your second comment you only promote just how dumb YOU are
I stand by it. Anyone who cares so little about their own health that they haven't quit smoking by now is not someone I want on my team. They either lack willpower or they lack intelligence or they lack foresight. Maybe "dumb" is too narrow a term, but in any case, whatever it is they lack, I don't want them on my team.
More air pollution is caused by one internal combustion engine than all the smokers in Toronto combined, but no one dare ban those!
I'm all in favour of tougher emissions controls on cars. California uber alles.
Eating at McDonalds and other fast food places affect more people than second hand smoke, but they don't ban those places..
If you sit around eating a hamburger I'm unclear on how exactly that's supposed to affect MY health. Smoking hasn't been banned in public places to protect YOU. It's been banned in public places to protect ME from you. If you want to kill yourself eating hamburgers it's no skin off my back, you can go home and drink some Drano too for all I care--so long as you're only hurting yourself.
But I agree, eating a lot of McDonalds is dumb too. So, if I find someone who eats McDonalds for every meal I might also consider not hiring them too. Equally dumb. You can eat McDonalds now and then, though, without getting addicted to it. I don't know very many people who really just smoke now and then--a few, but most smokers are hooked and smoke daily.
Sooner or later they will start attacking one of YOUR freedoms and I hope I'm around to hear you bitch and moan about it and how stupid it is.....
Your freedoms end where someone else's health begins. You aren't free to fill someone's work place with toxic substances. You aren't free to walk around punching people in the face either. You ARE free to smoke, and I'm free not to hire you.
