Smoking Banned in England

[TK-8252]

TK, I'd say there are probably two factors that definitely affect this. One is the utter impressionability of teens (peer pressure, glamorization of smoking,etc....) and the insane mentality that they are somehow indestructible. Face it, we're pretty stupid in our teens....

 

Yes we are, but our parents still have control over us in those years, and they have the ability to stop their teen from smoking. Plus, it's rare that teens (except eighteen-year-olds) smoke in public... considering that it's illegal for minors to smoke cigs, although a lot do.

 

Check out this South Park episode on smoking:

 

http://video.glath.com/view/southpark.Butt_Out

[Totenkopf]

I think it would be better to say they have some measure of influence over us, which diminishes as we get older (ie teens), where the school of hard knocks ends up having a greater degree of control than our parents. The best any parent can really do is sit you down and try to stear you away from things that are bad for you, occasionally disciplining you in hopes that the lessons will sink in before any point of no return. Also, if they practice what they preach, at least they won't undercut themselves. Once we get out into the real world, we have to make those decisions for ourselves. If we have good parents, and have taken what they've said to heart, then we can probably avoid a lot of pitfalls. But, you ever notice that parents can have several children that are "good", but still some that aren't?

[EnderWiggin]

Yes we are, but our parents still have control over us in those years, and they have the ability to stop their teen from smoking.

 

 

While that might work for you or me, those that have one parent or parents, who might be not around because they're working two jobs or whatnot, or those who fight with their kids, will actually push them to smoke more. Sometimes it can be a form of rebellion and sometimes parents just don't notice or care or smoke themselves or are the ones giving their kids tobacco.

 

Plus, it's rare that teens (except eighteen-year-olds) smoke in public... considering that it's illegal for minors to smoke cigs, although a lot do.

 

I absolutely disagree. 100%.

 

_EW_

[Corinthian]

I absolutely disagree. 100%.

 

_EW_

That's not really an argument. Do you have sources, examples....?

[TK-8252]

While that might work for you or me, those that have one parent or parents, who might be not around because they're working two jobs or whatnot, or those who fight with their kids, will actually push them to smoke more. Sometimes it can be a form of rebellion and sometimes parents just don't notice or care or smoke themselves or are the ones giving their kids tobacco.

 

This is an unfortunant occurance, but perhaps once these rebellious/uncontrolled/etc. teens grow up to be reasonable adults, they may quit smoking if they wish to. If they've created an addiction, that's even more unfortunant, but quitting smoking is not impossible.

 

I absolutely disagree. 100%.

 

Perhaps you are partly right, but I know for a fact I'm not entirely incorrect. Now, I cannot speak for everywhere in this country, but in the hick town I live in, teens don't smoke in public. This is due to all the cops in my town who do nothing but harass teens (and black people, but that's a given).

 

Maybe the places you live have teens smoking cigs in public, but I can safely say that teens are not smoking cigs in public where I live.

[Jae Onasi]

My parents both started smoking because 'it was cool'. My dad started sneaking cigarettes when he was a teen and hid his smoking from his parents--not that hard to do.

 

Plenty of teens get an older sibling or friend to buy the cigarettes for them, and if they have a friend who works at a convenience store, well, there's an easy way to cigarettes, too. If parents smoke, they sneak them from their parents, and some parents actually buy the smokes for their kids on the theory that they don't want their kids trying to buy them illegally. I won't comment on the odd logic behind that.

 

TK, maybe in your small town kids don't smoke in public, but in my rather large city and in every other place I've lived (which has been quite a lot, small towns and big cities), teens smoked openly. Yours is actually the first town I've ever heard of that does that.

[SilentScope001]

Is it possible to create some sort of mask that will prevent all the secondhand smoke to come to other people? Like, only the person who smoke get the secondhand smoke? I worry that I may be endangering the health of the person who is smoking, but prehaps secondhand smoke is...at least semi-pleasurable? Maybe that could entice someone to use such a mask?

[GarfieldJL]

Then how do you propose they eat while wearing the mask, seriously I have to agree with the smoking ban because second hand smoke is more dangerous than actually being the one smoking. Alcohol at least doesn't give people in the same room as you an increased risk of cancer, that's why a smoking ban is legit. Because the smoker is infringing on the rights of everyone else in the room.

[Jae Onasi]

Second-hand smoke triggers my asthma, as it does for many others. It also increases the chances of asthma development in children. I prefer not to wheeze and cough through my dinner, struggling to breathe because my bronchioles have decided to constrict down from the reaction to cigarette smoke (that's not the only trigger but that's one of the big ones for me). It's quite difficult to eat dinner through a mask, and I don't think it's unreasonable to consider clean air a right. Alcohol is different--there is no such thing as second-hand drinking except babies of pregnant/nursing women, so that should not be an issue.

[CountVerilucus]

I think this is BS. Nobody forces anybody to smoke, and smoking has been an age old tradition. Smoking brings people together. I understand no smoking in most public facilities, but when you can't smoke outside then that's just a breach of rights.

[SilentScope001]

Then how do you propose they eat while wearing the mask

*eat*

 

*put on mask*

 

*Smoke*

 

*take off mask*

 

*eat a bite*

 

*put on mask*

 

*smoke*

 

*ad nadmsum*

 

I'd assume a mask for smokers is much better than the altenative of having to deal with smoking bans. At least you get the right to smoke wherever you want without the inconvince of having to be segerated to another place.

[TK-8252]

[...] hid his smoking from his parents--not that hard to do.

 

o rly?

 

I'd imagine doing so would be fairly difficult if your parents pay really any attention to you at all. Unless the teen is getting the cigs for free, the parents may notice that the teen is losing money rapidly for no apparent reason, which is suspicious. Next, your clothes smell like cigarette smoke. A lot. I go home from eating at a restaurant by the bar and I smell like smoke, so I find it hard to believe that a smoker can disguise the smell (and if the teen wears a lot of perfume or whatever to cover it up, that's suspicious as well). Lastly, smokers have a very distinct cough that produces a lot of phlegm. My brother hacked up the nastiest crap into our sink when he was smoking.

[Jae Onasi]

I think this is BS. Nobody forces anybody to smoke, and smoking has been an age old tradition. Smoking brings people together. I understand no smoking in most public facilities, but when you can't smoke outside then that's just a breach of rights.

 

I don't have an issue with people smoking in private or outside, as long as it's away from vent intakes or doors. I just don't want it inside.

 

TK--my dad grew up in the 50's and 60's when you could buy cigarettes at pretty much any age. His parents also smoked so they didn't notice the smell as much, and they both worked outside the home. He hid it quite well for several years, actually, and his mom and dad were not stupid--he was just very creative.

[Totenkopf]

Honestly, TK, even your parents have to sleep.

[TK-8252]

TK--my dad grew up in the 50's and 60's when you could buy cigarettes at pretty much any age. His parents also smoked so they didn't notice the smell as much, and they both worked outside the home. He hid it quite well for several years, actually, and his mom and dad were not stupid--he was just very creative.

 

IMO it would be quite hypocritical for parents to forbid a child from smoking when they themselves are smokers.

[Jae Onasi]

IMO it would be quite hypocritical for parents to forbid a child from smoking when they themselves are smokers.

 

My parents were both smokers (both quit after many, many years). They explained to us kids that while they smoked, they'd learned that it was an unsafe habit, and they were having a lot of trouble quitting. They didn't want us to go through what they were going through, and I understood that. Of course, my dad having a heart attack and open heart surgery when I was 14 pretty much sealed the deal.

[SilentScope001]

Sorry for reviving a dead thread. Still, this may serve as some useful commentary on the smoking issue.