Beware, political topic somewhat

[Gigglesngrins 0]

Oh dear....see what I have done now....sorry gang, just thought a healthy debate was in order. I agree with you all that, while I still smoke, it is a disgusting habit. It is unhealthy as well but my biggest issue, and being a smoker or not I would feel this way, you are taking peoples right to choose how they want to live their life away from them and that is not right. In this case, we have chosen to make non-smokers rights more important than smokers. Again, I do agree with banning it from indoors or in any enclosed area, but outside everyone can simply move away from the smoke or not go in smoking areas at all. That is a choice that people can make...if you are standing in a smoking area, which is a limited space, then you will be exposed to smoke. If you don't want to be exposed, you can go inside any building and be smoke free, go into any restaurant, any bar, any coffee shop.....Is there not a way to be able to let everyone have the choice on how they want to live their life?

[PsychoKat 0]

I don't follow your argument at all. I support banning perfumes, etc. from the workplace if it bothers people, but at the same time I don't like being subjected to second hand smoke because it makes it difficult to breathe, it bothers my eyes, it makes my clothes stink, etc. Is that 'jumping on a bandwagon'?

My argument is, this has become the latest fashionable trend, its cool to ostracize smoking and smokers, it allows some people to be outright rude and uncivil to this group of people, and still come off smelling like a rose, appearing caring and compassionate by pretending they are concerned about the health of those who might become ill from second hand smoke and even more so those who already have breathing issues and could suffer severely from it. And that all sounds wonderful, if they really meant it.

I"m seeing people use a disease I personally suffer from, as leverage in thier campaigns against smoking citing the dangers to people like me, and the need to protect people who suffer from this disease I have from the effects of smoke. Then turn around and knowingly put me at risk, because touching up their nail polish is MUCH more important than my ability to breath.

I'm working for a company that used asthma and respiratory health as thier grounds for banning smoking on company property, which would seem nobile and honorable, but how can they say they are doing it out of concern for those like myself who suffer from asthma, and then ignore my request to restrict nail polish in our working areas and protect my ability to breath, because people like to polish their nails and banning it would not be popular.

[PsychoKat 0]

I don't follow your argument at all. I support banning perfumes, etc. from the workplace if it bothers people, but at the same time I don't like being subjected to second hand smoke because it makes it difficult to breathe, it bothers my eyes, it makes my clothes stink, etc. Is that 'jumping on a bandwagon'?

No, because by your statement your concern is genuine, it's not just an antismoking sentiment, it's genuine awareness and concern.

Now if you claimed concern about smoke and breathing difficulties, then sat down at in front of me and started polishing your nails, fully aware that it could trigger a severe or even life threatening asthma attack in me then I would say it was jumping on the bandwagon.

I have been seeing people do this, even the company I work for used that issue to ban smoking outdoors in the open air on company property, but won't even concider banning people from painting their nails indoors where the air doesn't disappate as easily to protect my ability to breath, or even post my letter so people are made aware of how these things too can have a severe impact on ones ability to breath.

[Reba 2]

why the hell do they allow someone to polish their nails at their desk on company time anyhow? I bet if you complained about her wasting time and you have to take up her slack because she's "too busy polishing her nails" Then they'd ban it!

I don't understand some people's logic anymore than you do, but sheesh, polishing your nails at your desk? #######?

I used to smoke, quit 3 years ago. I'm not particularly sticky on the no smoking rule, I think some of it has gone a bit too far (smoking outside should be allowed, but take it away from front entrances of buildings where we all have to walk thru the cloud! heck, the smog in Toronto is 100 times worse than cigarette smoke!) but as someone who also suffers from allergies to some perfumes and hair and beauty products, I can empathise with wanting to ban them from the work place. I've had to get off of buses and subway cars because of cheap collognes closing up my nose and throat, and had to leave a baseball game because of one lady's fragrance forcefield.

But then where does it stop? Once we ban fragrances and hairspray, do we then ban Bounce dryer sheets and Downey fabric softener? Both of which make my nose stuffy and my eyes water.

[girl 37 7]

But then where does it stop? Once we ban fragrances and hairspray, do we then ban Bounce dryer sheets and Downey fabric softener? Both of which make my nose stuffy and my eyes water.

Those dryer sheets & fabric softeners bother me too. I use "All" or "Bounce" fragrance-free ones. I wish my stepson's mom would stop using the perfumed ones. He has terrible allergies but the solution isn't minimizing the allergens, it's combatting the problem with drugs.

[PsychoKat 0]

why the hell do they allow someone to polish their nails at their desk on company time anyhow? I bet if you complained about her wasting time and you have to take up her slack because she's "too busy polishing her nails" Then they'd ban it!

I don't understand some people's logic anymore than you do, but sheesh, polishing your nails at your desk? #######?

I used to smoke, quit 3 years ago. I'm not particularly sticky on the no smoking rule, I think some of it has gone a bit too far (smoking outside should be allowed, but take it away from front entrances of buildings where we all have to walk thru the cloud! heck, the smog in Toronto is 100 times worse than cigarette smoke!) but as someone who also suffers from allergies to some perfumes and hair and beauty products, I can empathise with wanting to ban them from the work place. I've had to get off of buses and subway cars because of cheap collognes closing up my nose and throat, and had to leave a baseball game because of one lady's fragrance forcefield.

But then where does it stop? Once we ban fragrances and hairspray, do we then ban Bounce dryer sheets and Downey fabric softener? Both of which make my nose stuffy and my eyes water.

Well hairsprays, logically why is someone putting hairspray on at their desk, didn't they dress themselves before work?

The nail polish is a big issue for me. My sensitivity to those types of fumes is so severe I went through a period I nearly died, I had to leave a company I worked for 22 years at and I had to leave my career as a lab technician and start my life in the job market all over from the beginning.

I went back 3 times hoping it wasn't a forever thing, and the very last time they had kept me away from chemicals for 3 weeks and I was holding up and then someone walked by me with a small beaker containing something with napthalene and I ended up in the hospital that night. THAT'S how severe the sensitivity is.

Cigarette smoke doesn't bother me much, I can understand having it away from the doors and stuff, but yeah your right cars, smog...etc. Cigarettes are a small portion of all the polutants around.

Thing is there is that YUCK factor that gets people worked up, it's not just the smoke itself.

And then there is the point of it being the fashionable craze thing right now, when things start to make the news and media, people tend to jump on it, that whole 15 minutes of fame thing. Which is why you see what I complained about.....people claiming to care about respiratory issues when protesting over it....when in fact they really don't....it's fitting in.

[Cassie 8]

Oh dear....see what I have done now....sorry gang, just thought a healthy debate was in order. I agree with you all that, while I still smoke, it is a disgusting habit. It is unhealthy as well but my biggest issue, and being a smoker or not I would feel this way, you are taking peoples right to choose how they want to live their life away from them and that is not right. In this case, we have chosen to make non-smokers rights more important than smokers. Again, I do agree with banning it from indoors or in any enclosed area, but outside everyone can simply move away from the smoke or not go in smoking areas at all. That is a choice that people can make...if you are standing in a smoking area, which is a limited space, then you will be exposed to smoke. If you don't want to be exposed, you can go inside any building and be smoke free, go into any restaurant, any bar, any coffee shop.....Is there not a way to be able to let everyone have the choice on how they want to live their life?

The bolded section is where you and I disagree. When someone's habit/action has a direct negative effect on people other than themselves, it's time to put a halt/limit to it. I'm not saying to ban smoking altogether -- fill your boots on that one, if that's where you want to spend your time and money -- but I have a problem with people smoking in public spaces. If you want to fill your body with toxins, it's your choice, but I don't need to inhale them as well -- I don't want to have to bear the ramifications of YOUR choice.

People will say what's next to ban? Alcohol? We already as a society have limits on that -- once you get behind the wheel of a car and have the potential to injure others, that's when the cops step in with the breathalyzer.

JMHO.

[Reba 2]

Those dryer sheets & fabric softeners bother me too. I use "All" or "Bounce" fragrance-free ones. I wish my stepson's mom would stop using the perfumed ones. He has terrible allergies but the solution isn't minimizing the allergens, it's combatting the problem with drugs.

I've switched to Watkins laundry detergent, no phosphates, no perfumes, no dyes. Its environmentally friendly, and it doesn't even need a fabric softener for most things (if I do a whole load of blankets or towells I use liquid fabric softener) and I haven't used any dryer sheets in nearly a year now. I don't even go down the laundry aisle at the grocery store anymore. It makes me sneeze.

I don't like the smell of smoke anymore (never did like the smell of American tobacco tho, one reason I quit was because I was moving here!) but I'm not about to complain to anyone who is smoking in an area where its still allowed. Which ain't many! Just don't smoke in my house...I have a covered porch you can smoke out there James even quit when I did because he didn't want to be kicked outside