You just contradicted yourself.

i didnt say that they WILL make the right choices... but they CAN CHOOSE not to ride in a car if there is smoking going on and they dont want to be subjected to it. the law shouldnt dictate that choice for them, IMO.

I agree with the law, it'* a safety issue plain and simple. Yes it is about rights, your right to smoke should not impede someone'* right to good health. The law isn't meant to strip the smoker'* rights, but protect those who chose not to smoke.

IMO the littering from smoking while driving is pretty damn bad as well. Anyone who'* looked at, let alone cleaned up an area near any busy road, or parking area knows how many cig butts are all over the place.

It'* not for the patrons of the bar, it'* for the employees. The employees don't necessarily smoke, and they sure aren't there to kill their livers and lungs.

I still don't see how your statement holds up. The reason people shouldn't be allowed to smoke is not because it smells bad. It'* because it'* unhealthy. It'* not about courtesy, it'* about well being. Whether or not you like the smell of smoke, it'* bad for you. It'* not okay to harm the health of the people around you because it'* chilly outside.

To put it simply, you wouldn't like it if someone poisoned you against your will, would you?

Maybe the smoker should be forced to ask the child, "would you like to smoke a cigarette with me this morning?", because that is essentially what is happening. I doubt they will say yes.
Grant

There is a huge debate going on in Ohio about this, and has been for quite a while.. Whether I'm a smoker or not doesn't matter, but it just seems this group of people is in the crosshairs of everybody right now. If smoking is so bad, which it is, then just make it illegal to smoke, period. I can go into a bar, have a few drinks, but can't smoke. But I can then get into my 4000 pound vehicle and drive all over the city, possiby injuring or killing someone. I didn't hurt or offend anybody by smoking that cigarette, just ruined the lives of the people/persons I just injured or killed by being impaired.
How about people walking around with STD'*, or worse, aids? Are they a health threat to people if they don't disclose they have these diseases? Let'* ban sex unless it is with one person and one person only the rest of your life, so as not to be a health threat to the rest of society.
As to paying for health care costs of other people who do bad things, what about overeating? Obesity is out of control in this country, and the health care costs associated with it are astronomical. You may hear a news blip reporting about it, but nothing is ever DONE about it.
I just have a problem with regulating smoking to the extent that they are. After all, it is perfectly LEGAL. Just ban it, and be done with it. Some of this may seem extreme, but I have just had it with this one issue being targeted.

By the way, I don't smoke, but imagine how pissed I would be if I did

Why don't they make it illegal? Think about how many congress/house members smoke cigars/cigarrettes. You don't think they'd take something away from us if it affected them, do you? Same reason alcohol is legal. They don't want to lose it, so they won't make us lose it. I bet you if we had political figures(some 50%) in office that used "street drugs", and wouldn't take a public lashing for it, they'd be pushing to legalize it, or it already would be. End story, if it'* good for them, then it'* okay. If it has no bearing on their daily lives, unless it makes it easier for them, it'* illegal.

That is exactly what I'm saying. They won't make it illegal because of all the money involved. It'* all well and good until it starts effecting someone'* paycheck. Screwed up world.......

Here is where I have to disagree. At least in Alberta, and I don't know about elsewhere for sure, whether you are over the legal limit of .08 or not, if you're impaired it'* illegal to drive. That law says you can't drive with a blood alcohol OVER .08, but it also says you can't drive impaired. This is for ANY reason. At least in Alberta, driving with a blood alcohol level above .08 and impaired driving are two completely seperate charges. They are often, but not exclusively laid together. And yes, whether you choose to accept it or not, you would hurt someone by having that cigarette. IMO, your logic is flawed.

Again, you're not making a legitimate comparison. First of all, STD'* are generally not life threatening. Smoking clearly IS and kills on a regular basis. STD'* also don't have near the monetary impact on healthcare that smoking does. Most (if not all) areas have laws which state you must disclose to a potential partner if you're HIV positive or have AIDS.

I would like to see your figures. Yes, obesity is a problem and it is getting worse. Perhaps it'* just where you live, but we regularly have television spots and news items focused at living a healthy lifestyle and eating a balanced diet. This still doesn't even come close to what smoking costs society on an annual basis.

Personally, I think smoking should be illegal. There is absoultely nothing positive that comes from smoking and endless scientific and widely accepted evidence that shows how terrible it is. Perhaps smoking is targeted so much because it'* about the worst of the worst preventable causes for disease, death and financial hardship to healthcare. Likely the only reason it is legal is because there would be no way to outlaw it. Do you remember what happened when they tried to outlaw alcohol? At least with alcohol, there is some scientific evidence of benefit when used in moderation.