Comments on: Smoking Ban Approved http://urbangrounds.com/2005/05/smoking-ban-approved/ Sometimes the truth hurts Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:14:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Bill Hannegan http://urbangrounds.com/2005/05/smoking-ban-approved/#comment-13765 Bill Hannegan Fri, 27 Jan 2006 07:55:34 +0000 http://urbangrounds.com/2005/05/08/smoking-ban-approved/#comment-13765 One honest antismoking health authority tell us what smoking bans are protecting us from. See if you agree with her estimate of the dangers of ETS: http://www.acsh.org/factsfears/newsID.215/news_detail.asp One honest antismoking health authority tell us what smoking bans are protecting us from. See if you agree with her estimate of the dangers of ETS: http://www.acsh.org/factsfears/newsID.215/news_detail.asp

]]> By: Jeff H http://urbangrounds.com/2005/05/smoking-ban-approved/#comment-4975 Jeff H Tue, 10 May 2005 03:28:39 +0000 http://urbangrounds.com/2005/05/08/smoking-ban-approved/#comment-4975 My lawyer said I should post a retraction of my previous comment. My lawyer said I should post a retraction of my previous comment.

]]> By: Jeff H http://urbangrounds.com/2005/05/smoking-ban-approved/#comment-4974 Jeff H Tue, 10 May 2005 03:27:39 +0000 http://urbangrounds.com/2005/05/08/smoking-ban-approved/#comment-4974 Hey, I think I slept with the chick in the red once...uptight she was definitely <b>not</b>. I think I've stepped over some sort of line here, haven't I? Please just ignore me... Hey, I think I slept with the chick in the red once…uptight she was definitely not.

I think I’ve stepped over some sort of line here, haven’t I?

Please just ignore me…

]]> By: Former Smoker http://urbangrounds.com/2005/05/smoking-ban-approved/#comment-4967 Former Smoker Mon, 09 May 2005 20:34:45 +0000 http://urbangrounds.com/2005/05/08/smoking-ban-approved/#comment-4967 Criticizing people you don't even know. That's beautiful. Then backing it up with some ludicrous statement about the people who voted for the ban never going out to the venues. Zero proof of that. Just like the notion that this ban will kill live music in Austin. Sour grapes. I'm grateful it passed. I have to play in these stink-pits several times a week and all my equipment reeks. I can't even keep my guitar in the house it smells so bad. Anyone who has ever visited CA or NYC knows how awesome a smoking ban is. Smokers bond outside constantly. Non-smokers are happy inside. Lastly, if you don't think second hand smoke has an effect on your health than you are just ignorant. Criticizing people you don’t even know. That’s beautiful. Then backing it up with some ludicrous statement about the people who voted for the ban never going out to the venues. Zero proof of that. Just like the notion that this ban will kill live music in Austin. Sour grapes. I’m grateful it passed. I have to play in these stink-pits several times a week and all my equipment reeks. I can’t even keep my guitar in the house it smells so bad. Anyone who has ever visited CA or NYC knows how awesome a smoking ban is. Smokers bond outside constantly. Non-smokers are happy inside. Lastly, if you don’t think second hand smoke has an effect on your health than you are just ignorant.

]]> By: Scott Johnson http://urbangrounds.com/2005/05/smoking-ban-approved/#comment-4962 Scott Johnson Mon, 09 May 2005 16:01:51 +0000 http://urbangrounds.com/2005/05/08/smoking-ban-approved/#comment-4962 I moved away from Austin in August, so I wasn't fortunate enough to be able to vote for this ban. But I sure would have. This ban will not hurt the bars in any way. People will still pack in every weekend. And anyone who things otherwise will soon be proven wrong. Oh, and there's always another option, too: the "<a href="http://speed.insane.com/archives/2003/07/30/is_the_nicotini_the_answer.php" rel="nofollow">Nicotini</a>". I moved away from Austin in August, so I wasn’t fortunate enough to be able to vote for this ban. But I sure would have. This ban will not hurt the bars in any way. People will still pack in every weekend. And anyone who things otherwise will soon be proven wrong. Oh, and there’s always another option, too: the “Nicotini“.

]]> By: joni http://urbangrounds.com/2005/05/smoking-ban-approved/#comment-4961 joni Mon, 09 May 2005 15:21:30 +0000 http://urbangrounds.com/2005/05/08/smoking-ban-approved/#comment-4961 On Saturday morning, after just four hours of sleep, I hauled my hung over, nasty-stale-smoke-smelling body out of bed at 8:00 am (after a looong, fun night of carousing downtown) to vote FOR the smoking ban. An ex-club kid and then a cocktail waitress for years in bars around Austin, I've spent literally tens of thousands of dollars at live music venues and bars, and approximately 20 years of my life inhaling second hand smoke, and frankly I'm tired of it. A few years ago I finally grew so disgusted with the smoke that I made the decision to only go out once or twice a week to Broken Spoke to "get my fix" of dancing, drinking Lone Star, and hearing some great Texas music. I can't tell you how happy I am to FINALLY have the freedom to go out dancing and to hear live music more often. Non-smokers are in the majority and majority rules! We will now go out more often and indulge in our vices, which incidentally, won't cause others to get sick with cancer or die years down the road as a result of having to hang around us! On Saturday morning, after just four hours of sleep, I hauled my hung over, nasty-stale-smoke-smelling body out of bed at 8:00 am (after a looong, fun night of carousing downtown) to vote FOR the smoking ban.
An ex-club kid and then a cocktail waitress for years in bars around Austin, I’ve spent literally tens of thousands of dollars at live music venues and bars, and approximately 20 years of my life inhaling second hand smoke, and frankly I’m tired of it.
A few years ago I finally grew so disgusted with the smoke that I made the decision to only go out once or twice a week to Broken Spoke to “get my fix” of dancing, drinking Lone Star, and hearing some great Texas music.
I can’t tell you how happy I am to FINALLY have the freedom to go out dancing and to hear live music more often. Non-smokers are in the majority and majority rules! We will now go out more often and indulge in our vices, which incidentally, won’t cause others to get sick with cancer or die years down the road as a result of having to hang around us!

]]> By: M1EK http://urbangrounds.com/2005/05/smoking-ban-approved/#comment-4960 M1EK Mon, 09 May 2005 14:45:20 +0000 http://urbangrounds.com/2005/05/08/smoking-ban-approved/#comment-4960 The people attempting to stand on the "business choice" principle had it cut out for them, since most of us really REALLY REALLY enjoy the government regulations which forced restaurants and airlines to go non-smoking (and no, they didn't do it on their own). In every instance in this country smoking bans in restaurants were preceeded by doom-and-gloom stories about how it would kill their business; and claims that if there were any demand for non-smoking restaurants, the market would provide (but it didn't, outside a few hippie joints and fast-food chains). Anyways, trying to sell opposition to the smoking ban on principle had to overcome the fact that most of us LIKE being able to eat and fly without hacking and wheezing. Far better, strategically, would have been to abandon that stand entirely and focus purely on pragmatism (i.e. this set of bars is going to go out of business). _SOME_ of the anti-ban arguers tried to do this (Beerland) but got polluted with lies about the number of bars which are currently non-smoking (trying to claim that the TGI-Fridays' places which had to go N/S because of their food sales are evidence that the 'market is already solving the problem', for instance). The people attempting to stand on the “business choice” principle had it cut out for them, since most of us really REALLY REALLY enjoy the government regulations which forced restaurants and airlines to go non-smoking (and no, they didn’t do it on their own).

In every instance in this country smoking bans in restaurants were preceeded by doom-and-gloom stories about how it would kill their business; and claims that if there were any demand for non-smoking restaurants, the market would provide (but it didn’t, outside a few hippie joints and fast-food chains).

Anyways, trying to sell opposition to the smoking ban on principle had to overcome the fact that most of us LIKE being able to eat and fly without hacking and wheezing. Far better, strategically, would have been to abandon that stand entirely and focus purely on pragmatism (i.e. this set of bars is going to go out of business). _SOME_ of the anti-ban arguers tried to do this (Beerland) but got polluted with lies about the number of bars which are currently non-smoking (trying to claim that the TGI-Fridays’ places which had to go N/S because of their food sales are evidence that the ‘market is already solving the problem’, for instance).

]]> By: Trevor http://urbangrounds.com/2005/05/smoking-ban-approved/#comment-4959 Trevor Mon, 09 May 2005 14:02:46 +0000 http://urbangrounds.com/2005/05/08/smoking-ban-approved/#comment-4959 America is increasingly NOT the land of the free. And Austin joins the list of cities enabling the decline of choice. Shame, shame on every supporter of this crap legislation. When your chlidren wear chains you'll have only yourselves to blame. America is increasingly NOT the land of the free.

And Austin joins the list of cities enabling the decline of choice.

Shame, shame on every supporter of this crap legislation. When your chlidren wear chains you’ll have only yourselves to blame.

]]> By: Jason http://urbangrounds.com/2005/05/smoking-ban-approved/#comment-4952 Jason Mon, 09 May 2005 02:09:28 +0000 http://urbangrounds.com/2005/05/08/smoking-ban-approved/#comment-4952 The "dangers" of second-hand smoke are mostly <a href="http://blog.druidic.net/archives/2004_04_28.php#001393" rel="nofollow">fictitious</a>, right on up to the EPA's classification of it as a carcinogen. The only proven health risk is for people with asthma. Service industry workers exposed to second-hand smoke even show signs of having <i>fewer</i> cases of cancer than the rest of the non-smoking public. Luckily, the smoking ban here in Dallas will probably get relaxed soon, if not completely eliminated. Yay for city-council term limits! The “dangers” of second-hand smoke are mostly fictitious, right on up to the EPA’s classification of it as a carcinogen. The only proven health risk is for people with asthma. Service industry workers exposed to second-hand smoke even show signs of having fewer cases of cancer than the rest of the non-smoking public.

Luckily, the smoking ban here in Dallas will probably get relaxed soon, if not completely eliminated. Yay for city-council term limits!

]]> By: Preston http://urbangrounds.com/2005/05/smoking-ban-approved/#comment-4950 Preston Mon, 09 May 2005 01:39:55 +0000 http://urbangrounds.com/2005/05/08/smoking-ban-approved/#comment-4950 I'm with you Robbie, I'm a non-smoker but I had reservations about NYC's smoking ban. I have to say though, if you're like me you're going to greatly enjoy not coming home smelling like crap. I typically was hoarse the next day after going to a bar as well. There have been a number of stories in papers reporting on the new rituals that have developed of going outside for a smoke that indicate that even some of the smokers are ok with the ban (a chance to talk to a girl outside the bar commiserating about the injustice of the ban...) I’m with you Robbie, I’m a non-smoker but I had reservations about NYC’s smoking ban.

I have to say though, if you’re like me you’re going to greatly enjoy not coming home smelling like crap. I typically was hoarse the next day after going to a bar as well.

There have been a number of stories in papers reporting on the new rituals that have developed of going outside for a smoke that indicate that even some of the smokers are ok with the ban (a chance to talk to a girl outside the bar commiserating about the injustice of the ban…)

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