Calabasas Smoking Ban

by Oroborus21 6 Replies latest jw friends

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  Oroborus21

  Tonight the city council of Calabasas, Calif. banned smoking in ALL public places. This includes OUTSIDE areas including parks, sidewalks, camping areas, etc.

  The only areas one can now smoke is in their private residence, on their private balcony but not in a common area, or in their car (so long as they don't exhale out the window). (there are other areas but not sure of the full ins and outs of the ordinance)

  The new ordinance takes effect in 30 days and can lead to a $250 fine for infractions.

  California has had a ban for a long time of smoking in restaurants and then finally in bars, dance halls, etc. but this is the first time a city has banned all public smoking.

  Whenever I travelled back east, I was always surprised when I went out to eat to get asked "smoking" or "non-smoking section" because it was just so common not to have to put up with smoking in restaurants.

  Personally, as a non-smoker who finds smoking pretty disgusting and pretty stupid, I like the new Calabasas law. But I was wondering what others here (especially smokers) might think.

  Any comments?

  -Eduardo

  PS: before you argue that cigarrettes are a legal product and thus one should be allowed to use them anywhere, consider that other legal products, most notably alchohol, cannot be legally consumed in public in many localities.
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  SWALKER

  I find it a bit extreme! I can understand the not smoking in buildings, but outside???

  Swalker (non-smoker)
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  Scully

  The city where I live has had a ban on smoking in shopping malls and public buildings for at least 15 years. It has been almost 5 years since that ban extended to bars and restaurants.

  I like working in a smoke-free environment. I like going out to eat in a smoke-free environment. I like shopping in a smoke-free environment.

  Kissing a smoker =
• 

  Oroborus21

  yeah smoking in buildings was the first thing to take place....but now this even bans smoking outside the buildings....I really don't know what smokers are going to do...and even after the ban went into effect on restaurants and bars, they could still have an outside patio area where smokers could smoke....now if a restaurant wants to accomodate smoking patrons it has to build an ENCLOSED smoking area approved by the city. (and probably has to do something with the smoke exhaust like filtering or something before releasing the air into the environment)

  by the way, Calabasas is a really pretty area..
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  exjdub

  My first thought was that the law seemed awful extreme, and I am a non-smoker...but then I remembered something that happened about 2 weeks ago. I live near the ocean and I decided to check out the waves one morning. It was a gorgeous morning, very warm, and the air smelled awesome. I walked on the beach ramp and stood and was just soaking up the atmosphere, when I smelled cigarette smoke wafting in the breeze. No matter where I moved I could still smell it and I eventually just left. As I left I realized where it was coming from and it was quite a distance away, yet it still managed to permeate the air.

  Also, whenever I am at the beach, every smoker I see flicks their cigarette butts on the sand!! I always stare in disbelief that anyone would think that the beach is one big ashtray, yet they do it so casually. Cigarette after cigarette. So I guess a law like that in New Smyrna Beach, FL would be welcome.

  exjdub
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  ballistic

  I posted about it the other day... it is happening in England but we have over a years notice...

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/107793/1.ashx
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  Bstndance

  I believe you can not smoke on the beach in a few So Cal cities now. I'm not a smoker and thought the move was a little bit extreme. But maybe it will help a few more people quit. Most smokers say they want to quit, so the more difficult it becomes maybe they will stop.

  I work in LA and wished they would be a little more specific about their smoking in buildings law. We have a courtyard style office building. So people just stand outside their door and smoke because they are outside. Unfortunately, on those beautiful sunny days you can't keep your office door open because all the smoke starts to wander inside.

  Ironically I think it's funny that some of the same people that want to stop public smoking are the same people that want to legalize marijuana.