Well, as a rabid non smoker, I can't understand the pregnant women that smoke, the mothers with children in their cars smoking, etc.
You asked me what got me stirred up on my blog (I'm American, when American isn't cool post) and it was that teacher, the liberals, and the fact that an Australian old friend said the world thought we had no soul. We being America. It lit a fire in me, I tell you what. But then, so do alot of things.
 

Nothing wrong with a little fire now and then...
 

To the liberals it is ok for them to dictate what businesses do, but heaven forbid big government does something to harm their cash cows personally then they have a cow and claim their rights are being violated.

I say the government needs to worry about cracking down on illegal activity and stop messing with the things that are still legal in this country.
 

Quote: "But this is a tobacco state dammit! This isn't the communistwealth of CA or NY! Last time I checked smoking cigarettes was still legal in this country! Apparently that doesn't matter."

When I see the non-word "communistwealth," one of the first things I think of are the tobacco states and their enormous tax-subsidies.

As for sitting in the non-smoking section of a restuarant to indulge your legal vice - try sitting in the non-peeing section of a swimming pool sometime. When that works out for you, get back to me and I'll gladly join you for lunch (provided we still sit in seperate sections and split the check).

While it appears that it may be too late for you and the English language, it may not be too late to clue you in on why "liberals" (and anyone else who might care about being exposed to Class A carcinogens) don't like the idea of inhaling your cigarette and/or cigar smoke. From the American Cancer Society:

When nonsmokers are exposed to secondhand smoke it is called involuntary smoking or passive smoking. Nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke absorb nicotine and other compounds just as smokers do. The greater the exposure to secondhand smoke, the greater the level of these harmful compounds in your body.

Why Is It a Problem?

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has classified secondhand smoke as a Group A carcinogen, which means that there is sufficient evidence that it causes cancer in humans. Environmental tobacco smoke has also been classified as a "known human carcinogen" by the US National Toxicology Program.

Secondhand tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 chemical compounds. More than 60 of these are known or suspected to cause cancer.

Secondhand smoke can be harmful in many ways. In the United States alone, each year it is responsible for:

* An estimated 35,000 to 40,000 deaths from heart disease in people who are not current smokers
* About 3,000 lung cancer deaths in nonsmoking adults
* Other respiratory problems in nonsmokers, including coughing, phlegm, chest discomfort, and reduced lung function
* 150,000 to 300,000 lower respiratory tract infections (such as pneumonia and bronchitis) in children younger than 18 months of age, which result in 7,500 to 15,000 hospitalizations
* Increases in the number and severity of asthma attacks in about 200,000 to 1 million asthmatic children

The 1986 US Surgeon General's report on the health consequences of involuntary smoking reached 3 important conclusions about secondhand smoke:

* Involuntary smoking causes disease, including lung cancer, in healthy nonsmokers.
* When compared with the children of nonsmoking parents, children of parents who smoke have more frequent respiratory infections, more respiratory symptoms, and slower development of lung function as the lung matures.
* Separating smokers and nonsmokers within the same air space may reduce, but does not eliminate, the exposure of nonsmokers to secondhand smoke.

Where Is It a Problem?

There are 3 locations where you should be especially concerned about exposure to secondhand smoke:

Your workplace: Secondhand smoke meets the criteria to be classified as a potential cancer-causing agent by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the federal agency responsible for health and safety regulations in the workplace. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), another federal agency, also recommends that secondhand smoke be considered a potential occupational carcinogen. Because there are no known safe levels, they recommend that exposures to secondhand smoke be reduced to the lowest possible levels.

Aside from protecting nonsmokers, workplace smoking restrictions may also encourage smokers who wish to quit or reduce their consumption of tobacco products.

Public places: Everyone is vulnerable to secondhand smoke exposure in public places, such as restaurants, shopping centers, public transportation, schools and daycare centers. Although some businesses are reluctant to ban smoking, there is no credible evidence that going smoke-free is bad for business. Public places where children go are a special area of concern.

Your home: Making your home smoke-free is perhaps one of the most important things you can do. Any family member can develop health problems related to secondhand smoke. Think about it: we spend more time at home than anywhere else. A smoke-free home protects your family, your guests, and even your pets.

So by all means, please smoke yourself to death - in the privacy of your own home.
 

I'm not talking about smoking at the Chucky Cheese! I'm talking about smoking where my friends and I hang out.

You have a problem with second hand smoke...stay out of those places. Again, the govt has no place in private business and that's all there is to it. It goes along the lines of helmet laws and seatbelt laws as far as I'm concerned.