I hate smoking so I do not care. Why should it be legal when it poses so positives and kills people?

We've had a similar ban in place since January of this year. It's strange walking into a restaurant now and not having to request a table in non-smoking. I don't mind it at all.

A link describing our state's ban is http://www.tobaccofreeliving.org/home/sect ion/3/1201/

Pot should be legal, though.

I live in Maine and our restaurants have been non smoking for 7 or 8 years, maybe longer and our bars have been non smoking for 4 or so years.

When I waited tables it was nice to not go home and reek of smoke or have some jerk blowing smoke in my face.

In public places?

Well that sounds like a good thing. More tables non-smoking available, cool

I think it's a good idea. I thought you were talking about an outright illegalization of smoking. That would be ridiculous.

Yes yes yes! Our ban came in on 1st July this year and it's the best thing ever. There's nothing worse than having to walk through a smokey pub or restaurant. I used to hold my breath but it didn't help much. Food in restaurants tastes so much nicer without all that smoke hanging around as well
Bus stops too. I bought an expensive coat and the first time I wore it I was at a bus stop and some woman's smoke was blowing in my direction all over my expensive coat. That's not allowed anymore.

New York has been like this for years!! It's so weird to go to other states and notice smoking inside of them...

They just banned smoking in public places in Charleston as well. It's not a state-wide ban yet, I don't think (don't quote me on that).

The only problem I see with the ban is that there is no designated smoking area ANYWHERE. The problem is when walking downtown (very touristy place), there are hundreds of people standing in front of the bars and clubs smoking. There isn't any room on the sidewalk to WALK. Then, there are the millions of butts on the grounds where the swarms of people are smoking. If they are going to ban smoking in bars and clubs, there should be a designated place for these people to go. This way, non smokers walking by, can actually WALK on the sidewalk and not have to smell the stink. It's an overwhelming stink when there are hundreds of people smoking in one place.

Yeah, it's been banned in all buildings Ontario for years (different number of years depending on which city). It's been great!

Oddly enough, I live in NYC for a little while in 2005 and although smoking had been banned before that time, I went to a party at the German Embassy. Well, since we were technically in Germany..... everyone was smoking inside the building.... it felt strange.

To Marianne: Bars in Ontario pretty much all built patios of some form. The patios are even heated in the winter time. They had to because people want to have their drink while smoking (can't drink alcohol on a sidewalk!) - if you didn't have a patio you would lose all of your smoking customers.

I like the idea as a non-smoker my whole life. No more smoking areas in restaurants. Cool.

Yeah, I'm a non-smoker too.

A lot of the smokers I do know are actually quite anti-smoking. They know it's dangerous and because they have a hard time quitting, they speak out against it even though they still smoke. They're like, "Look, I am participating in an activity I know has a high chance of killing me, yet the addiction is so strong I can't even save my own life. Don't DO this to yourself!"

Yeah- I love the idea that I won't have to mix the wonderful restaurant experience with smoke blowing in my hair. And ours extends to 25 feet outside of a building, too, so no smoking in front of the doors, theoretically. We'll see how it goes.

A lot of people are upset about it, though. I feel like if you're gonna make the decision to smoke, don't push that decision on others by making them experience lower air quality.

I like it. We have had a smoking ban here for four years I think. The only thing that gets me is that I think if a bar-owner wants to allow smoking, then it should be allowed-with a big ol neon sign above the door that says "SMOKING ALLOWED IN HERE". Then people who don't want to be affected by smoke don't have to go in there, and those who wish to smoke can. Futhremore, now people just hang outside the doorways of the bars so you have tp walk through a cloud of smoke to get into the place. I have always been a fan of smoking outside when I was a smoker. I never smoked in my house or in the car.

We have had it in New York for quite a while. I feel it is a wonderful idea. I am an ex-smoker and I know it is hard to quit but it can be done. I smoked for over 30 years before I quit. I have had mouth cancer and have emphysema along with other lung problems. It is a horrible, horrible habit that can kill you.

The marijuana I do think should be legalized with controls. Let them tax that and maybe our other taxes will go down. There are illnesses that it can help and I know there are states that allow chemo patients to smoke it. I believe it is California.

I'm a non-smoker and the smell of smoke gives me a headache so i'm happy although i do think it's a bit crual forcing smokers to go outside

im completely for it.. its been that way in florida for years. WHen ROb first moved down there and we went to a restaurant and they didnt ask if we wanted smoking or non he was confused lol.

Ohio voters passed the non-smoking ordinance last November...it took awhile, but venues are finally compliant. I couldn't be more thrilled. Now if we could just get people to follow the "25 feet away from the entrance" statute...