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As a smoker, I personally don't mind the bans on INDOOR facilities, but once I take my smoke outside, you have no right to complain. I miss sitting after a meal and having a cig and a drink, so when possible, I choose to sit in the outdoor patio that a restaurant may have. If there is a non-smoker sitting a table away from me, I'm sorry, but you'll just have to deal with it. Cigarettes have been around for ages, have been a part of many peoples daily lives, and always will be, me having a smoke outdoors, where the second hand smoke is not as confined is about the best I'll do for you.
A non-smoking aquaintance of mine with a two year old, once asked me to butt out while our kids were at the park and we were on the bench watching. Not because it offended HER, but because she didn't want her son to see someone smoking. Uh, no. She will not be able to protect her son from ever seeing or being around a smoker, and neiither will you (non-smokers complaining about people smoking outdoors nearby) ever be able to shield yourself from all of the environmental hazards around you.
Don't sit there are bitch about insurance premiums going up and you have to pay more blah blah blah, you think that alcoholics don't contribute? With their increasing medical costs for liver disease, treatment centres, etc.
Smoking is the one addiction that there is no treatment centre for. I'm not sure about the states, but as far as I know, in canada, (correct me if i'm wrong) an employer cannot fire you if you are going to get treatment for an addiction, b/c as it's an addiction, you cannot be held fully responsible. For all addictions except smoking. Maybe if society were to make it easier to quit, there'd be less smokers, and less people for you to bitch about, but until then, you will always have to deal with the unpleasentries of smoke. If it bothers you, lets say while you're standing at a bus stop, politely ask the person to move, chances are they would without argument.
What a petty thing to only complain of the smell and have that be a major "pillar" to your arguments. Are you exempt from all of the other offensive odours such as B.O. or strong perfumes? What do you do to deal with those, and why can't you apply that to those smelling of smoke?
And while you have to accept that smoking will always be around and bother you, I guess I have to accept that there will always be people like you who were born to complain and challenge anything.
** not directed to any one person: kept general to the non-smoking complainers.
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