Smoking Bans

[mathuv]

Nebraska just initiated a state-wide smoking ban which will take affect sometime next year. I cannot put into words how much I dislike this. There are two issues which really get to me. First of all, I believe that businesses should determine their own policies, whether or not they want their customers to smoke, not the state. Secondly, I attend/attended a state college here in Nebraska. This college is state owned, which makes the land the college is on state property. This smoking ban will outlaw smoking on state property. That means that the *entire* campus will be smoke free. That means someone can't light up on their way to class. Does this shock anyone else? Yeah, smoking is bad and I know I should quit, and I know that others should quit, but I'll quit when I'm damn ready to and so should they. My main issue with this whole smoking ban is the state imposing its own policy on independent businesses.

so you were allowed to smoke in the hallways?

What? No. I'm talking about outside. Walking from dorm to building. No smoking on school grounds. Period.

ah i see. here its just no smoking inside the actual building itself.. you can just walk out the main door and light up, so its not that harsh

[iron molly black]

Nebraska just initiated a state-wide smoking ban which will take affect sometime next year. I cannot put into words how much I dislike this. There are two issues which really get to me. First of all, I believe that businesses should determine their own policies, whether or not they want their customers to smoke, not the state. Secondly, I attend/attended a state college here in Nebraska. This college is state owned, which makes the land the college is on state property. This smoking ban will outlaw smoking on state property. That means that the *entire* campus will be smoke free. That means someone can't light up on their way to class. Does this shock anyone else? Yeah, smoking is bad and I know I should quit, and I know that others should quit, but I'll quit when I'm damn ready to and so should they. My main issue with this whole smoking ban is the state imposing its own policy on independent businesses.

so you were allowed to smoke in the hallways?

What? No. I'm talking about outside. Walking from dorm to building. No smoking on school grounds. Period.

ah i see. here its just no smoking inside the actual building itself.. you can just walk out the main door and light up, so its not that harsh

That is going to be a tough one to enforce. I worked for a company that instituted a no smoking on "company grounds" policy, with the grounds being campus-like, many acres and lots of buildings.

The big debate wound up being if you were smoking in your car, were you "in" your property, or "on" theirs? lol Eventually they relented and created some outdoor smoking areas, it just got to be too difficult to enforce, and people wasted too much time covertly smoking.

[peterjmag]

We have a smoking ban here in Fort Collins (no smoking in public interior spaces), and there's been a lot of controversy over the last couple of years about how it should apply to hookah/cigar lounges. The city council practically threatened to shut down the two existing hookah bars we have, but they finally reached an "agreement" where they allowed the two that were already in business to remain in business. However, they also declared that no new hookah bars could be opened within city limits and that the two current lounges may not expand their interior smoking space, which has stifled any possibility of an expanding hookah culture here (at least commercially).

While I appreciate smoke-free restaurants and such, I think banning smoking in lounges that are specifically in business for the purpose of smoking is ridiculous. When you go to a restaurant, you're there to eat--second-hand smoke is just an irritant in that kind of environment. By going to a hookah bar however, you're making a conscious decision to be around second-hand smoke, whether you're personally smoking or not. If you don't want to be around smoke, don't go in. Smoking in a hookah lounge is by no means harmful to those that don't enter the lounge, despite what some crusty politicians with personal agendas may spew.

It's great to see that our two local hookah bars are still doing well, even despite the "agreement." One of them is even planning to expand their smoking space to the roof of their building, which should be within the city council's terms.

[wpw36]

in nebraska with the new statewide band even if it is a hookah/cigar lounge the only way they can allow smoking is by only selling tobacco/ related items, so that means they cant sell drinks or food

[freezerburn456]

I work in Richardson TX and they just passed a smoking ban. We were able to get over 2,000 signatures from customers in the span of a week, and the local colleges raised well over 10,000 signatures. Yet, the comunist city council still decided that the ban was a good idea. It is forcing us to stop smoking in our resteraunt building. Luckily we got aroung it by having our lounge liscensed as a tobacco store.

[esheg4ever23]

I was watching the news today and it showed something about a few SoCal counties that are possibly going to ban hookah lounges, and "extinguish any possible upcoming ideas for a hookah lounge." Edited June 25, 2008 by esheg4ever23

[Big Boss]

I was watching the news today and it showed something about a few SoCal counties that are possibly going to ban hookah lounges, and "extinguish any possible upcoming ideas for a hookah lounge."

F***ing fascists, man.

[jaredm]

So does someone want to explain how 'smoking' shisha actually creates smoke? The definition of smoke is something along the lines of: 'a visible vapour consisting of fine particles '. When you 'smoke' shisha it is actually vapour you get from the glycerine vaporising (liquid->gas). Since you haven't burnt anything and the coals sure aren't releasing particles through the apparatus then there ought to be no particles and hence no smoke.

Of course if you pack the tobacco mixture too close to the foil it will burn but then the shisha wouldn't taste good and not many people would want to try it. Edited June 25, 2008 by jaredm

[Big Boss]

So does someone want to explain how 'smoking' shisha actually creates smoke? The definition of smoke is something along the lines of: 'a visible vapour consisting of fine particles '. When you 'smoke' shisha it is actually vapour you get from the glycerine vaporising (liquid->gas). Since you haven't burnt anything and the coals sure aren't releasing particles through the apparatus then there ought to be no particles and hence no smoke.

Of course if you pack the tobacco mixture too close to the foil it will burn but then the shisha wouldn't taste good and not many people would want to try it.

Thats a very good observation. I don't know if your theory is correct, but it certainly brings up some good points. A Devils Advocate would bring up the issue that hookah smoking can still cause smoke-related illnesses. An interesting point of view, no less.

[jaredm]

A Devils Advocate would bring up the issue that hookah smoking can still cause smoke-related illnesses.

Any link between hookah smoking and smoke-related illnesses is far from proven. Most studies are inconclusive or have been discredited.

However, we might take another approach on the health matter and consider what aspects of hookah smoking might contribute to health problems:

1. Burning of tobacco could release tar and other harmful particles
2. Charcoal ash could fall through onto the tobacco mixture and in turn a small amount might enter the mouth
3. The effect of nicotine is addictive
4. The use of foil could be a problem since some foils can release harmful chemicals when heated to the temperature that the coals are at
5. Grommets might be of a poor quality and could also release harmful chemicals when heated
6. Mouth pieces may not be hygienic if shared between users and not cleaned after use

Each one of these problems can be addressed quite sensibly:

1. Don't burn the tobacco
2. Use a high quality screen
3. The effect of nicotine has its advantages and disadvantages to consumers, few studies on the effect of nicotine only have been carried out to my knowledge.
4. Don't use foil, use a good screen.
5. Use good quality grommets that can cope with the heat coming from the coals.
6. Use mouth tips.

All that is left then is the effect on glycerine vapour on human health. Given that glycerine is safe for human consumption and is found in many everyday foods I don't think we have to worry about this?

[Big Boss]

A Devils Advocate would bring up the issue that hookah smoking can still cause smoke-related illnesses.

Any link between hookah smoking and smoke-related illnesses is far from proven. Most studies are inconclusive or have been discredited.

However, we might take another approach on the health matter and consider what aspects of hookah smoking might contribute to health problems:

1. Burning of tobacco could release tar and other harmful particles
2. Charcoal ash could fall through onto the tobacco mixture and in turn a small amount might enter the mouth
3. The effect of nicotine is addictive
4. The use of foil could be a problem since some foils can release harmful chemicals when heated to the temperature that the coals are at
5. Grommets might be of a poor quality and could also release harmful chemicals when heated
6. Mouth pieces may not be hygienic if shared between users and not cleaned after use

Each one of these problems can be addressed quite sensibly:

1. Don't burn the tobacco
2. Use a high quality screen
3. The effect of nicotine has its advantages and disadvantages to consumers, few studies on the effect of nicotine only have been carried out to my knowledge.
4. Don't use foil, use a good screen.
5. Use good quality grommets that can cope with the heat coming from the coals.
6. Use mouth tips.

All that is left then is the effect on glycerine vapour on human health. Given that glycerine is safe for human consumption and is found in many everyday foods I don't think we have to worry about this?

I'd say if you happen to know a lawyer, you should ask him about this and see what he says. Maybe... just maybe, you might have something here.

[jaredm]

I'd say if you happen to know a lawyer, you should ask him about this and see what he says. Maybe... just maybe, you might have something here.

I do and have asked a lawyer and the results are encouraging. At this point I have to give credit to Eric of Tangiers who has helped me tremendously on many fronts.

I will post more information once I have made some proper progress.

[srawas89]

There is a smoking ban here in Ohio however hookah bars are still open. I am not sure if Hookah is considered part of it however I do know that if you are a smoke shop it is legal to smoke inside the store. I think hookah bars are considered smoke shops since they make most of their income off the sale of tobacco and tobacco products so its all good because the Hookah still lives on!

[mathuv]

A Devils Advocate would bring up the issue that hookah smoking can still cause smoke-related illnesses.

Any link between hookah smoking and smoke-related illnesses is far from proven. Most studies are inconclusive or have been discredited.

However, we might take another approach on the health matter and consider what aspects of hookah smoking might contribute to health problems:

1. Burning of tobacco could release tar and other harmful particles
2. Charcoal ash could fall through onto the tobacco mixture and in turn a small amount might enter the mouth
3. The effect of nicotine is addictive
4. The use of foil could be a problem since some foils can release harmful chemicals when heated to the temperature that the coals are at
5. Grommets might be of a poor quality and could also release harmful chemicals when heated
6. Mouth pieces may not be hygienic if shared between users and not cleaned after use

Each one of these problems can be addressed quite sensibly:

1. Don't burn the tobacco
2. Use a high quality screen
3. The effect of nicotine has its advantages and disadvantages to consumers, few studies on the effect of nicotine only have been carried out to my knowledge.
4. Don't use foil, use a good screen.
5. Use good quality grommets that can cope with the heat coming from the coals.
6. Use mouth tips.

All that is left then is the effect on glycerine vapour on human health. Given that glycerine is safe for human consumption and is found in many everyday foods I don't think we have to worry about this?

1. True
2. Any ash that would fall through the bowl wouldn't get into your mouth, it would stay in the water
3. True
4. Foil is heated to much higher temperatures in the oven however we arent breathing the oven gas in so you're probably right
5. True
6. True.

I agree with you on most of these points however there are some fine details you should look over

[fei007]

Although I got to admit that spending a night in a smoky jazz bar had more to it than just second hand smoke

If it is e-cigarette,you'll not have second hand smoke
Electronic Cigarette is a kind of non-flammable electronic cigarette, with efficacies similar to those of the common cigarette. It can refresh the smokers and satisfy their smoking addiction, making them happy and relaxed, so as to relieve the suffering of quitting smoking.

Electronic Cigarette is essentially different from the common cigarette by nature:

1.Free of tar and other carcinogenic substances harmful to human body;

2.Non-flammable, with out the danger of over 4,000 chemical substances produced by the common cigarette, like carbon monoxide;

3.Harmless to others and the environment, without the danger of second-hand smoking

4.Can be used in most No-smoking places, without the danger of fire accident;

5. Painless smoke abstention can be realized within a certain period of time, after carrying out the smoke abstention scheme recommended by Electronic Cigarette.