Smoking ban in all public open air spaces.

This is the article regarding to the topic.

I am pretty sure this is considered Serious Discussion, you are free to tell the mods to get it moved if you think otherwise.

To cut it short, the Victorian and NSW government are trying to ban smoking in public restaurants, uncovered public transport stops, playgrounds, etc.

What do you guys think about this? I'm certain that may be none of you care about this since this happens in Australia anyway, but, when this happens in your city or state, how would you react?

Personally, I think it's a bit silly. Well, I wouldn't mind not smoking in kids' playgrounds, school areas, etc. But public restaurants? Pubs? Cafe? Tram stops? You've got to be kidding me.

Government already collect heaps of taxes already from cigarettes, and now they are cutting their rights too.

I may sound a bit naive since I am a smoker myself, but I mean, government has been doing everything they can to gain profit from smokers. If this goes on, might as well ban smoking from the whole country.

Catching up with the rest of the world, then. We already have this in place for years, and it's certainly nice not to be afraid of having to feel like throwing up in such places. I really wish this ban would affect more places, though, people are still smoking in the streets, and sometimes it's impossible to really avoid them.

Nah, banning for smoking on the streets is taking it too far for me.
Might as well destroy all the cigarettes all over the world or make smoking illegal just like drugs then.

i agree with public banning of smoking. usually, i'm not that happy with a heaping of government intrusion but if what they're doing helps my health then i'm all for it. personally, i want them to ban smoking in cars too because it really pisses the shit outta me when the car in front of me flicks his cig out his fucking window and it hits my car. fucking bullshit.

i don't need to be at risk just because you (not you, specifically, just referring to smokers in general) like puffing on tobacco. that's the way i see it.

Luinthoron was right, you are, just now, catching up with the rest of the world. We've had something similar enforced since July 2007, so that's 4 years now, nearly 5. At first there was an uproar but the dust settled, everyone got over it and it became a part of every smokers' routine, and to be honest the new routine isn't much different from the old one; they just can't smoke anywhere they like.

The short version is that you're not allowed to smoke inside a public place, like a pub, a restuarant or a shopping centre/mall, or in areas designated as a "Smoke free zone" like a playground or a bus stop. You are however, allowed to smoke at home and outside, provided it isn't a smoke-free zone.

When it gets enforced where you are, it won't be as bad as you think and it won't make much of a difference. And it's not like there won't be any designated "Smoking areas".

Dude, even on the outdoor you aren't allowed to smoke??

Who cares?You'll still be able to destroy your lungs and the rest of us don't have to deal with second-hand smoke. Seems like a just regulation considering the precedent of serving the majority and those who actually have the ability to do anything.

Might as well ban all smokes IMO.
If it's restricted, so restricted that you can't do it in public, it's the same like weed here.
Might as well ban then for good, then it will look sooo much better.
This way, it looks like they are taking advantages of smokers.

We just have a 10 foot from a building, inside a building, restaurants, bars ect ect. Funny fact you can still smoke anywhere that not government property in Arkansas and Nevada.. outside them and California.. im not sure. Also you can smoke weed anywhere in the same place has cigs.. if you haz that card. You shouldn't smoke near others nor bong rip in public though.

Lol fine then, ban all smoking. It will look better and provided public integrity would surely increase. How are they taking advantage of smokers? Its not like it's such an inclusive ban that would obviously wreck the large constituency of smokers and in no way does it restrict you from any previous lawful right. You should have a right to kill yourself(albeit through smoking in this case) unlike your presented rhetoric, but you shouldn't even dream to have the right to endanger and slowly kill everyone around you.

Exactly, if government thinks that smokes endanger people around you who doesn't smoke, why didn't they ban them instead? They are still keeping them as legal, but, restricting smokers to one corner and taking money from them (tax).

I seriously would rather have cigarettes banned, because this is silly.
Can't smoke on the way, can't smoke in outdoor area of a pub and restaurants, silly.

As I said, it isn't going to be as bad as people are making out. There will be certain places where you will be allowed.

It is still sound silly to me.
If they are making a box for people to smoke, it's more like a stupid box than a smoking box.

It did to us too, then everyone who smokes got used to it

Silly government, I think.

Same here in Germnay.

They wanna ban smoking in public places wherever they can.(Restaurants, casinos, work places and even places near your home).

The ban of smoking in public places is indeed harsh for all smokers since they have almost no place to smoke except their own homes and some places where they cant get to.

Smokers pay for their cigarettes and now they have limited places to go.

I find it indeed harsh.

I am a non-smoker so it doesn't really affect me and I tend to stay away from smokers and the smoke that comes with it.

I advise every smoker to stop cigarettes since "I too" was a smoker.

I don't care if they are going to increase the price, but to ban in most places.
Might as well make smoke illegal then..

Smoking won't become illegal because cigarettes are one of the most biggest money maker out there.

You'll get used to it... I did when I smoked in limited places in Germany when I was a smoker.

Plus I find it kinda good they decided to limit the smoking areas for smokers, wanna know why? Kids between 9-16 are smoking like they are masters all because they were influenced by public smoking. I live in a city where kids smoke them like they mean it even though they know nothing.

Plus not all pubs and restaurants banned smoking... just gotta find them that's all.

i don't mind them banning smoking since its better for my health and the fact that i was born with Asthma only makes me agree with this smoking ban.

Not that big of a deal. People think it's worse than it really is.

It is funny seeing bars and such try and get around it. In my city one bar cut out holes in the side of his building so they were "technically" outside however many feet they needed to be.

Hilarious shit that.