My fellow Illinoisians, welcome to the nanny state.

One day when I was feeling particularly chubby I threatened to put my skinny friend in a cage and feed her nothing but deep fried twinkies until she exploded.

The thing is, is it really that big of a fucking deal to go outside to smoke? Seriously, quit your bitching...

fuck the nanny state. i wanna live in the Mary Poppins State. (where everything is practically perfect in Every way!)

It's different in Britain where sitting in a pub with a pint and a cigarette is pretty much a rite. I'm not looking forward to July 1st.

Once again...will it really be that big of a deal to go outside?

no shit its winning, because like most people in this country today you are completely oblivious to the concerns of people who feel differently than you do, the funny thing is i completely agree with what you want, and cant stand to be around smoke myself, but how people are going about changing things is still wrong we don't have to run to mommy everytime we see something going on we don't like, even if we are 100% in the right, there are other ways to bring about change than force. couldent we try compromise first? how about you start a petition asking your local bar owner to change his policy, even if it's only on certain days / hours, if it's really what a large portion of their customers want and they stand to profit from it, im sure some will oblige, and if they say "fuck off", stop lining their pockets every saturday night and take your money elsewhere because if we cant find ways to get along with each other by ourselves our government is way too eager to "look out for us".

No, I'm perfectly capable of empathy, I just see you engaging in an identical line of reasoning whether its smoking, guns, or any other political issue, and burying your head in the sand and being an asshole about it at the same time. You're not exactly winning me or anyone else over.

No, you see, we don't agree. I think it's a matter of public health policy, you think it's some kumbayah grassroots movement. I think you don't have the slightest understanding of government regulation in either the market or the public health spheres, so thanks but your ridiculous scheme is both naive and completely counterintuitive.

Perhaps not. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the ban in restaurants and everywhere else - just not pubs (that don't serve food). I really don't see how second-hand smoke is going to do much damage when everyone inside is drinking themselves into oblivion anyway.

Not for long!

that makes no sense. what the hell is the difference between banning smoking inside of restaurant and banning it in bars?

also, "I really don't see how second-hand smoke is going to do much damage when everyone inside is drinking themselves into oblivion anyway."

........okay.

A general stance is that smoking in dining conditions is pretty nasty, plus the possible presence of children.
My second statement was pretty badly worded. Pubs are hardly health bars even without smoking. The non-smoking sections of pubs I frequent are practically empty the great majority of the time. However, I guess a partial ban would make more sense.

It's hard to imagine that you didn't notice that you've provided an example of mandator safety regulations to argue that safety regulations shouldn't be mandatory.

How's that? I can't believe that people are arguing that bars are a place where everyone is drinking, and because drinking isn't healthy, any other unhealthy agent in that environment is par for the course, or consensual by some type of bizarre association.

This is how the argument resonates with me:

"Hey, man, you're already eating a candy bar. What's the big deal with having a little strychnine?"

I encourage all of you to hang out in the Oncology Department at your local hospital.

hello madam i notice the shoes youre wearing dont provide proper arch supports. how about a punch in the tits as well?

That's why I go into bars* and beat people up with an iron bar*.

I really don't see how having the crap whacked out of them with an iron bar is going to do much damage when everyone inside is drinking themselves into oblivion anyway.

I mean really.


*Different kinds of bars, clever drawers.

Please clarify "non-smoking section" for me. Are they actually entirely separate environments, or are they like the "non-smoking sections" I used to encounter in restaurants, which had no actual separation from the smoking section in any way that prevented smoke from wafting happily across the divide. The main difference was a lack of ashtrays.

'cause if it's the latter, I wouldn't use it either.

Note to self: Invest in outdoor heater sales and service in Illinois.

Well played. I salute you.

Seperate environments, in my area anyway.