Sweden: Outdoor smoking ban comes into force tomorrow July 1st

[FlopSlurper 34,336]

I suddenly wanna move to Sweden because the stench 

[Luke78619 23,559]

2 minutes ago, Bellatrix said:

Yeah I already saw your little edit. I'm not blind.

I'm not defending smoking itself. I just don't think a government should meddle in peoples choices coming up with bans that are not really helping. That's too much socialism for me.
It's naive to expect that people would simply stop smoking after this. So instead of just coming up with a ban they should come up with something to help people get rid of the addictions instead.

Agreed that I don’t think it’ll do much in terms of getting people to stop smoking, but banning people from smoking at bus stops, and places like restaurant’s outside seating is a good thing in my eyes, think of all the kids around the world in these places that breathe in the second hand smoke

[Sam98 1,896]

1 minute ago, Bellatrix said:

Yeah I already saw your little edit. I'm not blind.

I'm not defending smoking itself. I just don't think a government should meddle in peoples choices coming up with bans that are not really helping. That's too much socialism for me.
It's naive to expect that people would simply stop smoking after this. So instead of just coming up with a ban they should come up with something to help people get rid of the addictions instead.

As I already said, I 100% agree about helping those who are addicted, but how could you possibly try to stop others to get LEGALLY addicted without banning its source? 

[Erotica 34,921]

3 minutes ago, monster78619 said:

I’m here for this just because of the fact I hate being at a bus stop or seated outside at a restaurant and having someone smoking right next to me in my face 

I hate that too, but it can simply be solved by kindly ask them to go somewhere else. Most of them are understanding and have respect.

[ladylinners 485]

30 minutes ago, Bellatrix said:

Governments shouldn't meddle in what people do to their own bodies or should they pull up a ban on everything that's bad for you? Candy, fat food, alcohol etc?

I actually would not mind a higher tax on sugar. Maybe then companies wouldn't put sugar in food products where it does not belong, such as in spice mixes, canned veggies, bread etc. 

And trying to regulate items that are bad for your health is not the worst thing in the world. But the state could do more to subsidise healthy options for food. It doesn't make it better that fatty foods are the cheapest. 

I do not mind regulations of alcohol (though the fact that you have to be 20 to buy it at the alcohol store when you're legal at 18 is ridiculous). But alcohol can also have serious health effects so why not regulate it. No one is telling you not to drink, smoke, or use snuff but they all come with health risks and that's why limits are put on them.   

29 minutes ago, Bellatrix said:

It takes more than one occasional second hand smoke at the bus stop for it to be harmful. 

Doesn't take more than a second for my asthma to kick in which means I have trouble breathing and cannot get enough air. 

[Erotica 34,921]

2 minutes ago, monster78619 said:

Agreed that I don’t think it’ll do much in terms of getting people to stop smoking, but banning people from smoking at bus stops, and places like restaurant’s outside seating is a good thing in my eyes, think of all the kids around the world in these places that breathe in the second hand smoke

Yeah but as I wrote earlier in the thread it's not harmful to breathe in just a few puffs of smoke during a restaurant visit or while waiting for the bus. It takes a lot more.

If you're worried about the air you breathe you should be more concerned of vehicles and industries.

[Sam98 1,896]

8 minutes ago, GoldenPonyboy said:

THIS so much. People think that breathing one puff of smoke when walking in the street will give them cancer. Second hand smoke is harmful on a long term basis, like if your parents smoke in the home of the car. Pollution in the air caused by car and big industries is way more harmful than the occasional second hand smoke

Just because there are worse things polluting our air, doesn't mean we shouldn't start from something! What a conservative and useless idea.

"There's poor people in the world, so gay rights are not a priority" teas

[Erotica 34,921]

8 minutes ago, ladylinners said:

Doesn't take more than a second for my asthma to kick in which means I have trouble breathing and cannot get enough air. 

I get that, but I still think it's extreme with a ban in this form on a state level. It's an issue that restaurant owners can handle by for instance setting up smoke-free zones

[Florian 20,017]

17 minutes ago, Bellatrix said:

I hate that too, but it can simply be solved by kindly ask them to go somewhere else. Most of them are understanding and have respect.

But you shouldn't have to ask that ! Smokers should be the ones asking around ! But since everyone is selfish as **** they don't, or very rarelly.

I'm all for the ban. If smokers want to smoke they can go few meters away or in a designated zone as it can trigger asthma or headache. 

[Florian 20,017]

8 minutes ago, Bellatrix said:

I get that, but I still think it's extreme with a ban in this form on a state level. It's an issue that restaurant owners can handle by for instance setting up smoke-free zones

Why should the norm be to be able to smoke everywhere and have smoke-free areas instead of being smoke-free everywhere with smoking areas?

[ladylinners 485]

2 minutes ago, Bellatrix said:

I get that, but I still think it's extreme with a ban in this form on a state level. It's an issue that restaurant owners can handle by for instance setting up smoke-free zones

But it’s not just restaurants. It’s next to schools, public playgrounds etc that are state issues. I’m all for designated areas for smoking but I’m also for people being fined if they smoke in school zones or other public areas where you do not need to smoke. Most people I know find it highly inconsiderate to smoke around others. Even friends I have that smoke. 

But people are going to have different opinions of it. But I am for it. I do not think people need to smoke in public spaces. 

[holy scheisse 22,903]

1 hour ago, Bellatrix said:

E-cigs are included in the ban. So it's just a straight up ban without any attempts to help the ones who struggle with the addiction.

But you can still smoke and or vape at home, at a friend's home, etc? And they haven't outright banned tobacco products completely so those struggling have years to get off the thing. It's not like there are serious withdrawals from smoking. I should know as a former smoker. These people would be cut off from cigs, have a headache for 3 days, and then be smoke free and getting healthier by the minute. Sure that could take a toll on mental health bc ppl use smoking as negative coping skills, but again...it's not totally banned yet. Swedish smokers can prepare to quit and develop some new coping strategies by 2025. Ya got 6 years.

[Queen Bitch 10,513]

Good call Sweden. Meanwhile the terrible politicians here in Denmark can't even agree to make cigarettes more expensive

[hausofcy 20,545]

Honestly, as a smoker myself i'm disgusted. First of all the government is a hypocrite for doing it. If you want to ban tobacco you could as well ban alcohol while you're at it but oh no. 

Also, as OP stated it takes away a certain freedom and to be quite honest I don't think it's a good thing for business owners to ban smoking as they will lose lots of customers. At the end of the day we're outside. The cars driving by are also bad for our health. Might be an unpopular opinion but these kind of laws are truly something else 

[TimisaMonster 31,073]

Good because YOUR decision to engage in a disgusting and polluting habit as smoking should not mean  I have to get second hand smoke and get cancer, asthma, or smell toxic chemicals...

Wish nobody smoked but..."it's cool"