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Smoke ban’s last stand
Posted On:Feb 21, 2008
The group is asking Virginia residents who feel strongly about this matter to contact Delegate Terrie Suit, R-Virginia Beach. She is chairwoman of the General Laws Committee and seems to be the person with the most power to bring this to a vote before the end of the session.
If you are so inclined, you can e-mail Delegate Suit at and let her know that you support a restaurant smoking ban.
The restaurant group also is suggesting that House leaders receive similar e-mails. You can contact Speaker of the House William Howell at or House Majority Leader Morgan Griffith at or House Republican Caucus Chairman Terry Kilgore at .
The Senate passed a restaurant smoking ban. The least the House can do is put it to a full vote.
Posted by Andrea Hopkins Back to the blog »
Reader Reactions
Posted by ( Bryan Arnold ) on February 22, 2008 at 8:57 am
Why don’t non-smokers get off their soapboxes. If you don’t like smoke, avoid places that allow people the freedom to smoke. I would wager you are also a Hillary supporter because of her forced health care.
You must be one of the lucky ones that are smart enough to realize the rest of us need to be forced to live our lives as you think we should, and not as we would like too.
Make sure you let us know if there are any other areas of our life that we need to change to suit you and all the other little know it all liberal do-gooders out there.
Freedom of choice, who needs it anyway when we have folks like you to tell us what to do?
Bryan Arnold
Posted by ( Mike ) on February 23, 2008 at 4:18 am
Drinking kills more than smoking and you haven’t stopped that.
Posted by ( Robert W. ) on February 23, 2008 at 12:04 pm
as a smoker,i don’t see why all the other smokers are getting all fired up about a possible ban. when i go out to eat ,,,,,,I GO THERE TO EAT!!!! whether it is a smoking or non-smoking restaurant makes no difference to me.
Posted by ( Kevin ) on February 24, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Bryan,
So by your logic my family and I should never go out to eat in a public restaraunt, to a baseball or football game, or a race at BMS? And no,I don’t support Hillary or her health plan.
You can live your life however you see fit as long as it doesn’t adversely affect other people. Why should people who don’t smoke and/or have smoke allergies be exposed to tobacco smoke because it’s “your right” to smoke wherever you want? What about my rights as a non-smoker not to be exposed to it and spend the rest of my day or night smelling like an ashtray? You might say “there are non-smoking sections in restaraunts, sit there and shut up”. Non smoking sections in restaraunts are a joke. They are there because restaraunts have to offer it. Anyone that does not smoke can smell it anywhere in the building. If you don’t think the smell is bad I invite you to eat your dinner in the restroom and see how you enjoy it.
If you or any other smoker chooses to sit in your home, backyard, car, or any other non public place and chainsmoke nonfiltered Luck Strikes until your lungs stop working knock yourself out. I don’t want to reduce business for people that make portable oxygen tanks and ventilators. The medical field needs you and your insurance to pay part of their bills.
I and other non smokers don’t want any part of it. We should not be forced to accept it because smokers feel the goverment is trying to run their lives. Laws against rape, murder,and theft are there to keep these things from happening and were put in place by the government. These are all crimes that affect innocent people. Do we need to do away with those laws as well? By your logic the government is telling people that want to steal their neighbors lawnmower that it is wrong and the can’t do it.
Freedom of choice doesn’t give anyone the right to inconvenience another because of a habit or addiction.
Posted by ( Chris ) on February 25, 2008 at 8:46 am
Bryan,
I agree wholeheartedly with your view on the smoking issue. That being said, it is rather unfortunate that you try (lamely I might add) to make this a liberal vs. conservative issue. You seem to see this type of legislation as more of a morality issue than a safety issue. If that is the case then surely you understand that the right has a virtual monopoly on legislating morality.
I guess government intervention is o.k. as long as it meets your criteria. You conservatives love to use the government to protect people from themselves while complaining how liberals use government to protect people from others.
Posted by ( Ken ) on February 26, 2008 at 12:48 pm
As a nonsmoker who had both parents die of smoking related illnesses, I am not in favor of a smoking ban in restaurants and bars. Two thirds of the restaurants in Virginia are already nonsmoking and I don’t have a problem finding a place to eat that forbids smoking (if I want to). Whether a restaurant is smoking or nonsmoking should be a business or conscience decision made by the owner of the establishment.
The argument that it protects the employees against second hand smoke does not pass the smell test. The decision to work at a smoking restaurant is up to the worker. There is adequate employment needs in nonsmoking restaurants to employ those who want to work. If the restaurant owner has difficulty hiring enough people to do the work at a smoking restaurant, then he needs to make a business decision regarding smoking.