At many times I have been annoyed by the smell of “foreign food” (for lack of a better term) in my apartment building. Although annoyed by this ‘intrusion’ it never crossed my mind to create a law banning cooking smelly food. I feel that if my neighbours are doing something legal that annoys me, I should find a better place to live.

I don’t know if they have concern. I’d say that common decency requires people not to smoke in a public area, because smoke bothers many people. The etiquette in a bar is different. Smoking is expected, and people who don’t like it are expected to go elsewhere. That seems reasonable to me. Smoking should be allowed as long as it doesn’t cause undue hardship on others. So smoking in a train or airplane is unacceptable because the smoke is bothersome to others, but smoking in your own living room (or in a bar where patrons can reasonably expect to encounter smoke) is fine.

And the thing about rental apartments is that the residents don’t actually own them. Smoke residue sticks around for a long time in furniture and even walls (have you ever cleaned a car formerly owned by a smoker?–brown residue coats the windows, headliner, etc.) My point is that the owner of the apartment complex may have difficulty renting to the next tenant if the apartment smells like smoke.

I do understand that the proposed smoking ban would be an erosion of personal liberties. But, on the other hand, I see not a lot of harm in limiting where people can smoke, so I’d probably support it.

Yeah, and the rental contract can stipulate whether or not you may smoke in the apartment. This is already standard policy regarding pets. (My own lease contract states that I may not let my pets smoke, nor may I smoke my pets. I can’t even pet my smokes.) This isn’t something the government needs to regulate.

“I see not a lot of harm in limiting where people can smoke, so I’d probably support it.”

Yeah, but in their own homes? Come on. Just because a person is renting doesn’t make his home any less of a personal space. We can’t let the government intrude into the personal lives of citizens just because they are renters rather than homeowners. That’s discriminatory. My rights are no less valuable than yours simply because I pay rent and you pay a mortgage.

Think of it this way… there are chain smokers who live to 90 years old; do you seriously believe passing by a group of smokers and breathing in their fumes once in a blue moon is going to kill you any faster than some other way? After all, what people seem to forget, we all die; many from some form of cancer.

Nothing is new under the sun when it comes to mass hysteria. From asbestos to trans fat to secondhand smoke to global warming, they’re all passing fads which, when one takes the time to look at them more closely, are all complete rubbish.

Have a read from that link I included about the 40-year study of 118,000 Californians. It found that even living with a smoker did not increase your risk of smoking-related illness.

That’s why smoking bans are getting passed… most people don’t smoke, and they don’t see the harm in telling other people what to do as long as it’s beneficial to everyone. Beware that attitude when the next fad comes along making fast food or public cell phone use a cultural faux pas. It’s ironic in this era of “tolerance” that everyone wants to legislate the behavior of others. “I’ll tolerate your smoking for now, but wait til my congressman hears about you and your ilk.”

I disagree with your thought that a rental is just as much of a personal space as a home. Who does more work to keep the place in good shape–a renter or an owner? (eg. you or your dad?) But that is off topic, so I’ll shut up, except to say my mortgage is paid off! *dances*

When you come to my house, look at our front yard (renters) and the house across the street (owners) and tell me. Obviously I think owners will overall do a better job, but that is not a justification for such broad measures.

This is completely incorrect. Second hand smoke causes no significant increase in risk for lung cancer, it CAN cause problems for those with asthma. My younger brother HAS had to be taken to the hospital for treatment after being exposed to cigarette smoke and after being exposes to cats. I propose that cats and smoking be banned from all public places as a result.

I cannot even go visit with my friends some of the times.
I travel a good distance to play Mah Jong. Sometimes there are inconsiderate people who insist on smoking in spite of other people and patients health concerns.

Unfortunately, having asthma does mean living by additional restrictions at times. Molds, cats, and many other things cause massive problems for people with asthma, but requiring clean room conditions for all businesses simply isn’t reasonable. I’d recommend doing as my mother did, and simply refuse to patronize places that pose health risks to those with asthma. With 60% of people opposing smoking, it shouldn’t be THAT hard to get “no smoking” rules imposed at some private apartment buildings.

I do understand that the proposed smoking ban would be an erosion of personal liberties. But, on the other hand, I see not a lot of harm in limiting where people can smoke, so I’d probably support it.

The long term intent though is not to “limit” where people can smoke, but rather to ban it entirely. There are also movements in place to tax/ban fatty foods and unhealthy snacks. The question we need to consider is whether we have the right to tell someone else how they can make use of their own property. In this case, the renter has full right to ban smoking, but the government really doesn’t.