...is that I'm allowed to smoke in my own environment.

Only six months now until smoking is banned in *all* pubs and clubs in Victoria and New South Wales. The principle upon which this law is based is a sound one. Smoking is bad for you. People have a right to go to a pub, and not be forced to endure cigarette smoke. No argument from me there.

However, there seems to have been a small lapse in rational thinking during the decision making process that led to this law. Somewhere along the line, someone forgot that we're actually free thinking, individual human beings, capable of making our own decisions.

Banning smoking in every single venue ignores this fact. It ignores the fact that if there were some non-smoking venues, and some smoking venues, everyone would be catered for. Everyone would be happy.

I have recently returned from Amsterdam (as I've mentioned before), where my theory of how a tolerant, free society would actually work, was confirmed. It's no longer a theory to me - I've seen it in practice.

Here's how it goes. You see a coffeeshop. You know that if you walk in, you will be met with a nice thick wall of marijuana smoke. If you do not wish to be met with this smoke, you say: 'good for them, not my thing', and you go somewhere else - somewhere...non smoking, perhaps! Of course if a wall of marijuana smoke is exactly what you want, then in you go, eternally grateful that those who do not share your tastes are nonetheless tolerant of them.

And everyone's happy! Now, I know its difficult, but try to apply that same concept to here at home. And I challenge any person to give me a legitimate reason as to why there couldn't be some (not all, SOME) venues that allow smoking, where smokers can go, out of everyone elses way, and enjoy their vice in peace.

And please give your 'legitimate reason' some objective thought.

Free thinking people well i know i am but most are labor,liberal morrons with a side chacer of unions who tell them what to do and think.

Maybe those who are complaining would do me the favour of not polution with their cars, so could you please place a hose on your exhaust pipe and shove it back into your car that way i dont have to breath your polution.

Then we come to factories, really it is all a joke whats next no farting, bad breath.

I am a non-smoker and although I don’t like being forced to breathe in other people’s smoke, I believe that smokers should have rights, too.

Smokers at workplaces, for example, should be offered an alternative space such as a smoking room which would be well-ventilated and equipped with a filtersystem, well away from the work spaces. Or an acceptable outdoors area where they can sit on benches. I don’t like the idea of smokers in workplaces having to stand outside on the street- it’s a bit demeaning.

I’m from Amsterdam so I know what you’re talking about, and I can’t see anything wrong with some café’s that allow smoking as long as there are signs outside to warn people beforehand. “Beware of smokers” hehe.
If there are enough café’s in an area, then some could cater for smokers and others for non-smokers.
If there are filtersystems and/or adequate ventilation it probably will be manageable for non-smokers to spend some time with smoking friends in a smoke zone without choking.

Oh you smokers will love this one. I don’t smoke generally and nobody is allowed to smoke inside the house as we have children, but I have been known, if I am out, and everybody else is having one to join in.

I haven't been on speaking terms with a family member for years because I refused to ban smoking in my home outside in the backyard.

It all came to a head when we were holding a party and this person expected me to ban smoking in the backyard of my home because he didn't smoke and it offended him, he said that my failure to do so meant that I didn't respect him and he cut me out of his life because of that. I told him that if he didn't like it move away!

I also told him that in his house he can make his rules but he cannot come to my house making rules and demanding I do what he says. We no longer talk.

Unbelievable don’t you think?

And exactly the kind of arrogant attitude that led to these stupid laws in the first place. Thanks Jolanda!

There is no justification in free society for a ban on smoking.

Unfortunately we live in a society that has become accustomed to being pandered to by consecutive governments, whose members' only objective is to be re-elected so that they can continue to live well at the expense of the working public.

Special interest groups, usually clothed as do-gooders of one variety or another, are able to persuade these poor, weak-willed pets that their future will be better served by caving in to their bullying, destructive tactics.

The rest of us simply shrug our shoulders and make the best of it that we can, knowing only that those sour, sad complainers are actually having a wretched, unhappy and unfulfilled life.

If they weren't, why do they feel the need to mess with everybody else's?

For the record, I am a non-smoker.