Wayne, if smoking realy does kill, we should make it mandatory
from age 40, or so.
It would make much more economic sense to have these old farts die of related diseases at 75, rather than continue using up resources, economic & medical for another 15 or 20 years.
I'm getting close to that age, & the increasing rate of my consumption of things medical, indicates that my not smoking, is going to cost you a fortune

The issue of staff in smoking venues is a valid one (although anyone who looks at the facts over the hype knows that the dangers of second hand smoking are negligible at best. The risk is there, but there's plenty higher risk jobs around. Just ask Alcoa).

In these instances where staff have a problem, I don't see why a compromise can't be reached. Let's say I own a small pub. I have no problem with smoking, so I allow smoking in my venue. The pub gets popular, I have to hire a bartender.

Me: Now you know it will be a smokey environment, right?
Applicant: No, I didn't know that. I hate smoke.
Me: Next.

Or....

Me: Now you know it will be a smokey environment, right?
Applicant: Yeah, that's cool.
Me: Sign here.

Or I can go: Right, bartender No. 1 - your beat is the non-smoking area and the outside part. Bartender No. 2 (who doesnt mind smoking), you take care of the rest.

The point is, I really struggle to see an instance where two adults cant find a way to work around these issues. These are social issues, not legal ones. Why bring the law in? Are we really that incapable of taking care of ourselves?

Just because I made the stupid decision to smoke during my youth, an inherently stupid person this does not make me.

..yeah.

PS: WayneSmith (re marijuana): see what I mean, overstate your case and the anti-pot brigade (in this case Pericles) is all over it.

Pericles: you can talk about the dangers of weed all you want, and if I could be assed (lack of motivation caused by....), I'd be able to find a whole bunch of dangers about...say, milk, too. Anything in excess is dangerous. End-O-Story.

Certain, specific, uncommon health implications for over-use or long-term use does not justify making illegal something that grows naturally and unaided from the ground, all over the world, and serves a gazillion wonderful purposes. If you applied that same logic across the board, there wouldn't be much left legal.

You dope-heads simply prove my point.

While every smoker on the planet acknowledges the health hazards of tobacco, marijuana still encourages denial.

You would have been far more convincing if you had admitted that yes, you were fully aware that cannabis is a health hazard, but hey, it's your body and you choose to use it anyway.

For your information I have the same attitude towards weed as I have to tobacco - I choose not to use it myself, but have no problem that fully-informed adults do. If you stop with the paranoia for a moment (another symptom?) reflect on the facts, and avoid the knee-jerk response that anyone who points out the realities must be the enemy.

Pericles – I’m unable to comment on whether or not I’ve proved your point, as it’s not very clear what your point is. If you are saying that marijuana is bad for you, you get no argument from me. If you look closely, I never tried to make any such claim. My question was simply: So What?

In a world with more health hazards than anyone can keep track of, why single out marijuana? Occasional use has very little, if any, negative effects. Prolonged, excessive use…well, duh, of course it’s going to be a hazard. Same with nurofen plus. Same with fatty food. Soft drink. Coffee. Time in the sun. Time out of the sun. Mobile phones. Driving. Drinking tap water in Richmond. Help me out here. What exactly is your point?

If you have no problem with others choosing to smoke weed, then you must be on our side, i.e: for legalisation. That’s all I’ve been arguing for.

And yes, paranoia is a known symptom. I’ve been a heavy smoker for years now (I’m young, give me a break. I used to be an alcoholic, this is much, much better for me) – and that particular symptom has never affected me personally. Something I have noticed is a lack of ‘sharpness’ to my memory, but that certainly doesn’t concern me as much as getting my stomach pumped for drinking too much. And it’s definitely not so bad that I can’t remember the last time we went head to head on this topic….around a year ago, I believe. Let me jog your memory: I won.

Joke, lighten up.

Anyway, if you want to talk about the ‘reality’ of weed, the real reality…it’s as follows: Marijuana is bad for you. Alcohol is worse for you. Cigarettes are worse still (these aren’t debateable points, as they’ve already been well and truly established as fact. Deal). I’m guilty of all three vices, yet for one of them, I’m considered a criminal. Which one? Oh, the least dangerous one. Bizarre, no?

Interesting how legislation has again bashed up Joe Citizen while the big smokers are encouraged to puff away, polluting everything for miles around, any place and anyone!

So while the sheep are rounded up and dictated to, the big end of town are rewarded for puffing their uncontrolled, carcinogenic smoke out of their pollutant stacks where they're constantly in denial of the health impacts on Joe Citizen, whilst parroting: "Our chemical emissions are within the regulatory boundaries".

What regulation? What boundaries? What legislation and what enforcement?!