Thanks CJ. That was exactly the point I thought I was making until spendocrat put doubt in my mind.

Pretending that marijuana brings with it no health hazard is precisely the stick the killjoys will use to beat it with.

And Col, that was a masterpiece of sanity. Respect.

I quickly want to second that: Col, your last post and the one before that (minus the shooting scene) were just, in one word, wonderful.

I wish everyone great health, wealth and sanity in 2007.

I'm off now to put my party dress on and hope it will still fit me tomorrow.

I will see you all in the New Year!

Pericles, Pericles!

Does marijuana do harm? You say yes. I note you resort to name calling, generalisations (eg " every smoker on the planet acknowledges"!) and righteous glorifying which demonstrates your own bias and need to put down people who make their own choices. Could I suggest you take Tapp's suggestion and funnel the exhaust from your vehicle back into your car's interior? It does harm others mate so....

Is there anything you do which has a risk of harm and thus is to be avoided? Doing nothing is a health risk, as is being condescending and demanding on blogs.

A few have asked what is next on the agenda. Alcohol is there right now, just read. You know it's coming so stock up before the ban. Don't panic, drink up and it'll all go away.

To Shonga. Those nasty, lazy smokers wasting company time. Did you spend your days watching and timing them? Or were you busy dobbing them in or drinking coffee. Maybe going to the bank in work time? Any personal phone calls? Cast that stone Shonga, just hope it's not a boomerang.

Although I genreally think it's up to adults to investigate for themselves whether a drug is harmful to use or not and then decide to take the risk of using it or not, I do agree with tubley on one thing:
that children should have the right to be protected from 'passive' smoking.

There is one group of adults who, in my opinion, should not be free to smoke or consume alcohol or do other drugs: pregnant women.
Research has pointed out that it has or can have a negative effect on the unborn baby. No recreational drug is worth risking a baby's health for.

Women who use drugs should give up drugs before trying to become pregnant; if they don't want to give up drugs they should not become mothers. Their partners should take care not to smoke around their wife/girlfriend when planning to start a family.

spendocrat,

Try finding the blind, double blind and triple blind tests on the effects of smoking - there aren't any.

The original tests were done on little mices, who were kept in little enclosed perspex boxes and had tobacco smoke pumped into the little box every second of every day for the life span of the little mices. At the end of 2 years the little mices were autopsied and found to have tumors on their lungs. These little mices did not live in their natural environment, or eat their natural food, nor did they drink from natural occuring water resources. Last time I looked, I wasn't a little mice :-)

Here in Australia, we could have to best of the best from around the world and make it an outstanding country to live in - pity the pollies don't catch onto this :-(

I like the idea of the establishment putting up a sign saying whether it allows smoking and then the individual has to make the choice whether to enter or not. The question is this - Are the majority of people capable of making decisions regarding their own and their childrens welfare ?

OK Col etc, so what about situations where there are 2 private building next to one another, with one allowing smoking and the other not? The smoke from one drifts to the next, rendering the other choiceless.

What about private institutions that share the same floor space? For example a smoke free restaurant next to a bar where smoking is allowed? Who is then obligated to build a wall in the middle?

What about multi-story buildings with certain rooms on certain floors smoke-free and others not? And will smokers and non smokers alike need to check every building before booking?

So you see the Pandora's box that you propose be opened? It is hard enough to enforce a blanket law on smoking let alone upholding selective ones. Get real! Most non smokers enjoy the assurance from the new laws that protect the health of the majority from the stupidity of the minority.