I would never begrudge anyone for smoking if that’s what they really want to do and spend their money on. Who am I to be their mommy anyway. I was the most militant pro-smoking guy in the country when we started getting pressured to have smoking stopped in all indoor places in California in the late 90’s. When it finally went into effect I would only go to bars that still allowed it. Over time the smoking police caught up with all of them until none allowed it anymore within the city limits. You could still find them out in the rural areas and still can as far as I know.
Now, after having quit 16 years ago, I still respect the right of anyone to smoke in their own personal indoor spaces but not any public indoor places. A smoker has the option of stepping outside for a smoke and can usually take their drink with them if it’s a bar but a non smoker does not have the ability to go to that same bar and not smoke if smoking was still allowed there. Funny thing is when I moved away from CA it was so great to be able to smoke in bars again but just one year later I was coughing so much I simply had no choice; I had to quit smoking.
I mean no disrespect to anyone who smokes but to many of us, maybe ex-smokers more than never-smokers, the smell is truly terrible.
I really wish cigarettes and cigars had never been invented. I could have bought a new car every year with what I spent on tobacco for the last 5 years I smoked (2 packs a day). I gave myself a raise of well over $200 a month back then which would be like $400 now I guess. I see people I know who are so broke they can hardly pay attention but they always manage to find a way to pay for more smokes. I’ve been there. When budgeting the priorities were, smokes, beer, some food of some kind, and gas; in that order. By eliminating the first two; I had more than enough for the other two and could take a lady out for a nice dinner once in a while.
A lot of women would never quit because they were worried, and rightfully so, that they would gain some weight. It takes a lot of weight to equal the same damage smoking does and if they stay active enough; even that can be mitigated. Anyway; that’s my story FWIW. YMMV. JMHO. I saw in the news the other day that doctors in the UK are now declining to operate on people who smoke. Too many possible complications from smoking in particular but also tobacco products in general. Doctors probably decline surgery for many who smoke all over the world; we just don’t really hear about it much.
I used to smoke a lot, quit 20 years ago. I can’t stand the smell of indoor smoke. That said, when you say “public” spaces and “a bar” in the same sentence you have it wrong. The bar is a private business and SHOULD be able to set the rules they want. Of course that all went to heck when they passed the civil rights bill, when government started dictating who you must let in. And now it is who you CAN’T let in (people smoking).
When they passed this law I thought it was stupid, some restaurants could have made a killing by banning smoking and advertised as smoke free, family friendly, etc. If they got rid of the law I bet most places would stay smoke free as most folks (including me) would prefer that. But - those that offered smoking would do well I bet.