But what about smokers’ rights?
There are some sharp thinkers out there! We sure have SMART kids at Escobedo M.S. I’m proud to read your passionate comments about smoking and second hand smoke. But I want you to think from another perspective…a smoker’s perspective. Here’s a challenge… Tell me:
Don’t people who smoke have rights,too? What should they be?
Who’s to say who can smoke and who can’t? Where and when? Is it really the place of our government to dictate the rules for smoking?
People have known the dangers of smoking for years, yet they still “light up.” Shouldn’t people be allowed to smoke if they want to? People do crazy things all the time (like skateboard down the middle of the street without a helmet). Is it really our place to try and stop them?
During our debates one student told me that families pay a lot of money for health insurance. So if people need to use insurance money to go to the doctor for a smoking related health issue they should be covered. Good point. What do you think about that?
How should we decide, as a society, when to let people decide “actions” for themselves and when to decide for them?
Write the perfect smoking laws for Clark County. What do you think they should really be? Tell me what’s wrong with our current laws, if anything?
Read, write, think, discuss…getting smarter everyday 
Mrs. Powers
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I think that smokers definitely should still have rights. Just because they smoke doesn’t mean that they aren’t citizens. I think it still is our place to try to stop smokers from smoking. They’re addicted, and need some help trying to stop unless they don’t want to quit. I do think that people should be covered for smoke- related health issues. I’m not saying that I support smoking, it’s just that if someone is sick insurance should definitely cover them. It’s not like we want anyone who smokes to die, right? Some laws that I think should be not in just Clark County, but everywhere is that poeple should NOT be allowed to smoke in parks. When I went to the park a few weeks ago, there was a man sitting in the middle of the park smoking a cigarette with a bunch of kids running around and playing! Another law that I think should exist is people shouldn’t be able to smoke in their cars with the windows up with other people in the car with them. As a society, we should let people make decisions for themselves. It’s their choice if they want to smoke or not. If smoking is something they really want to keep doing we should encourage them to stop but we can’t force anyone to stop smoking.
November 24th, 2008 at 2:03 pmSmokers in my opinion have rights like all citizens, but I don’t think smoking is right and they should stop smoking. Smokers shouldn’t be able to smoke because it hurts them, others, and EVEN the environment. I think the government should be involved to make smoking illegal or limited in some way. Then that would make people sneak in cigarettes/ tobbacco.
November 24th, 2008 at 2:08 pmPerfect laws for Clark County would be no smoking! Its not right for others who make the right choice, of not smoking to suffer. Our current laws let people smoke at public places! Thats wrong and if they can’t ban smoking they could at least limit area of the smokers! I think that because there are children and elderly who don’t need to be second hand smoking becaus it prevents lung growth, etc. People also shouldn’t smoke in their cars because it can become a somewhat “distraction” and it could hurt the other passenger in the vehiclel. I also think that smokers shouldn’t be able to litter their cigarettes and if thats a law its not followed well. They shouldn’t litter cigarettes because they have harmful ingredients in them and if a child picks it up and puts it in his/hers mouth they could get hurt and maybe die or a dog or any animal could eat it too.
I just find smoking NOT right and it should be banned everywhere.
Smokers are still people; that’s true. But there are other people out there who aren’t trying to turn their lungs coal black too, so, here’s the laws:
1. No smoking in public places where kids can go. This includes hotels because kids walk through there to get to the bowling alleys and movie theaters and restaurants inside them It is up to the public place themselves weather all smoking must be held outside or that all smoking may be held outside or in designated smoking areas set up inside the public place.
2. Smoking while driving is strictly illegial. Trying to use fire while driving is stupid so why would you do it? (yes, people do crazy things but still we’re looking out for your safety here)
I think those should do it, and other than that ,there isn’t much else to say.
Yes, smokers do have rights like every other person in the world but they have to remember while it really isn’t our place to tell them when and where they can smoke, we are trying to protect the children and other people who don’t want to turn their lungs coal black. And, sometimes, when smokers say they NEED cigarette, they don’t care who gets in their way or who breathes in their gross smoke stuff they smoke out. They’re selfish in not caring who’s body gets injured in their smoking thing they like to do for some odd reason. So, yes its not fair to people who smoke but, hey, if you could control yourselves and respect the other people out there, smokers, then we wouldn’t have to make laws telling you when you can and can’t smoke.
November 24th, 2008 at 10:13 pmmrs.powers my out look on smoking is that smokers do have rights. They should be able to smoke anywhere that they want to you know.people should be able to smoke in front of grocery stores. that is just not right that they can’t. i should know because my parents are smokers, and sometimes they want to have a cigarette when we’re grocery shopping but can’t because they can’t smoke in the store and they can’t smoke outside the store.plus some of the places sell cigarettes that is so hypacritical. outlook on all of it. that is my
December 2nd, 2008 at 2:13 pmSometimes, the government does have to step in. It took a law for seatbelts to get put into cars–and, like you said, people drove around without seatbelts and they knew the dangers. However, the government sometimes has to be smarter than people.
September 22nd, 2009 at 6:09 am