Turkey went smoke-free last week with a ban in bars, cafes and restaurants, joining a long line of countries that have seen the light and banned smoking in workplaces, including bars and restaurants.
Turkey has one of the highest smoking rates in the world, and it ranks 10th in the world in tobacco consumption. It’s estimated that up to 48 percent of Turkish men smoke, more than double the rate in the U.S.
Bar and restaurant owners in Turkey made the same baseless claim they are trying to make in the U.S. that a ban will hurt business. There is zero proof of that, and the many places that have banned deadly secondhand smoke bear the fact out that it does not hurt business. Despite the high rate of smoking, a survey carried out by Quirk Global Strategies last month among 600 people projected that 95 percent of Turks are behind the ban.
In the United States, 37 states have a workplace smoking ban. Unfortunately, Michigan is one of the 13 states that do not protect people from the dangers of deadly secondhand smoke.
Turkey joins a long list of countries that have banned smoking in workplaces, including bars and restaurants. Those countries include Argentina, Belgium, China, Croatia, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Malaysia, Montenegro, Mozambique, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Scotland, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Uganda, Wales, Uruguay and Zambia
That list does not include Australia, Canada and Germany that allows states and providences to enact individual bans, and the majority has done so.
Call Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop and tell him to allow a vote on a bill to ban smoking in all workplaces, including bars and restaurants.
15 comments:
Michigan Republicans are in the dark ages. I am seriously worried they have lost their collective minds.
Smoking and second hand smokes kills. There is no doubt, no other view, it kills.
Smoking should be banned in public places, period.
What a bunch of babble. I'm waiting to see the "success" on youtube, not on major media propaganda.
Bluzie, why do you criticize only the Repubicans? If secondhand smoke is really deadly, then House Democrats are willing to sacrifice the health of casino workers. The fact that you want to make this so political makes me wonder about the real agenda behind this push.
And, really, in what world is there a valid opinion survey where 95 percent of the people agree on something? That result smacks of manipulation.
Before you attack me, realize that I really don't care if they ban smoking in bars and restaurants. I just don't like the power plays and untrue arguments used to justify it.
In my opinion, the ONLY reason to ban it is for the health of the employees on the grounds that they shouldn't have to choose between employment and their health. Which is why the Democrats' position on the casino exemption is so two-faced.
As for customers, they can vote with their pocketbook. And if it's true that the overwhelming majority want the ban...and if it's true that business won't suffer if there is a ban...then it's pretty clear that the market would dictate the results.
The exception, as I say, is employees. And if the Democrats have their way, it's no big deal if casino workers get lung cancer.
“I'm waiting to see the "success" on youtube, not on major media propaganda.” What the hell does that mean?
That is such an easy one that I’ll answer it; again. Apparently, after explaining this to you about 100 times you are just not getting it. She criticizes only the Republicans because they are holding up a bill that has bipartisan support. More accurately, the Senate Republican “leadership” is holding the ban back from becoming law. When Bishop finally allowed a vote, it passed easily with bipartisan support, but he assigned two of the three members of the conference committee to work out the differences between the House passed version and the Senate version who sabotaged it. In contrast, the House leadership allowed a vote on both versions, and it assigned people to the conference committee who negotiated in good faith.
This session, Bishop will not even allow a vote despite widespread popular support, and the House already passed a version with exceptions for casinos. As for the lie that “House Democrats are willing to sacrifice the health of casino workers” the fact is, like I have explained to you numerous times, that Detroit House members are buying into the same false propaganda you and other opponents have been pushing that a smoking ban will hurt business and cost jobs in a city where unexplained is twice as high as the rest of the state. It’s simply not true.
“In what world is there a valid opinion survey where 95 percent of the people agree on something?” Apparently, Turkey. It’s right there in the Sydney Morning Herald. I didn’t make it up. Take it up with them.
What untrue arguments are being used to justify it?
I don't agree with the Casino decision. I don't think we should have smoking in the workplace or any public building.
Bluzie...well said. Since you try to be rational, you might want to ask guru not to speak for you. You do well by yourself.
But you didn't explain why you played the political card so blatantly. Given your well-stated position on the casinos, why do you only criticize Republicans?
Funny, I notice you can never refute my argument, brett. There is no way anyone can call what you do rational, brett. Besides, I wasn’t speaking for her; I was just refuting your lies, once again.
Guru, the major news media will spoon feed propaganda to the public denying any resistance. As with Iraq, the real story that they want to suppress will be on youtube.
Oh, so the “major news media” is lying. So, does that mean Turkey didn’t ban smoking in public places? Are you really trying to make the claim that we do not have a free press in the U.S.? Does that also mean the U.S. Surgeon General and the EPA are lying? When the facts are not on your side and you can’t dispute the facts, this is what you're left with: attack the media. Sorry and lame are the words that describe your argument.
I don't base my opinions on what happened with casino smoking. Let's pass this bill and then address casino smoking.
I do not understand the senate republicans and I doubt I ever will.
I have found when Republicans are confronted with facts, they will lie to dismiss the facts. Such as in climate protection.
We need a two party system, but they are so pathetic I don't know if they can win a national election anymore.
Times change, bluzie. There was a time when the Democratic Party seemed on its heels.
I think at the moment that you are right about the fate of a national Republican Party. It seems to be drawing a tighter and tighter circle, and is unattractive or, worse, irrelevant, to younger people (under 40), many of whom are unmoved by Republican "social" scare tactics. By that, for instance, I mean many of the younger crowd are either fine with having gay friends or don't think about it very much.
At the end of last year's election, Palin made a telling remark when she talked about being among "real Americans" or "Americans like us" or whatever. It was code for small towns, older, whites. I don't think she was accurate as I know many people in that group who don't share her social positions. But, whatever, that's an increasingly dwindling cohort. Depending on those voters at the expense of others will spell long periods of defeat for Republicans.
And that worries me...not because of my political beliefs. But because either party, unchecked, is not usually a good thing for the country.
Well times do change and a political party that is openly against the policies that will affect so many people in a positive way, is a party that has lost it's relevance to the majority of people. You can't be against gays, women, minorities all in the name of Christianity and even make too much sense to fellow Republicans, let alone those who are just beginning to become voters.
They say they are for freedom, but freedom for whom, old white bigots?
Micheal Steele is a joke, and the Republican views on health care will end up being the Republican Waterloo, not the Democrats.
They better begin to build plans that make sense to the average person.
Denying the effects of second hand smoke is like denying the Holocaust. Time for Repukes to wake up.
Also, Repukes are clueless, because they believe that the school choice program in DC worked. It didn't. You can't trust single black parents to make a good choice about schooling for their kids - school choice is nothing short of an unmitigated disaster.
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