I’m not sure how I feel about this, and I’m a non-smoker who hates cigarette (well, any kind of) smoke, and despite getting permanently nose-hit by CoVid, I can still smell cigarette smoke from miles away.
As much as it sounds lovely at first, this is restricting smokers way too much. If, as a European you find it ridiculous that you have to hide your alcohol bottle/flask/can with a paper bag in public in parts of the US, then this is even more restrictive. Apart from the dismissive answers to the question “Where should I smoke now”, the only typical answer is “at home”. Now, if these smokers live together with non-smokers then this is either forcing them to smoke under their nose or find the nearest place where it is allowed (good luck).
On the other hand, fuck yes. It is forbidden in bus/metro stops where I live, but not in the narrow, enclosed passageway leading out of the stop. Therefore, smokers get out of the train, start smoking as soon as they leave the stop (to be honest: right in the stop), and the two slow walkers right in front of me prevent me from overtaking, and the same is true behind me - so I have to inhale that shit while we walk along that long passageway. And not like it was much different on a busy pavement, in outside seating, etc.
If they actually disposed correctly of their cancer-sticks I would prefer to be a ban only on urban areas. But seeing how the entire floor is littered by the paper dildos, I think smokers haven’t shown they can responsibly smoke in non-urban areas. Fuck them.
This reminds me a little bit of judging any kind of social (or ethnic?) group by the loudest ones. You don’t see the decent ones not leaving cig butts. On the other hand, maybe it doesn’t even matter if there are people who still leave them.
But similarly to the prohibition era, I don’t think this will make smokers quit; this will just push the users to smoke/litter in less controlled areas. I hope I’m wrong.
We mock the USA paper bag because it works, and everyone knows what’s happening.
