There is no reason except meanness that business owners cannot be allowed to provide an climate controlled area for their smoking customers. If the workplace must be made safe for the employee, then how will you do that for firemen and police officers and soldiers? If you don't like the risk, don't apply for the job!

I doubt the CNN is as "trustworthy" (i.e. "the most trusted name in news") as they would have us believe. CNN most likely is just a front for the powers that be.

Abortion Policy
Immigration Policy
Same-Sex Marriage
Tax Policy
Iraq War
Economic Issues
Education Issues
Health Care Issues

And if a nationwide smoking ban is instituted, what's next? Obesity has become a national crisis - are we then prepared to outlaw mayonnaise, french fries, and 1000-calorie lattés? Not that I ever consume such products myself - but I oppose a government ban on them! It's a question of individual liberties and personal responsibility - are we looking for a president, or a babysitter?

I also have the feeling that our governments are following a meandering policy with no real goal in mind. No one is describing to us the ideal society that we are working toward. Without a goal in mind, policy is a random activity, like a drunken man, that stumbles first in one direction, then in the other.

For example, should government protect the Global Economy's losers and victims? The winners of the global enterprise game are raking in their billions while complaining about taxes and the cost of health care for kids. Those who are displaced, unable to compete with Chinese and Indian labor, are asked to lower their expectations.

Or should government just say to the unfortunate citizen that life is not fair to all and there is no expectation that government should try to make it so.

Or, should corporations be untaxed and unregulated? This is what the supporters of the new global economy desire. They oppose every tax and every regulation. They suggest that voluntary compliance to an unenforced standard will work when it never has in the past.

Or should we require overseas corporations with whom we do business to pay a good wage and provide health benefits, accepting the fact that the price of goods will go up?

We have no idea what kind of world we are trying to build. We are pretending that it will "evolve" unplanned and unexpected, and that the magical processes of the market will always produce the best possible outcome.

It is sort of like putting the car in drive and falling asleep in the back seat, expecting to wake up parked in the driveway.

Again, Dems propose legislation banning the same thing (tobacco) they want to increase taxes on to fund another initiative (healthcare).

Round and round we go...where we stop...who knows??

Go ahead and kill yourself with cigarettes, just don't poison our air, too.

Also, don't expect us non-smokers to foot the bill for irresponsible people like you when you lay dying in a hospital from lung cancer.

Why would ANYONE be against that???

I'm really starting to think Edwards and Clinton were on to something when they discussed eliminating the 2nd tier candidates.

As for the smoking ban in public places – I'm all for it. Being asthmatic, I can not tolerate smoke without being sent into a coughing fit/asthma attack, which usually ends up with a trip to the hospital. If someone wants to smoke in their home, car, etc., fine. Light yourself on fire for all I care. Just don't force me to breathe those toxins.

These are pretty persuasive statistics on the danger of tobacco use. I'm really glad I quit smoking years ago and I really wish everyone would. If cigarettes cost $100 a pack, cigarette smokers would be breaking into our houses to steal our jewelry so that they could buy cigarettes. If cigarettes were illegal, there would be a flourishing underground market in smuggled coffin nails and rival tobacco gangs would be shooting each other and the cops. Tobacco is a very dangerous drug.

That said, we must acknowledge that the War on Drugs, launched by tricky Dick Nixon 35 years ago is a bigger failure than the war in Iraq. There are a lot more drug smugglers than ever before, whole countries have had their governments subverted by drug cartels, the price of street drugs has gone up, and any 14 year-old kid who wants to try cocaine for the first time can probably find a drug salesperson who will accommodate him within a day of making inquiries.

Our prisons are filled with drug users who are housed at great expense in facilities where drugs are routinely available. If everyone who has tried illegal drugs was caught and tried, most of our population would be in jail.

Our nutty drug laws are written to please the pharmaceutical, tobacco, and alcohol lobbies, who see the two most destructive drugs – alcohol and tobacco – as major sources of income and who view less harmful drugs as potential competitors.

I'm depressed now just thinking about it. I'm going to go take my valium and my effexor.

The "party of the people" doesn't trust the American people to govern themselves at the local or state level so they'll support legislation to do it federally.

Just kick back and relax. They know what's best for us.

Mr. Obama, an ex-drug user and a smoker himself, does not surprise me either.

He's a bad role model for our children and for America