More people ejected from SFGAm for smoking.

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Lord Gonchar said: What seems most interesting to me is the way it's moved from a socially acceptable drug (like alcohol, caffeine, aspirin or whatever) to a socially unacceptable drug (cocaine, heroin, marijuana, etc) - smoking are being forced into corners and private places to feed their habits not unlike users of the other socially unacceptable drugs while bars, coffee houses and extensive pharmacutical aisles (and commericals) continue offering more socially acceptable forms of addiction.

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Can't help but take note that NICOTINE doesn't have the stigma....SMOKING does. Weird how the other "unacceptable drugs" you named are considered that way regardless of method of ingestion. But nicotine can be enjoyed in any fashion OTHER than smoking (including the disgusting chewing, LOL) without the user becoming a social pariah.

Makes me wonder about the prospects of Snoop Dogg's lastest invention, the THC patch...LOL! :)

*** Edited 10/18/2007 1:39:52 AM UTC by rollergator***

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Can't help but take note that NICOTINE doesn't have the stigma....SMOKING does.

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That's a very good point.

Not in my neck of the woods, 'gator. Chewing is below smoking on the social "ewww" list.

Oh, it's beyond disgusting. Drive a half-hour outside my town in any direction, and you'll see a LOT of tobacco-chewing. Definitely seems to be a regional thing. But you don't have designated chewing areas....hmmmmm. ;)

Are we really gonna have another twenty page smoking thread?

As a smoker, I agree, Good job SFGAM for doing yours and improving your product.

Chuck

Just what more parks need, a spit fence. :) Maybe they can make a game out of it. Hit the target, win a stuffed animal.

The irony of all this is, while smoking is becoming less fashionable and usage in most groups is down,a bigger addiction seems to be local and state governments for money collected from cigarette taxes and tobacco company settlements.

If everyone stopped smoking, how would we ever pay for all these programs currently supported through cigarette taxes?

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If everyone stopped smoking, how would we ever pay for all these programs currently supported through cigarette taxes?

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:)

Like Lord Gonchar said, I recall some things from my childhood and teenage years and even through my younger adult years pertaining to smoking that are rather amusing now.... (Yeah, but I still do it... shame on me)

In high school,. we had smoking lounges. Some of the "cool" teachers even held class in them (they were outside courtyards with ashtrays) during nice weather. Imagine your local public school providing a place for teens to smoke today!

When I first started driving tour buses, the last 7 seats in each row were smoking seats. Smoking was also permitted in the rear of airplanes. Somewhere around the late 80s, early 90s, the smoking seat was reduced to the very back seat only on our buses (company policy as opposed to law) and smokers had to take turns going to the back seat to puff. Somewhere during the 90s it was banned period.

My car (I bought used) has no ashtrays or lighter. You have to order a "smoking package" from Chrysler (at least you did in the 2000 model year) In contrast, I own a 1963 Chrysler Imperial with lighters in all 3 of the ashtrays... one in the dash and two on either side of the rear seat.

Who remembers the Benson and Hedges TV commercials in the 60s where the man got his long cig stuck in the elevator doors at the office? Smoking was permitted in both offices AND elevators!

I suppose all this means is that I am old..... :(

^Yeah, you mention stuff from the 60's and the oldness factor comes into play for most people here. :)

I can relate to what many of you are saying. In my my school they had a guys and girls bathroom that they had took out all the sinks, toilets, stalls, and urinals. They called it the smoking lavatory. If your parents signed for
permission, and you received an ID card you were allowed to go in there and smoke in between classes, and at lunch time. They did away with them my junior year of high school, and restored them back to working restrooms. After that everyone just went outside in between classes, or in regular bathrooms.

I am with you Gonch I have seen how it has gone from socially acceptable to not so acceptable as time moves on. I remember when I was 16(Yes that's when I started smoking)I could walk into any convenience store, and buy a pack or a carton of cigarettes. Better yet I had friends that lived on the local Army base, and I'd buy a carton there tax free for $13 a carton.

I remember when the malls had ashtrays, and it was the place for teenagers to meet up with their friends to decide what they were going to do for the evening. I understand why cigarettes aren't acceptable anymore, but teenagers around here can't even go in the mall unless they have a parent with them, or if they have a bag with something that they'd bought at one of the stores in the mall.

They also have police substations at all of our local malls, because you know there is so much criminal activity that goes on there that a rent a cop can no longer get the job done. Ok now I am starting to get off topic. ;)

I am lucky that here in PA a lot of restaurants and bars still allow smoking. For how long I don't know. I know they have been trying to do away with it, but many business owners have been fighting it and winning. I think it's just a matter of time where we'll be like the other surrounding states.

I applaud SFGAm for taking their stance, and many of the other Six Flags are doing the same thing. Great Adventure is the one that I know is just as strict. I had seen several people being escorted out on the day I visited early in the season. I did notice that people were smoking at SFA over the weekend in non designated areas without being ejected. It is a park to park thing, and my rule is that I follow the rules because I don't want to be one of those people being escorted out.

The thing I don't like is that some parks have their smoking sections in places that are pretty hard to find. Disney is one that tucks you away out of sight, so you feel like you a 2nd class citizen. I don't like that feeling when I am spending just the same amount of money to be there as joe nonsmoker, but am not treated the same.

Kings Dominion have them easily accessible. It actually didn't bother me at all there this past weekend, and SFA's were pretty much the same way. I don't know why people have to be rebels and test the rules, but they feel the need to do so. Those are the ones that I want to see ejected, and they end up not getting kicked out.

I think the way that parks implement it, and enforce it is where the problems come. I don't like when security will let one person slide, and another they eject without question. From what I could tell at Great Adventure it was anyone that was breaking the rule, and that's how it should be. I am SFGAM is the same way.

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Lord Gonchar said:
I think the complete cultural change reagarding smoking is pretty interesting.

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It has nothing to do with the individual that chooses to smoke. It's the second-hand smoke dangers that's the main issue at hand. I'm a smoker and I know how obnoxious it can be for a non-smoker to inhale a cloud of crap that I just exhaled. There's definitely a very good reason as to why these rules are being enforced. It's a big public health issue.

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What seems most interesting to me is the way it's moved from a socially acceptable drug (like alcohol, caffeine, aspirin or whatever) to a socially unacceptable drug (cocaine, heroin, marijuana, etc) - smoking are being forced into corners and private places to feed their habits not unlike users of the other socially unacceptable drugs while bars, coffee houses and extensive pharmacutical aisles (and commericals) continue offering more socially acceptable forms of addiction.

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Coffee drinkers and bar patrons (unless they're smoking) don't exhale clouds of carbon dioxode and other chemicals into the air for other people to accidentally walk into.

^Us non-smokers been tellin that to people for years!

Well good for you kRaXL... good to see people taking responsibility for their actions :)

For me, it's not even the health thing.. it's just that it gives me such a bad headache to be around. It's like the worst smell anywhere!

What I like about Florida's no-smoking ordinance, is that it has been a state wide across the board system. Back in the Chicago area where I lived, it was based on county, town, village, etc. so you never knew what the law was in the area that you were at , at any given time.

Florida's is simple.

If your establishment made more then 20% profit off of food, you had to be smoke free. Under that, and you could allow smoking.

Simple, easy, and effective.

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Chitown said:What I like about Florida's no-smoking ordinance, is that it has been a state wide across the board system. Back in the Chicago area where I lived, it was based on county, town, village, etc. so you never knew what the law was in the area that you were at , at any given time.Florida's is simple.If your establishment made more then 20% profit off of food, you had to be smoke free. Under that, and you could allow smoking.Simple, easy, and effective.

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And total BS. Heres where I draw the line and OHIO is one of them OFFENDING STATES.

If a buisness owner wants to allow smoking, A NON SMOKER SHOULDN'T be able to tell them what they can and can't do.

As the *TREND* has changed over the years, More than enough restaurants went non smoking vollentarily and were continuing to do so, WITHOUT A LAW!

My favorite restaurant happens to be a TAVERN as well, THE LAW AIN'T stopping nobody but your GOVT sure can make a profit from giving you a ticket. (SOmething law enforcement shouldn't be doing) They should be out catching theives and rapist.

There are hundreds of buisnesses in Ohio going out of Buisness right now due to this law. There are Martini and cigar lounges that people have spent a half million dollars creating that can no longer *SERVE their customers*

Chuck, who just can't imagine no bowling alleys that don't have smoking

^Actually Chuck, the bowling alley that host my leagues has just started a policy where it is smoke-free on Friday and Saturday nights. And this is in Virginia no less!

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Lord Gonchar said:
(although I often wonder why prohibition failed so miserably, but this modern phasing out of smoking seems so widely accepted )

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LG, you're smarter than that. The difference should be obvious. No one *asked* for prohibition. People are *clammoring* for smoking bans. Maybe I should restate that. Today, many smokers themselves see a benefit to quitting/refaining from smoking. Back then, people who drank saw no real reason to quit drinking. Thus, there was extreme pressure to bring back drinking but there is not the same pressure today to uphold smoking.

As for the 'cigarette tax funding', I've always thought that was the most idiotic decision that they could have made. One day it *will* bite many local governments in the arse! (and I cant wait to see it)
lata, jeremy

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Charles Nungester said:
If a buisness owner wants to allow smoking, A NON SMOKER SHOULDN'T be able to tell them what they can and can't do.

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Using that argument, business should be able to get away with a lot of things. There are standards and restrictions that cover alcohol, food, equipment, health, safety, disabilities, and more. If a business owner doesn't want to build a ramp, why should a non-walker be able to tell them what they can or can't do?

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They should be out catching theives and rapist.

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Are you really playing the "should be catching 'real' criminals" card? Because enforcing a no-smoking law contributes to an increase in the violent crime rate? Maybe the police should ignore all crimes that aren't felonies.

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There are hundreds of buisnesses in Ohio going out of Buisness right now due to this law.

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Is that a guess, or is there real data to support that?

Anyway, all that said, I'm actually going to go against the trend in this thread. I think Six Flags is being too heavy-handed with the zero tolerance policy. I don't think a smoking violation, unless they've been warned previously or are otherwise being disorderly, warrants removal from the park. It's too over-the-top.

Six Flags has many other rules as well, including outside food and a dress code. Is everyone OK if they implement a zero-tolerance, immediate ejection policy for someone who pulls out a bottle of non-Six Flags water? If a guy takes off his shirt on a hot day, does security ask him to put it back on, or should they just drag him to the exit?

I can't stand smoking or being around smokers, but even I didn't vote for that stupid law. I understand the health issue, but ultimately I do believe it should be up to the business. Do something like require the separation of smoking and non-smoking areas, sure, but banning it outright doesn't make sense to me.

Interestingly enough, I can't believe how many bars in Northeast Ohio are building year-round outdoor patios with heaters and such.

As for Six Flags, I applaud them for making the policy and sticking to it. Without legislation.

Jeff that is the reason that smoking hasn't been banned in bars in PA. Bar/restaurant owners have been arguing that the revenue they'd lose because of not allowing smoking would be crippling to their business, and could cause some to go out of business altogether. I am pretty sure that is why you are seeing so many bars in Ohio adding patios for places with people to smoke. I noticed that at Wild Wings there in Sandusky. They even have a line drawn on the floor outside the door where smokers have to stand at to be allowed to smoke.

I know a few people that aren't regular smokers, but when they go out to a bar to drink they smoke cigarettes. Business owners know that the potential to lose money by not having a place for people to smoke in their establishment could be damaging to their bottom line, so they do what they can to accommodate.

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Charles Nungester said:

Chuck, who just can't imagine no bowling alleys that don't have smoking

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See, ain't that funny!!?? I have been thinking, geez, I can go bowling now! After Jan. 11, the air will be fresher!

I used to get drunk (and that is NOT an exuse for my alcohol abuse and addiction) to numb the headache I got from being in smoky bars.

As far as catching thieves and rapists... they are amongst them, I wish cops would start policing themselves and taking morality classes... I know, there are good cops out there as well :)

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Coasterfantom2 said:

I know a few people that aren't regular smokers, but when they go out to a bar to drink they smoke cigarettes. Business owners know that the potential to lose money by not having a place for people to smoke in their establishment could be damaging to their bottom line, so they do what they can to accommodate.

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Totally, I hear ya! The exact same thing can be said for any illegal drug out there. And arguably, the illegality of the illegal drugs causes more problems than if they were legal.

So... how bout that Whizzer!?!!! Anyone gonna be at the park tomorrow night?