It's no longer considered acceptable in most places for people to smoke in public. In fact, there are specific anti-smoking policies in many counties and cities. Some states have even enacted smoking bans.
No one has been allowed to smoke on plane trips for many years. Now, most restaurants have followed suit.
Much of this is because of health warnings. We see more and more health warnings, as tobacco companies produce anti-smoking ads for TV and the Internet as part of their settlements of lawsuits.
Years ago if someone asked "do you mind if I smoke" they were being polite, it was expected that no one would object. That is no longer the case. Smoking exposes both the smoker and those around the smoker to smoke, and thus can be unhealthy for everyone around. Because of this, asking if it is OK before lighting up is just simple manners.
Our society no longer accepts smoking. If you think on it, recent movie portrayals of smokers use smoking to show a character who is ignorant, evil or desperate.
In many states, smokers can no longer smoke in public places at all. In others, there are laws that mandate how far away a smoker has to be from a building before lighting up.
This can even mean jail time if a smoker in America breaks the law. Fines for breaking smoking laws can lead to fines of hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Even when there are no laws or official rules, smokers need to worry about causing offense and inconvenience.
Smoking is not terribly socially acceptable any more. If you do smoke in a restaurant, you should ask those who are seated to either side if this is OK and respect their wishes. If those at your table have a problem with your smoking, try to arrange the seats so they are not exposed to your smoke.
No comments:
Post a Comment