A Bit of an Anti-Smokers Rant

[numbersix]

Simply raise littering fines and direct the police to ticket them for littering. A few $500 or $1,000 will make most folks cautious about throwing their butts everywhere.

No offense, but I think this is a bad idea.
Seems to me that this is the problem with our country - too much policing. Spit on the sidewalk, pay a fine. Drop a gum wrapper on the ground, pay a fine. Drive without a seatbelt, pay a fine, ride without a helmet, pay a fine, smoke in the park, pay a fine.
Pretty soon everything is illegal.
IMHO, if there is anything that has even a slight chance of changing behavior, it's education and awareness. Short of that, I'd rather deal with the occasional idiot who litters than having every behavior monitored and policed.

 

[juni]

Years ago there were ash trays and garbage cans in parking lots, street corners and at the entrances to buildings.

Good point.

 

[appointed]

Numbersix, no offense taken. Actually I stand corrected and must admit that you're right. "IMHO, if there is anything that has even a slight chance of changing behavior, it's education and awareness. Short of that, I'd rather deal with the occasional idiot who litters than having every behavior monitored and policed". Now I feel rather foolish as the whole make aware and educate is usually my solution to such problems. My belief that education can make a difference is the main reason I'm so into philosophy. I think Tombraider has the right idea. If they would just focus a little bit of all those anti-smoking PSAs into responsible smoking and provide a few more urns, then that would be the right solution. Roadqueen, thank you for being responsible and welcome to the forums.

 

[numbersix]

Numbersix, no offense taken.

Nice response appointed - glad you feel the same.

 

[misterlowercase]

In Japan, JTI (they bought Gallaher's in 2007) came up with an extensive campaign about smokers etiquette, very simple high impact visual prompts meant to invoke thoughtfulness. The Western mind may interpret these things as amusing, but maybe they actually make a stronger psychological impact moreso than the usual tactics. If you do an image search for "japan smoking campaign" you'll see many of these signs in the urban environment, which is interesting. Some of the signs operate on shame or guilt, but ultimately they encourage responsibility.
An index can be seen here:

http://www.jti.co.jp/tobacco-world/torikumi/manners/graphic/index.html
Here are a couple of the more humorous examples:

 

[juni]

:lol:
I don't mind that campaign at all.

 

[metalheadycigarguy]

Simply raise littering fines and direct the police to ticket them for littering. A few $500 or $1,000 will make most folks cautious about throwing their butts everywhere.
No offense, but I think this is a bad idea.
Seems to me that this is the problem with our country - too much policing. Spit on the sidewalk, pay a fine. Drop a gum wrapper on the ground, pay a fine. Drive without a seatbelt, pay a fine, ride without a helmet, pay a fine, smoke in the park, pay a fine.
Pretty soon everything is illegal.
IMHO, if there is anything that has even a slight chance of changing behavior, it's education and awareness. Short of that, I'd rather deal with the occasional idiot who litters than having every behavior monitored and policed.

As someone who knows, Police Officers don't have quotas, because they are free to write as many tickets as they want. However, with the call volume they have most would prefer not to spend their shift writing a bunch of tickets. Officers would much rather educate when they can; however, sometimes the only way to get the message across to a person is to issue a ticket.
As far as someone not wearing a seatbelt or not wearing a helmet on a motorcycle should get a ticket all day long. If you haven't figured out yet that these two things are required when driving/riding then you shouldn't be driving/riding to begin with. It would also have to be the slowest day on the job for an officer to write a ticket for someone smoking in the park, unless the individual has been warned previously. Probably warned more than once as well.

 

[numbersix]

In Japan, JTI (they bought Gallaher's in 2007) came up with an extensive campaign about smokers etiquette, very simple high impact visual prompts meant to invoke thoughtfulness.

This is the way to change behavior IMHO.

As far as someone not wearing a seatbelt or not wearing a helmet on a motorcycle should get a ticket all day long. If you haven't figured out yet that these two things are required when driving/riding then you shouldn't be driving/riding to begin with.

I wasn't implying to disobey existing laws.
What I question are the laws themselves. Personally I am tired of the government dictating behavior. I think it's fine to make behaviors that directly put another in harm's way illegal—but when taken to an extreme, we begin to see our personal freedoms eroding.
FWIW, when I used to ride a motorcycle, I wore a helmet all the time, even in states that didn't require it. For me it's about personal choice plus education and awareness rather than fines or jail.

 

[roadqueen]

What I question are the laws themselves. Personally I am tired of the government dictating behavior. I think it's fine to make behaviors that directly put another in harm's way illegal—but when taken to an extreme, we begin to see our personal freedoms eroding.

+1 :clap:

 

[bphilli75]

Not long ago, I saw a fellow walking into a local fast food joint. He had a pipe clenched in his teeth, and I thought, "cool." You just don't see that very often. Then he hammered out the smoking lump of tobacco and left it in the middle of the sidewalk. I had one of those slow motion, "nnnooooooooooooo..." moments. Speechless.
Cheers,

Bill

 

[zonomo]

I guess now that I am a smoker (albeit the good kind :P ), I am hyper sensitive to others who do things that blow it for everyone else. I know there are considerate cigarette smokers out there too, just as Im sure there are inconsiderate pipe smokers. This is a case of shooting ourselves in the foot.