The children be darned! Tobacco taxes.

[Puckstop31]

It is a tough one.

Not really...

So, if I buy a condo...or rent an apartment. With no smoking. And someone moves in next door who smokes. Whose comforts/expectations prevail?

When we bought our house we were told the rules -- no cars on the street overnight, can only paint the house certain colors, no rvs or boats. It was our choice to buy here or not. And on the other hand -- I sure like the way the neighborhood looks and the property values stay high.

You chose to live in such a community. I am happy that you are happy with your choice.

I could never live that way. Does not make me right nor you wrong.

Re: The smoking thing. If the community rules do not prohibit smoking, the home owners expectations/confort prevails.

But that is the problem with rights and rules - your "right" may break my "rule" and my "rule" may infringe on your "right."

But only if you choose to live in a community that invokes such rules upon itself. If you want to live that way, giver. Just don't try to force other people to live the way you do. It is really, really simple.

[carole]

Blue you are gonna become a lot richer now that you have given up smoking, not only will the wealth be in the bank but in your well being as well,I hope you carry through with it and do it, no matter what the reasons are behind you choosing to give up,good for you and I have been there, done that,and it really is not that hard.,and i was a chain smoker.

[Catty1]

Ironically...any 'laws' to prevent or stop smoking will only result in defiance in many smokers themselves (addicts are notorious for being defiant!) - and I suspect many will still smoke in defiance, to maintain individuality.

Unfortunately, that's like fighting for freedom by banging yourself on the head with a hammer...it will only hurt you.

At the other extreme - if NO one smoked (very hypothetical situation) then other ways of establishing individual freedom would have to be found.

I wonder if the smoking issue and laws could be a whole red herring here...

[Twisterdog]

I've never heard of the no-smoking-in-your-car rule. I would have NOT been happy about that when I smoked, because I always smoked in my car. However, not with my child in the car with me!

As far as the injustice of telling us what we can and cannot do in our own cars ... what's the difference in a no-smoking in the car law and a seat belt law? Or a motorcycle helmet law? Or a child car-seat law?

I would guess that the money saved from not buying cigarettes is going to FAR outweigh ANY increase in taxes, hands down. Even before this latest tax increase, I was spending about $160 per month on cigarettes. That's a lot of money!