CA city bans ALL smoking

[aries]

Everywhere except inside a single-family home. No apartments, no sidewalks, no parks, no restaurants or bars (CA already had that), no dorm rooms, no nothing. Not even your own back yard. The only thing protecting your home is the "right to privacy."

I'm 100% certain that by 2010 we will see one locality or state become the first place in the entire world where tobacco is banned. The highest restriction is Japan where the smoking age is 20 and the highest per capita smoking in the 1st world. And longevity 

Belmont is set to make history by becoming the first city in the nation to ban smoking on its streets and almost everywhere else.

The Belmont City Council voted unanimously last night to pursue a strict law that will prohibit smoking anywhere in the city except for single-family detached residences. Smoking on the street, in a park and even in one's car will become illegal and police would have the option of handing out tickets if they catch someone.

The actual language of the law still needs to be drafted and will likely come back to the council either in December or early next year.

"We have a tremendous opportunity here. We need to pass as stringent a law as we can, I would like to make it illegal," said Councilman Dave Warden. "What if every city did this, image how many lives would be saved? If we can do one little thing here at this level it will matter."

Armed with growing evidence that second-hand smoke causes negative health effects, the council chose to pursue the strictest law possible and deal with any legal challenges later. Last month, the council said it wanted to pursue a law similar to ones passed in Dublin and the Southern California city of Calabasas. It took up the cause after a citizen at a senior living facility requested smoke be declared a public nuisance, allowing him to sue neighbors who smoke.

The council was concerned about people smoking in multi-unit residences.

"I would just like to say 'no smoking' and see what happens and if they do smoke, [someone] has the right to have the police come and give them a ticket," said Councilwoman Coralin Feierbach.

The council's decision garnered applause from about 15 people who showed up in support of the ordinance. One woman stood up and blew kisses to the council, another pumped his fist with satisfaction.

"I'm astounded. I admire their courage and unanimous support," said Serena Chen, policy director of the American Lung Association of California.

Chen has worked in this area since 1991 and helped many cities and counties pass no smoking policies, but not one has been willing to draft a complete ban.

"I feel like the revolution is taking place and I am trying to catch up," Chen told the council.

The decision puts Belmont on the forefront of smoking policy and it is already attracting attention from other states.

"You have the ability to do something a little more extraordinary than Dublin or Calabasas. I see what they've done as five or six on the Richter Scale. What the citizens of Belmont, and of America, need is five brave people to do something that's a seven or eight on the Richter Scale," said Philip Henry Jarosz of the Condominium Council of Maui.

"The whole state of Hawaii is watching" he said.

Councilman Warren Lieberman said he was concerned the city will pass a law it cannot enforce because residents will still smoke unless police are specifically called to a situation. Police cannot go out and enforce smoking rules, he said.

"It makes us hypocrites by saying you know you can break the law if no one is watching," Lieberman said.

However, both Feierbach and Warden argued it is the same as jaywalking, having a barking dog or going 10 miles over the speed limit. All are illegal, but seldom enforced.

"You can't walk down the street with a beer, but you can have a cigarette," Warden said. "You shouldn't be allowed to do that. I just think it shouldn't be allowed anywhere except in someone's house. If you want to do that, that's fine."

[mvpel]

If this goes through, I'd expect a judicial smackdown.  California courts are bad, but I don't think they're quite that bad just yet as to ignore this travesty.

[burnthebeautiful]

I don't think it'll be more than a few years before a city, in all likelihood a city in California, makes selling tobacco illegal. I think it'll be a good while before possession is banned, but I don't think a law making it illegal to sell tobacco products within city limits if far off at all. I predict 3 years before a town somewhere passes that.

Oh and "Revolution"?? What revolution? The 'ban anything that's fun' revolution? The 'Fine people who do anything dangerous' revolution? The 'violate everybodies property rights' revolution?

[Dreepa]

Sounds like the FSP should recruit in that town.. .maybe there are some liberty lovers.
If it passes there... other towns will pass it too.

[d_goddard]

Holy shit, I'll be in Belmont (well, Redwood Shores, a few hundred yards away) the first 2 weeks of December.
I've contacted the chair of the LP San Mateo (where Belmont is located) to see if they are having a meeting during that time. If they are, I'll request a speaker slot; if not, I'll request an informal dinner meeting anyway.

[aries]

I don't think it'll be more than a few years before a city, in all likelihood a city in California, makes selling tobacco illegal. I think it'll be a good while before possession is banned, but I don't think a law making it illegal to sell tobacco products within city limits if far off at all. I predict 3 years before a town somewhere passes that.

Oh and "Revolution"?? What revolution? The 'ban anything that's fun' revolution? The 'Fine people who do anything dangerous' revolution? The 'violate everybodies property rights' revolution?

It's already been done with alcohol in many cities.

I am fairly cerain that there is no place in the entire world where tobacco is verboten.
I know in some places it has still failed to enter common usage such as continental africa.

[aries]

Holy shit, I'll be in Belmont (well, Redwood Shores, a few hundred yards away) the first 2 weeks of December.
I've contacted the chair of the LP San Mateo (where Belmont is located) to see if they are having a meeting during that time. If they are, I'll request a speaker slot; if not, I'll request an informal dinner meeting anyway.

I'd strut around town with a big pipe! The most comfortable means of civ dis

[d_goddard]

Holy shit, I'll be in Belmont (well, Redwood Shores, a few hundred yards away) the first 2 weeks of December.
I've contacted the chair of the LP San Mateo (where Belmont is located) to see if they are having a meeting during that time. If they are, I'll request a speaker slot; if not, I'll request an informal dinner meeting anyway.

I'd strut around town with a big pipe! The most comfortable means of civ dis

I refuse to smoke tobacco. It is an extremely dangerous drug, which I will not use under any circumstances.

What I will do is bring my .MP3s of what the NH Senate said about smoking bans, and point out that the majority of them are still in office, even after the Nov 7th "Democratic sweep".

[Dreepa]

Holy shit, I'll be in Belmont (well, Redwood Shores, a few hundred yards away) the first 2 weeks of December.
I've contacted the chair of the LP San Mateo (where Belmont is located) to see if they are having a meeting during that time. If they are, I'll request a speaker slot; if not, I'll request an informal dinner meeting anyway.

yeah I am going to see if I can go there as well... there is a great little burrito place not far from the Emerald City.

[burnthebeautiful]

I don't think it'll be more than a few years before a city, in all likelihood a city in California, makes selling tobacco illegal. I think it'll be a good while before possession is banned, but I don't think a law making it illegal to sell tobacco products within city limits if far off at all. I predict 3 years before a town somewhere passes that.

Oh and "Revolution"?? What revolution? The 'ban anything that's fun' revolution? The 'Fine people who do anything dangerous' revolution? The 'violate everybodies property rights' revolution?

It's already been done with alcohol in many cities.

I am fairly cerain that there is no place in the entire world where tobacco is verboten.
I know in some places it has still failed to enter common usage such as continental africa.

In the south-asian country of Bhutan, the sale and smoking of tobacco is illegal.

[d_goddard]

Holy shit, I'll be in Belmont (well, Redwood Shores, a few hundred yards away) the first 2 weeks of December.
I've contacted the chair of the LP San Mateo (where Belmont is located) to see if they are having a meeting during that time. If they are, I'll request a speaker slot; if not, I'll request an informal dinner meeting anyway.

yeah I am going to see if I can go there as well... there is a great little burrito place not far from the Emerald City.

Hey there is also an LPSF Saturday the 9th I will be at. It would totally rock if we can both be at both meetings.
We can totally get a few F1Ks out of it I bet!
Email me...

[Dreepa]

Hey there is also an LPSF Saturday the 9th I will be at. It would totally rock if we can both be at both meetings.
We can totally get a few F1Ks out of it I bet!
Email me...

I come back on 12/4

[aries]

In the south-asian country of Bhutan, the sale and smoking of tobacco is illegal.

Wow, I didnt know that.

I wonder if they circumvent it by selling dry bulk tobacco and rolling papers, or simply rolling tobacco.

It's actually not that uncommon to see people roll a cigarette. Well, it is uncommon, but I have seen it several times.

[d_goddard]

Hey there is also an LPSF Saturday the 9th I will be at. It would totally rock if we can both be at both meetings.
We can totally get a few F1Ks out of it I bet!
Email me...

I come back on 12/4

Shite!
LP SF meets 12/9; LP SM (where Belmont is) appears to meet 12/14
I'll post the results while I'm out there.

[burnthebeautiful]

In the south-asian country of Bhutan, the sale and smoking of tobacco is illegal.

Wow, I didnt know that.

I wonder if they circumvent it by selling dry bulk tobacco and rolling papers, or simply rolling tobacco.

It's actually not that uncommon to see people roll a cigarette. Well, it is uncommon, but I have seen it several times.

It's still legal to possess tobacco that you've imported (a 100% import tax is added), you just can't legally sell or smoke it within the country. I guess you can still chew it. Interesting approach to prohibition, I guess it wouldn't work with marijuana cause people wanting to follow the law would just make brownies.

In Sweden it's relatively common for people to roll/make their own cigarettes. The tax on "packaged" tobacco (ie cigarettes and cigars) is somewhat higher than the tax on what they call "loose" tobacco, ie just tobacco in a tin or a pouch. Coupled with it costing less to just put tobacco in a tin compared to manufacturing individual cigarettes, you can save some cash buying loose tobacco and rolling the cigarettes yourself. You don't save very much though so generally the people who do this are cheap and/or poor. Loose tobacco is also for people who smoke pipes.

People here, rather than roll the cigarettes with their hands usually buy a little cigarette-maker thing. There are some different versions that work in different ways, but what they have in common is you put the paper somewhere, the tobacco somewhere else, do some kind of a doohicky with the device and you have yourself a homemade cigarette.