Reply #90: I see the harder discussion....

[CarbonDate]

...regarding nicotine addiction has really taken off. No, so much better to discuss business owners' rights v. prejudice against nicotine addicts. </sarcasm>

Several points have been raised regarding personal choice, such as the employees who are subjected to cigarette smoke, the patrons who are subjected to the smoke (I've no sympathy for the patrons, since they can simply leave if they don't like the smoke), and the business owners who either wish to accomodate smokers or do not, but I see little to no discussion regarding the "personal choice" (or lack thereof) of nicotine addicts.

FACT: Nicotine is more addictive than cocaine, heroin, or alcohol. Cocaine and heroin addicts and alcoholics all go through extensive rehabilitation programs to beat their addictions. What kind of rehabilitation program is recommended for nicotine addicts? Slap a patch on your arm that feeds you more nicotine to try to wean yourself off of it. Totally inadequate, IMHO, and the statistics back me up: 7% of smokers who try to quit do so successfully. The other 93% of us are more or less doomed to struggle with this addiction for the rest of our lives.

Addiction isn't something that can just be beaten by willpower; it requires a strong support system. Right now, I see the same sort of compassion coming from the anti-smoking crowd for addicts that I see coming from the smoking crowd for non-smokers: "Deal with it; it's your problem, not mine."

To the anti-smoking crowd, I will say this: we will continue to make it your problem until you help us instead of just raising the price of cigarettes and banning smoking in public places. Take a look at how much badgering us has curbed the practice of smoking and ask yourself if there maybe isn't a better way.