Don't babysit people's lives.

This is a long overdue rantfest over the new proposed laws to ban smoking in clubs and bars by July 2006. Right now there is a partial ban ( starting from 4th July 2005 ) where only 25% of the venue's floorspace can be allocated as smoking areas.

This is fucking rubbish.

I go to bars and clubs to chill out, wind down after work, to relax with a few drinks and ciggarettes. The vast majority of people who are regular to the night scene share the same view.
Don't argue that its unhealthy and it should be banned to stop people from smoking. It is up to the individuals choice. Don't fucking give me the "holier than thou" attitude and decide for "my own good". Rock fishing is one of the worlds most dangerous sports. Lets ban that too.

All you non-smokers out there who are rejoicing and basically saying "tough luck" to people like me don't seem to realise that this is above just banning smoking.
Yes I am a smoker, and it personally affects me so I'm bitter, but thats not why I'm ranting about this issue.

Its about choice. Right now, there is a choice. Before there were smoking venues and non-smoking venues. Even now after the new laws, at all venues there are smoking areas and non-smoking areas. They plan to ban smoking indoors, period. Just because you don't agree on my lifestyle don't force me to adopt yours. Yes its unhealthy, yes studies show it affects others passively, but you have a choice to stay in non-smoking areas. Idiots claim that although there are allocated non-smoking areas and venues, the majority of people are at the smoking places, so therefore they are "forced" into joining.

This is like going to a party, where you have a group of 10 friends that like to drink, but three of them don't drink. The three friends want to come to the party as well, but they don't like being around people that drink heavily and fool around. So they bitch and whine and they get their way, to stop the eight others from drinking.
How unfair and selfish is that?
You might argue that the example of 7/10 is warped, as the majority of Australians are non-smokers ( approx 30% Australians are smokers, but that number is declining ). This is true but the majority of the night scene regulars are smokers. A survey by the Australian Hotels Association shows there already has been a downturn of trade by 20%. 88% said that they'll consider a staff reduction. ( "Smokers feel the squeeze"- Smh.com.au 20 July 2005 )

I'll give another example of what I mean when I say the majority overall are not necessarily the majority in each circumstance. Parks and beaches all over the state more and more rules applied each year because of whiners. No rollerblades, no skateboards, no ball games, no alcohol, no frisbees, no pets, no bicycles... the list goes on. The majority of people that actually regularly go to the beach or park either enjoy these things or have no problem with the stray frisbee or people with dogs running around. But its the people that don't go to these things often that will bitch and cry because they want to sit there in their own perfect little world.

Those rules don't personally affect me, but I am still against them. I do not believe that just because I don't necessarily like footballs kicked around near me while I'm at a park or beach, I am going ban these activities.

Australia is becoming a great big nanny state where the government conforms to whatever issue people whine about. Its simply swinging whichever way they think will get them the most brownie points. Just look at all the rules and regulations that are creeping into every aspect of life. It won't be long until it affects your life too.

One of my greatest concerns are if you apply the ban to certain things that people may not like you are inviting a whole new series of regulations into consideration. Recently there was an article in the Sydney Morning Herald that said research shows that the music played in clubs are too loud, risking damage to the patron's hearing. They want to limit the volume of all music played in bars and clubs in NSW too. Hope you're all satisfied.

If this attitude keeps up, Australia'll become the new Singapore. Oral sex and bubblegum are illegal there too.

Whiners and bitches rejoice.
-