Avoid inhaling cigarette smoke?

Rorschach on 03/07/2014 - 17:19
Last edited 07/07/2014 - 10:49

Hey guys,

Any tips on avoiding cigarette smoke in public?

New to Australia, realizing that smoking in public is allowed. Especially down here in Sydney, where I'm visiting the missus for a bit.

It's impossible to walk anywhere without having anyone nearby lighting up a cig. I get that it might provide some relief to the chilly weather. However, inhaling even a bit of it gives me a headache, which tends to get worse with every whiff.

A face mask, perhaps (and have the general public mock me!) ? Burying my face in a handkerchief?

EDIT: For the incredulous few who wonder where I'm from :)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_smoking_bans#Smoking_ba…
http://www.epha.org/a/1941

General Discussion

Comments

      • juventino on 06/07/2014 - 23:29
        +1

        people neg for no reasons here.

        I've seen those articles but I question some of the findings,at least based on my own observations.

        *Cigarettes are not more addictive than other substances, they are just cheaper,thus making it more accessible.

        *Less educated people tend to smoke MORE quantities of cigarettes. More educated people tend to smoke better or more expensive ciggies.

        • lplau on 06/07/2014 - 23:40

          Lol, It Ciggies are cheaper because they are more readily available and legal.

          If you make any other drug readily available and legal, you will see the price drop immediately.

          You are only paying more money for illicit drugs because it is illegal therefore the cost of the the seller's risk goes up, which means the drugs become more expensive. If the sellers risk is 0 e.g. it has become legal, then the cost of the drugs will go down due to it being more readily available and competition will drive the price down.

          I have never really understood why Cigarettes is legal, as it is technically classified as a drug, which can obviously cause very serious injuries such as cancer. Where as plenty of other drugs such as LSD, Ice, Meth etc causes injuries too, so why are they banned but Cigarettes aren't?

          Yes the other drugs cause other injuries such as overdoses and what not, I guess Cigarettes is OK because it doesn't cause overdoses and deaths. But in the long run it does cause cancer which also results in death.

          Basically if the major Cigarettes vendors aren't the ones lining the pockets of the politicians then we would also see Cigarettes being banned.

        • juventino on 07/07/2014 - 11:41

          @lplau:

          which is why the study touting cigarettes as being more addictive is just plain wrong by not considering the accessibility of other substances to general public.

    • MelC on 07/07/2014 - 18:29

      what is the personal, social or medicinal benefit of alcohol vs nicotine? I believe nicotine has been found to improve concentration, which I believe to be a personal benefit. I think consuming it via burning tobacco along with the associated chemicals can be questioned, but nicotine alone is quite another thing. And how is the alcohol industry of cultural value to Australia vs the tobacco industry???

      • Ozybargdias on 08/07/2014 - 18:16

        There is some evidence that nicotine may enhance working memory and concentration, which isn't at all out of ordinary for a stimulant drug. However, the highly addictive nature of the drug coupled with the tendency of nicotine withdrawal to have profound adverse affects on memory and concentration would generally render any therapeutic affects useless.

        And try asking around the Barossa Valley what cultural value alcohol has to Australia and I'm sure you'll soon find an answer. Our beer, spirits and especially our wine are world renowned goods - and when consumed occasionally and responsibly are next to harmless.

  • CHIEFMEGADETH on 06/07/2014 - 15:22
    -6

    You can tell a smoker on ozbargain… They try and mock you and make fun of you..
    Smoking is a drug and like any drug,they will do anything for that hit.
    Just like crack, heroin,pot
    They will smoke in front of children, old people, who ever it is they do not care. Disgusting habit. Waiting for the day smoking gets banned.
    If they want to be stupid idiots and inhaling poison, then the rest of the world should not have to deal with their stupidity.

    • alittlelewd on 06/07/2014 - 16:14
      +3

      "You can tell a smoker on ozbargain… They try and mock you and make fun of you.."
      …
      "If they want to be stupid idiots and inhaling poison, then the rest of the world should not have to deal with their stupidity."

      Bahahahahhahahah!

      It's always hilarious to see such an overt display hypocrisy. Kudos on that. Just don't hit yourself in the face with the pie so hard next time, subtly works better.

      http://thepipesmoker.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/personas-ei…

      "Einstein loved to smoke. As he walked between his house and his office at Princeton, one could often see him followed by a trail of smoke. Nearly as part of his image as his wild hair and baggy clothes was Einstein clutching his trusty briar pipe. In 1950, Einstein is noted as saying, "I believe that pipe smoking contributes to a somewhat calm and objective judgment in all human affairs," Although he favored pipes, Einstein was not one to turn down a cigar or even a cigarette."
      http://history1900s.about.com/od/people/a/Einstein10.htm

      Stupid smokers hey? By the 40's the dangers of smoking were well known within the scientific community, public smoking had even been banned within Nazi Germany as a result. Yet arguably the smartest man to ever live chose to smoke. I'm sure he would have been a considerate smoker though.
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-tobacco_movement_in_Nazi_G…

      • CHIEFMEGADETH on 06/07/2014 - 16:49
        -3

        Your stupidity made me laugh haha.
        try again

      • Ozybargdias on 06/07/2014 - 16:52

        That's a very weak argument against banning smoking - just because Nazi Germany committed terrible atrocities doesn't mean that every single thing they did was automatically wrong.

        See:
        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_welfare_in_Nazi_Germany

        • alittlelewd on 06/07/2014 - 16:57

          I didn't say it as an argument for or against in that context.

          I'm just saying that by the 40's the dangers were well known, and that because they were well known - Nazi Germany decided to ban smoking outdoors. Yet scientific members continued to smoke, so it's not a new age argument that smoking is bad for you and that's the reason to ban it in public places.

          One society chose to ban it in the past, and they weren't exactly champions of freedom were they? - Now just that sentance I used the Nazi Germany smoking laws for one side of the argument :)

        • Baghern on 06/07/2014 - 17:00
          -2

          @alittlelewd:

          its called an addiction

  • aoeueoa on 06/07/2014 - 17:06
    +4

    Was born in Sydney. Never been in a situation where I couldn't avoid smoke. You can always leave the area, walk a different path, punch the guy in the face etc.

  • nicksinternet on 06/07/2014 - 19:47
    -4

    Pisses me off all the people who go on about freedom and how its just as much a smokers right to freedom to smoke. Yes, in their house, not in public! The second it infringes on someone else's right to freedom then its an infringement on someone else's human rights. I don't think there are any non smokers who have been able to avoid public smoking.

    • nicksinternet on 07/07/2014 - 21:46

      negged by filthy low IQ smokers. They stink, literally.

  • singlemalt72 on 06/07/2014 - 21:32
    +1

    Interested in where you come from that doesn't allow smoking in public!

    • SirFlibbled on 06/07/2014 - 22:14
      +1

      Almost no country bans smoking outdoors on the streets etc. Only of the following:

      Bahrain
      Bhutan
      Mauritius
      Morocco
      Montenegro
      Nepal
      Peru
      Qatar
      Serbia
      South Korea
      Uganda
      Wales

      I've probably missed some. There's clearly a few but not very many countries which do this.

      • nicksinternet on 07/07/2014 - 07:11
        • Singapore.

        I bet none of these countries have filthy cigarette butts all over the ground in their cities also.

        • SirFlibbled on 07/07/2014 - 16:57

          It isn't an illegal to smoke in public places in Singapore (ie on the streets). Unless that's changed in the last year.

      • SavatteDodo on 07/07/2014 - 07:19
        +1

        Mauritius - you're allowed to smoke outside, but have to be walking. Not allowed to stand still and smoke. But smoking at public beaches ares allowed.

    • lplau on 07/07/2014 - 11:52
      -1

      You are allowed to smoke public, doesn't mean you should smoke in public.
      You should respect the people around you, its bad enough poisoining yourself but poisoning everybody who walks past you is pure inconsiderate and rude.

      I'm sure there is smokers on here who will disagree, since they feel they are entitled to smoke where ever they want, and when ever they want.

  • captobvious on 06/07/2014 - 22:22
    +5

    I dont smoke but my neighbour is a 2 pack a day guy and his lung exhaust floats into my place and stinks it out i also have a toddler. Ive asked him nicely if he could do something about it and he basically told me to go jump so when the wind started going the other direction i decided to out of spite to start drying raw fish and also for kicks sparked up that indonesian cig gudang garam and smashed open some pungent duran. Majority of people cant stand the smell. Thats some punishment for inconsiderate smokers. Lets just say my neighbour and i now have an agreement and smoke is no longer an issue

    Otherwise the only thing you can domis wear a ww2 mustard gas mask as you walk past

    • rhazz on 08/07/2014 - 00:56

      Very creative problem solving! :)
      I wouldn't have minded the durian so much myself.. tasty goodness! but the other stuff!

  • lplau on 06/07/2014 - 23:44
    +2

    IMO smoking on the streets is just part of our culture and how we were bought up.
    The lack of courtesy towards others is a trait of many countries (including Australia).

    If there were so many smoking rooms built in the streets of Australia, I highly doubt anybody would use them as they lack the courtesy use them. They would use the excuse "Oh its too inconvenient".

    I've seen countries (there isn't many) which the culture was built around "Courtesy" and "Respect", there would be smoking rooms everywhere, and people would actually use them, you would rarely see people smoking on the streets.

    • alittlelewd on 07/07/2014 - 18:44
      +1

      It's not about a lack of courtesy being part of Australian culture (I find it racist you actually said that, but that's a different story). It's about common decency of individuals.

      A smoker who sits on a bench next to a family and lights up a cigarette is an inconsiderate tool.

      A non smoker who goes out of their way to walk up to a someone with a lit cigarette to start coughing and saying how smoking is bad with no one around them is an inconsiderate tool.

      A smoker who goes out of their way to minimise the smell of their smoke from those around them in a considerate person.

      A non smoker who doesn't go out of their way to start making coughing gestures and lecturing others on smoking is a considerate person.

  • Aquilius on 07/07/2014 - 14:38
    +2

    oh lord i never use this expression because generally its stupid, but in this case i will, 'man up'.

    A little second hand smoke is a problem every now and then? really? god the city's traffic pollution would do more damage to you…

    I do not personally smoke btw.

    • Rorschach on 07/07/2014 - 15:17
      -4

      It is generally stupid.
      And "really?" to you too, good sir! 'Manning up' means putting up with something your body does not allow you to?
      Excuse me while I scour FB for my 4th grade English teacher :P
      I never did like her!

      • Aquilius on 07/07/2014 - 15:26

        I understand condensed smoke inside might do tangible damage, but on the street etc, no.

        Any (very minor) damage that is caused would be quickly repaired. I am too lazy to footnote this with relevant sources, but it is true. Thus I find the premise of this post ridiculous. I think maybe you are trolling for fun, sanstorm…

        On another note, I don't recommend those masks they do indeed make people look ridiculous, in this country at least. Unless you are on a motor-bike… Then it looks like you are a courier, and therefore its acceptable.

        Avoiding occasional second hand smoke is almost impossible in this country, and honestly I think i only have to deal with it once every week, which is not very often at all. There are bigger health issues to worry about, not that I do personally but each to their own.

        • Rorschach on 07/07/2014 - 15:52
          -2

          Dear Mr. Aquilius,

          My footnotes and sources as made in the original question (edited in much before your response) does point out that public smoking is banned in numerous countries. This law has been enforced no doubt, due to SOME reason. Be it health, or something else.
          The fact that you find my headaches ridiculous is your opinion, which you are entitled to, and this post is merely a way of expressing mine.

          I was looking for suggestions, and perhaps create an awareness that people are in fact affected by cigarette smoke. Saying it does not cause 'tangible damage' is in no way helping out.

          And if using humor to respond to your rather insensitive comment was "trolling", so be it :)

          PS: The negs don't rob me of internet points, do they!?

          PPS: Looks like you edited your reply while I was typing this out, I'm too lazy to rephrase mine.

        • Aquilius on 07/07/2014 - 16:13
          +5

          @sanstorm:

          (I did not neg you btw)

          Yes I know it is banned in some countries but none of those countries are advanced western nations, none of them are exactly bastions of freedom, many have repressive governments. Wales is the only stand out, but it is not even a country. So I don't think its that important… alcohol is illegal in some countries, so we should not drink here?!

          Your headaches are most likely a coincidence or imagined, it is highly unlikely a small amount of smoke caused them.

          PS: I believe I mostly just added a paragraph with my edit, perhaps I also corrected a mistake dunno.

        • heatseeker424 on 08/07/2014 - 03:38

          @Aquilius: Not that I have anything to add re: smoking but technically Wales is a country. It just happens to also be part of the United Kingdom which is also defined as a country. The UK is sometimes reffered to as a "Country of Countries".

  • kent08 on 07/07/2014 - 16:09
    -4

    I hate smokers, weak willed people polluting the air around me.

    • Aquilius on 07/07/2014 - 16:19
      +2

      most people are weak willed, smokers or not, does that mean you hate all weak willed people?

  • Sevo on 07/07/2014 - 21:47

    Carry around a spray bottle full of water…

    http://img.4plebs.org/boards/pol/image/1387/07/1387078553418…

  • johnno07 on 07/07/2014 - 21:59

    I'm a hold my breath and move past quickly kind of guy. I seriously f**king hate smoking. I just don't understand why people do it. It's not cool, it smells disgusting when you're doing it and makes you smell disgusting when you're not doing it, pretty much everyone who doesn't do it - hates it, it's as expensive as all hell, oh and the clincher - it kills you - slowly and painfully. Sounds like a rad habit.

    • heatseeker424 on 08/07/2014 - 03:42

      I just don't understand why people do it.

      While I agree with all your points regarding the negatives, I casually (<3 a month) smoke because I like the feeling and the taste and I assume this is why most people do it.

  • BuyoTheCat on 08/07/2014 - 08:56
    +5

    One of my biggest peeve is people who just throw their cigarette butts on the ground. Once I picked one up and gave it back the person. "I think you dropped this"

    Another time someone threw their butt of out their car and I threw it back in.

    • Baghern on 08/07/2014 - 09:31

      Something I find hilarious is the excuse to smoke outside for 'fresh air'

      • [Deactivated] on 08/07/2014 - 13:21
        -1

        Who says this? People smoke outside because it is the only socially acceptable place to smoke.

        • Baghern on 08/07/2014 - 15:29

          This was before smoking was banned indoors.

          I a so glad I missed the smoking in the office norm by 5-10 years

          I rem a colleague telling me when it was banned in offices people would smoke at the window of office buildings…talk about hazardous for your health

    • johnno07 on 08/07/2014 - 10:52

      Haha this is excellent.

    • Food on 09/07/2014 - 11:59

      Another thing that pisses me is when people pick up dead ciggies of the ground and use them

  • [Deactivated] on 08/07/2014 - 13:20
    -1

    When inhaling a little bit of second hand smoke gives you a headache, it's probably more of a mental thing than a physiological thing.

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