This topic hits home for me as well because I'm a smoker. I'm all for restrictions, but all out banning is way too Big Brother for me.

I live in Ohio where we indeed do have a smoking ban. Not only are all of us heathen smokers sent outside in all kinds of weather conditions with no shelter, we are not supposed to stand within 25 feet of a door or window to the building. Well trust me, I stand roughly 10 feet away from the door in bad weather and if people don't like it...well you get the picture. Not only that the law states there are to be no ashtrays within 25 feet of doors. Well, after a few weeks of seeing the mounds of cigarette butts flung everywhere because smokers no longer had an option of where to put them, people slowly started "sneaking" ashtrays back out so people wouldn't be forced to litter.

My favorite part of this whole smoking ban thing was people who owned private clubs *thought* they would be exempt, so these nice people all came out and voted for the smoking ban - basically a do as I say, not as I do. They were soon told that they too would be forced to comply with the ban.

This whole ban issue has brought out the worst in people. Those who may in the past have just given you a dirty look because you were a smoker now basically feel that the government has given them the OK to mouth off an harrass people.

I can hardly wait to see what's next on the ban list. I too think they will start attacking weight.