Smoking at Airventure,

[Bill Greenwood]

It was 60 years ago when the major health research report came out on the many dangers of tobacco smoking; that is not only lung, throat cancer, but heart disease.
Back then, about 48% of people in the U S smoked, and after all the years of finally doing something about it smoking here is now down to about 18%. It is estimated that this has saved 8 million lives over these years, but still accounts for 300,000 or so deaths a year.
Among the most educated people on this, smoking is almost nonexistant, only 2% or doctors and 4% of nurses.
How do the tobacco co.s stay in business? Well, they can still get some kids hooked before they are old enough to know better, and they increasingly sell overseas where consumers are too ignorant, like Russia or eastern Europe. Believe it or not there are people who will chew tobacco even though it is disgusting to others and says right on the can that it can cause mouth cancer, after you loose your teeth.

Should EAA do the right thing and remove all smoking at Airventure? Should SunNFun do the same?

Now there is not a huge amount of smoking at EAA and it is outdoors in designated areas, certainly not around planes on the dry grass. And there are some international visitors who are really hooked on the weed, but in my opinion, here in 2014, EAA ought to do the right thing and follow the good example set by most any school or hospital or major restaurant or hotel and become all non smoking at EAA, and that is also the best example for kids.

[Hal Bryan]

Should EAA do the right thing and remove all smoking at Airventure and SunNFun?

Just to be clear, Sun 'n Fun is independent, and is not an EAA-run event.

Now back to what I'm guessing is going to be an interesting discussion...

- Hal

[martymayes]

Now there is not a huge amount of smoking at EAA and it is outdoors in designated areas, certainly not around planes on the dry grass. And there are some international visitors who are really hooked on the weed, but in my opinion, here in 2014, EAA ought to do the right thing and follow the good example set by most any school or hospital or major restaurant or hotel and become all non smoking at EAA, and that is also the best example for kids.

Not sure if it's international visitors but you can certainly smell "weed" being smoked in Scholler in the evenings.

I doubt EAA will ban smoking at AV.

[middlebrook04]

So Bill you think the way to go is to impose more regulations. No body can really argue that tobacco is not bad for you. That's what we need is more people telling us what's best for us. Why can't we stay out of everyone else's lives. Yes people should be informed about the hazards a product poses, after that it's on them to make their own choice. Yes there should be laws to control distribution to young people and there is. I agree there should be laws that protect none tobacco users from known hazards that that may be posed on them and there is.

I can't wait to see your next thread. Maybe something along the lines (no one who makes less than $100,000 a year should not fly because they can not manage their finances well enuf to afford to). Maybe the next thing we should attack is the fast food industry because they make every body fat. What about Hollywood because their movies make kids stupid. Or auto manufactures because their cars allow drunk drives to operate them. Free will and the choice to make your own decisions and you have to live with the consequences of those decisions.

Yes I'm a tobacco user, but let people make their own choices. Provide all the hazardous information and let the person decide for themselves. That being said I hope my children never use tobacco but if they are of legal age and do that's their choice to make.

[Blue Chips]

I doubt EAA will ban smoking at AV.

Nor should they.

Good examples for kids are to be 1st set at home and If I had small kids today first good example would be to throw the TV away, parent controlled internet and get them out of Public Schools

[Floatsflyer]

...here in 2014, EAA ought to do the right thing and follow the good example set by most any school or hospital or major restaurant or hotel and become all non smoking at EAA, and that is also the best example for kids.

C'mon Bill, spare me the self-righteous indignation. The rational, logical raison d'etre for regulating human behaviour is to prevent either harm to oneself or significantly reduce harmful effects/impacts to others. That's why your analogy of comparing Oshkosh to schools, hospitals, etc, is wrong headed and does not meet the test of the latter harm. Those are indoor bricks and mortar buildings where it is acceptable and necessary to ban smoking. Oshkosh is of course outdoors where the impact is negligible or non-existent. The designated smoking area "butt cans" are placed around the grounds in such fashion that a non-smoker can easily avoid them if they wish. The so-called second hand smoke dissipates before you could say, "get that garbage outta here."

[martymayes]

With due respect, a number of outdoor venues, like football stadiums have banned smoking. And since some, like the Big House have a seating capacity of ~100,000, that's comparable to a day's attendance at AV.

The difference is football games still sell tickets with a smoking ban in place and a smoking ban at EAA might hurt attendance. That's why EAA won't touch it.

[vaflier]

If someone is smoking in the designated areas and you do not wish to be around it, then please feel free to stay away from those areas. Thank you for your concern for my health but I will make my own choices. I also smell beer in the camping areas at night, perhaps you should ban beer as well in the tents. While we are at it flying is dangerous to both myself and thousands of others at AV so clearly we should eleminate flying at these events. There have been aircraft accidents at many aviation events for years, just what will it take to get the powers that be to protect us all from those dangerous pilots. I respect your right to live your life as you see fit, kindly extend me the same courtesy. If I am smoking near you and you are bothered, please feel free to ask if I would be kind enough to dispose of it as it bothers you greatly. You will find me to be most agreeable to a polite request.

[martymayes]

If someone is smoking in the designated areas and you do not wish to be around it, then please feel free to stay away from those areas.

That's all well and good but I'll second what miemsed said, smoking occurs outside the designated areas and it appears this is acceptable.

[Jeff Boatright]

That's all well and good but I'll second what miemsed said, smoking occurs outside the designated areas and it appears this is acceptable.

It's "acceptable" only in that the negatives haven't quite outweighed people's proclivity towards live and let live. The majority of people are non-smokers. They abide smoking around them, smoke in their eyes and up their noses as the random puffs are expelled their way. If it becomes just a bit more of an issue, probably more people will pressure EAA to further sequester it...as is happening in this thread.

We hear and read about personal choices and responsibilities, often in terms of smokers' rights. But, those rights end at the tip of their neighbor's nose, not up inside it.