Posted by Paul McCarthy
on 8/26/2009, 10:48 am
75.189.212.92
Hello all,
Well, I recall when I moved to North Carolina a couple people said "Well, you're just going to have to go through it all over again..."
From the context of the conversation what they were referring to is the implementation of a comprehensive statewide smoking ban... due here in North Carolina on January 1st.
This time around may not effect, or affect, me personally as much as when I, or we, went through all this in Connecticut years ago. I rarely smoke a conventional cigarette anymore,... however, I'm not sure what I'll do in regards to the electronic cigarette I usually 'mist' with now.
There is a smoking room at the store where I work, but it's my impression that nobody really wants to think about the whole thing. I've had a couple people brush the whole thing aside saying that the new law won't have any effect on the smoking room in the store where I work,... and had another person say they'll have to shut it down. I'm uncertain anyone in the store really knows... and/or, wants to talk about it.
It's still difficult for me,... just like in Connecticut... even though I don't 'smoke' much anymore, because a lot of people know that this is an issue of some emotional significance to me.
There's a lot of variation, but often times the nonsmokers seem to like to feel "Well, we're 100% right, and this is all for everyone's good, etc." I sometimes sense some hostility because they're concerned I might say something which might shatter that simple, child-like view... and that's not something they want to hear. And/or, one way or another, something I might say will cause... trouble. And again, well...
The smokers are somewhat different... I think this has happened in so many states now (probably most states) that there may be a sense of inevitability about it all. The other aspect of it is that much of the private sector here had already long since established smoking bans.
Because of the increased sense of inevitability and perhaps that more of the private sector has already established smoking bans since Connecticut, and other Northern states implemented similar smoking bans, it may not be as difficult here... or, perhaps it's just not as difficult for me personally because I rarely 'smoke' a conventional cigarette anymore. But also, I've never been a bar or club goer... and those places are usually the last bastions of indoor smoking.
If they close down the smoking room at work, I'm not sure what I'd do about 'misting' with the electronic cigarette. If I stayed inside, that could cause... problems. I'm not sure that I have the social confidence and finesse to want to ride that out. I'm not sure what I'll do. Fortunately, since I use nicotine-free cartridges there isn't a physically addictive aspect to it,... but obviously, the real problem would be the responses of other people.
Take care,
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