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The Workers' Compensation Board in British Columbia has created
a law against smoking in workplaces or buildings in order to
create a safe and healthy workplace for all workers in this province.
On April 15, 1998 they took action. It wasn't until January 1,
2000 that the standards of this new law fully applied to the
workplaces. |
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I'm sure I'm not the only one who is getting sick of
listening to people complain, and feel sorry for themselves about
the new smoking ban. The Workers' Compensation Board www.worksafebc.com.
has banned smoking in all work places. I didn't think adults
could be so immature. I was watching BCTV news and there were
mothers swearing, and putting on such a show, saying that by
the end of January they would be out on the streets. They put
all of the blame on WCB.
It shouldn't be such a big surprise that this law was going
to come into place. Workplaces knew months before this that there
would be no smoking in workplaces. After these months of knowing
about it, when January approaches, people start freaking out,
like it came out of no where or something! Some people are angry
because their business has slowed down a lot. In my opinion,
this dead period is not only because of the new law, but because
the holiday season has ended. People are out of money. Also,
more people that do smoke and have decided that they can't go
out anymore will probably adjust to the idea and just have their
cigarette, then go out.
It really is just a polite thing to get up and smoke outside.
I don't think it is fair for a person who has chose not to smoke
to have to sit their and breathe in someone else's second hand
smoke. If cigarette smoking wasn't so bad for our health I think
the situation would be different. Say you are a person who smokes
and you go over to a friend's house. They don't smoke. You don't
just light up a cigarette in their home. You usually go outside.
Well, the same should go when you are in a restaurant. Just because
you don't know everyone in the restaurant doesn't mean that you
can't be polite to them.
There is usually an upside and a downside to bad habits. This
downside is that you have to go outside. I'm not completely,
100% for this new ban. After I have listened to many, many points
of view I have started to see the other side. I do have some
sympathy for the senior citizens of BC. We are taught to respect
them, as they are our elders. It just wouldn't be right to make
an elderly man, or woman stand out in the cold to have their
cigarette.
There are constantly changes being made like this. I realize
there are businesses suffering, and they don't feel it's fair
for someone else to take control of their bar/club/restaurant,
but like all new rules, people will adjust. In the long run,
it will be better for the majority of people. |
