this post was submitted on 30 May 2025
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[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (4 children)

This comment section is a disaster, just as bad as reddit. Comments of no substance on the side of popular opinion get upvotes, and waves of downvotes come for anyone who disagrees even a little, and even if they do it in a reasonable way.

I’m mildly asthmatic so I don’t smoke, vape, etc. I have tried a few times and it is simply too much for my lungs to cope with. I still think banning people from smoking in public parks or on beaches is a bit much, and not doing the same with vaping seems like a strange double standard. I had a college roommate who both vaped and smoked, and the vaping bothered me more. I still put up with it.

Hopefully enforcement is reasonable - respectful smokers who deliberately try to keep their distance should be allowed to enjoy themselves, but I understand prosecuting(?) those who show no care and smoke right next to nonsmokers.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

The issue with smoking is the second hand smoke. It causes cancer, among many other health issues. Vape on the other hand doesn’t really have this same concern.

They aren’t banning smoking because of nicotine, they are banning it because it causes cancer.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago) (1 children)

Yes, secondhand smoke is bad. But we are talking about outdoor environments where it should usually be possible for smokers to keep their distance.

As for vaping, it hasn’t really been around long enough yet to know for sure what the health risks are regarding the secondhand aerosol exposure, but there is reason to be concerned. It is almost certainly not as bad as secondhand smoke, but there are still risks.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

While I agree, these laws aren’t being made because smokers keep accidentally smoking near others, it’s because a large number of smokers can’t be assed to keep their distance. The major place I notice smokers is when they are just meandering through a large crowd as if everyone around them is fine with the smoke.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 20 hours ago

I get that, but shouldn’t it be possible then to target that kind of behavior specifically rather than all smoking? Rather than banning smoking on x beach or in y park, they could ban smoking within x meters of a minor or non consenting adult. It would be more complicated but also more fair.

Ultimately I don’t know what all of the problems with that approach would be, but it would make more sense to me.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 day ago

Comments of no substance on the side of popular opinion get upvotes, and waves of downvotes come for anyone who disagrees even a little, and even if they do it in a reasonable way.

Lemmy seems much worse for this than reddit TBH.

There's a number of topics about which any dissent is met with vehement derision. As in those engaging in wrong think are assholes.

I don't really know of course but I suspect it's because lemmy has a narrower demographic than reddit. Opinions are just generally more homogeneous. I guess I'm describing an echo chamber.

[–] [email protected] -4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

There’s one section of benches on my town common that smells like cigarettes from all the way over on the sidewalk. Even if it’s empty. There are so many smokers that the stink won’t go away even though it’s outside. Why do they get to ruin that section of park for everyone else?

We have this one park with a small beach section. They try to rope off a s,all smoking section away from everyone else, but you can still smell it. Why do they get to ruin the public beach for everyone else?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 22 hours ago

Sometimes other people do things we dislike, c'est la vie.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

You just need to find the right community preferably where there are no bots, trolls