We had a group of 19 people this morning, sharing breakfast and gifts, and fellowship. They are my co-workers at the clinic, where I work. We had a great time laughing, eating and stealing each other’s gifts. It’s a game we play, with the gifts.
None of us were smoking, yet I could smell cigarette smoke. We were really close to the bar, and 2 people were smoking in there. UGH. I just wish we would enact a smoking ban in restaurants. It surely would make my life better. I hate that I have to threaten my health, with the bad habits of others, since cigarette smoke doesn’t care where it goes. Bleah.
It was a damper on an otherwise fun event. I try to stay away from smoky places, but sometimes it just can’t be avoided.
Hi Dawn. I used to smoke occasionally but now I have stopped totally. Here in the Philippines, there has been major changes when it comes to rules about smoking in public places like restaurants. It has been declared that a restaurant must have a separate room, independent airconditioning system with its own entrance and exit areas for smokers. Before, there was only smoking and non-smoking areas. But since it was only situated in one large area, non-smokers could still smell the smoke coming from nearby. The new rules is much acceptable because there are totally separate areas for smokers and non-smokers. It works both ways so both parties are satisfied.
That would work too, to have separate places for smokers and non-smokers. Usually it is one big room and you get cigarette smoke anyway. At Chili’s, they have a glass wall separating smoke from non-smokers and it works a lot better, keeping the smoke more contained in the other half of the restaurant. I wish more restaurants would do that. Some places in the US, have banned smoking in restaurants, but I don’t think there is anywhere in WI, that that’s true. (I haven’t done any research, though.)
We’re very lucky to live in a small suburban town that is almost completely smoke-free. I think the official line is that 98% of the businesses do not allow smoking. All I know is that we have several chain restaurants and quite a few more local ones and non of them have smoking sections. You don’t have to request “non-smoking” … which might be two tables away from the smoking section, I hate that! The entire place is smoke-free and we love it. We can travel a couple of extra miles to the next suburb over, but they don’t have the same non-smoking policy. We don’t like to eat in those restaurants nearly as much, so I know how you feel, totally.
So glad you had fun though, with your co-workers and that you guys made time to get-together and celebrate the season