According to this WCCO article, the Minnesota State Fair is looking to come into the present by limiting where smokers can light up on the fairgrounds. While the act of limiting smoking to designated areas is not surprising in the least, the way they are emphasizing that people will still be allowed to smoke is.
From the article:
Minnesota State Fair General Manager Jerry Hammer said he wants to make it clear: Smoking will still be allowed on the fairgrounds, but not nearly in as many areas.
Starting with this year’s fair, smoking will be limited to designated areas.
Hammer said they are responding to increasing complaints about smoking and a changing culture.
“When I started working long ago, you smoked everywhere, including in office buildings. That’s changed quite a bit,” Hamer said. “As time goes on, there are greater changes that people start to expect.”
The vast majority of people expect NO SMOKING anywhere these days, especially when they’re toting children and stuffing food in their mouths. With that in mind, it’s surprising that the General Manager would be so adamant that smoking will still be allowed on the fairgrounds. Personally I would much prefer they ban it entirely. I don’t want to have to dodge inconsiderate individuals allowing their blowing smoke to slap my children in the face or have to glare at those who don’t think for a second that their ‘after dinner mint’ is affecting my eating of some overpriced and overcooked piece of meat on a stick.
What do you think about this one? Are you surprised the State Fair still allows smoking anywhere on the fairgrounds? Are you surprised that smoking isn’t limited to designated areas already? Are you annoyed by those who smoke without consideration for others? How about their insistence that people will still be able to smoke? Do you think that would really change their business? Whatever you have to say about this one go ahead and comment on as I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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January 24th, 2013 at 8:48 am
I never even noticed the smoking until the year we brought our toddler to the fair and found myself on high alert. For the first time I realized that an amazing number of people walked around in the crowds with a cigarette at the end of the fully extended arm thus putting it literally at eye level of a young kid.
In the years since I’ve noticed a steady decrease of smokers but am pleased to hear that there will now be designated areas. While I don’t especially appreciate cigarette smoke myself I am far more concerned about the safety of the children who are unaware of the potential danger of close proximity of a cigarette or cigar.
January 24th, 2013 at 9:06 am
I’m smoking again, but I always try and smoke away from people and absolutely away from children. I always find it hard in crowds to figure out where the best place to smoke is, so I’m really glad they are going to have designated smoking areas. Even when you step out of the crowd and try and be respectful, people will still give you a glare. Being in a smoking area will hopefully reduce that. People who don’t want to be near smokers can avoid those areas.
I’m assuming they aren’t going completely smoke free on the grounds in order to keep good relationships with the neighbors. If they said no smoking on the grounds, everyone would cross the street on Snelling and smoke in the neighborhoods. Also, workers who need a smoke break may have to walk significant distances to get off the grounds, meaning they wouldn’t be able to do so during their break.
People don’t like smoking, and it is a terrible habit, but I think the State Fair is just too big of a place to completely ban smoking on the grounds. As long as smoking is legal they should provide a few smoking cages/areas. They don’t have to be nice, covered, with seats or anything like that, they just need to be available. At least for now, maybe in 5-10 years it will change, but this is a good step.
January 24th, 2013 at 11:20 am
Smokers are dirty losers who deserve to be shepherded into boxes where normal people don’t have to deal with them. I will forever be tainted whenever I try to drink a glass of Lift Bridge Hop Dish as the first sip I was ever going to take was immediately preceded by the inhalation of some dickwads second hand smoke at the fair last year. Boo!
For the first time in LL history, I agree with Kassie. If they banned it completely, the people that live in the surrounding community would be adversely affected.
I think the fair should shut down one of the stupid buildings that support the unnecessary and outdated union presence and make it THE Smoking Building. No ventilation, no windows, no air conditioning and have one 60 watt light bulb hanging from the ceiling. It should have triple entry entrances and exits so the smoke can’t get out and the speakers should be playing an unending loop of that Friday song from YouTube.
January 24th, 2013 at 11:22 am
Thanks for that, lefty. Hilarious!
January 24th, 2013 at 11:22 am
Baring some respiratory illness I don’t see much if any danger in walking around at the State Fair and getting a wiff of cigarette smoke from time to time. I have to imagine all the other airborne contaminants that you may or may not smell are as concerning. All those sweaty people eating fatty foods, has to result in a number of human generated air born stuff to complete with the cigarette smoke. Not to mention all the animals and their particles.
I think it’s good the are limiting it to a certain area as that fits with what people are coming to expect. Old folks who still smoke won’t like it, but the youngsters will be very familiar with such rules.
As a side note on smoking. I’ve started to catch folks in the wild vaping rather than smoking. I’ve seen a few folks at a couple restaurants but recently saw someone at a Target taking a toke on an electronic cigarette while they were shopping. There are at least 5 people at my office switching to e-cigs and maybe that’s why I noticed the person at the store. I bet there will be some e-cig vendors at the fair this year.
January 24th, 2013 at 11:37 am
I am stocking up on 20 pack cartons as I hear the gummint is going to ban them(high capacity cigarette clips) and also stocking up on Camel Straights and all varieties of other cigs… They will have to pry them from my cold dead hands.
January 24th, 2013 at 12:21 pm
Lefty – your smoking building sounds exactly like the “indoor” smoking lounge we had at my high school ages ago except it was a storage room connected to the cafeteria. Three walls, one door, and the single light bulb. Too funny and my how times have changed.
January 24th, 2013 at 12:38 pm
Hm. To this day when I smell cigarette smoke, it conjures up hazy memories of freaky-deaky carnies at the State Fair and I immediately find myself jonesing for a Tom Thumb bag of doughnuts.
January 24th, 2013 at 1:47 pm
I think that both sides of smoking ban arguments are completely melodramatic. Personally, I’m really bored with the conversation. When I am smoking (which I’m NOT right now, BTW!), I am totally fine with being limited as to where I can do it (though to Kassie’s point, if I am smoking and there is no smoking area, I will go stand in the nearest place that I can get away with. Hence me creepily smoking in the neighborhoods across the street from hospitals on a few occassions…). When I’m not smoking, I don’t care if people are smoking around me OUTSIDE, and really don’t see where the danger to children is any worse than any of the other toxins/dangers at the fair.
January 24th, 2013 at 3:06 pm
Regarding Chris Johnston’s remarks, I have seen, in crowded places, people with lit ciggies dangling at the ends of their arms. Said people have not been watching what this burning item might come in contact with. I have seen children’s faces come dangerously close to these. I cringe to think about it.
January 24th, 2013 at 8:00 pm
lefty, you’re such a “dunghead”! Your comment describes those ethnic casinos that are prevalent withing the boundaries of this state which i refuse to breathe in!!! :)
January 24th, 2013 at 8:21 pm
Will…there are smoke-free casinos out there. You just have to drive about 600 miles to get to one (Deadwood, SD).
January 24th, 2013 at 8:23 pm
Mikeh, I’ve been trying to use the eCigarettes. I’ve only smoked 2.5 packs of cigarettes since NYE, which is really good for me. The problems I have with the ecigs is that they don’t quiet satisfy and you can’t not look like a douchebag smoking them. But they are cheaper and don’t smell and have “fun” flavors like cherry and vanilla…
January 24th, 2013 at 8:39 pm
Sorry Patti, but have been to every “None smoking area” casino within our state and they SUCK!!! You’re talking to a 43 year smoker that quite 10 years ago. I can’t stand ANY smoke!!! ……………. Have been to Deadwood many years ago, don’t know if the”re totally nonsmoking ones or not but thanks for the comment.
January 25th, 2013 at 8:02 am
I think it is funny when Will drunk posts.
January 25th, 2013 at 8:12 am
I don’t think they will be able to enforce this very much just by shear numbers. On any given day at the fair the attendance hovers around 100,000 or so, that means that 20,000 are smokers (CDC estimated percentages of adult smokers for the year 2010). Don’t the police at the fair have higher priorities?
Smoking was OK on the fairgrounds for the last 153 years, so why do we need to designate outdoor areas now?
Because the anti-smoking Nazi’s want to impose their value system on those who they deem need to be told how to live and what lifestyle they should emulate.
Sorry (full disclosure: I’m a former smoker) but this is just another ridiculous PR move by the state fair board to appear that they are acting in everyone’s best interest when in fact this policy will have negligible impact.
I also am getting tired of everyone’s favorite reason for imposing rules like this: “It’s for the children”
Please show some stats that show how many toddlers were burned by people who had “careless arm positioning while smoking” at the fair.
I’d be more worried that my kid would get kicked or stomped on by a horse or other miscue than getting burned by some cigarette.
I thought a lot of the people around here hated “The Nanny State” type of government regulation that this really is.
January 25th, 2013 at 8:26 am
N52,
Higher priorities? Probably. However, especially during the day, there are few serious incidents that are going on and often I see them wandering around enjoying their free access to the fair together.
The first time I’ve ever seen a need for police action was this summer when a passed out drunk was literally being carried out of the bathroom next to the fried pickle stand (god are they terrible fried pickles) by the cops.
I am not sure I would want police officers necessary wandering around looking for smoking enforcement opportunities, but telling people to go elsewhere wouldn’t take much time as they wander past trying not to get mustard from their Pronto Pup on their uniform.
January 25th, 2013 at 8:30 am
Oh and yes, I hate the Nanny State. But since it’s a self-supporting agency, sort of like the Zoo (which also bans smoking), I don’t consider this the same sort of nanny state issue as the government directly telling someone not to smoke.
January 25th, 2013 at 8:38 am
Nurd52. I think that by sending smokers over to the idiot tent to have their smokes is something that will be pretty well policed by both the idiot smokers and the rest of us normal people who will politely remind them they are not allowed to smoke near us.
January 25th, 2013 at 9:01 am
My wife has been out to Mystic Lake a few times for Bingo and the last few she hasn’t come back smelling like cigarettes, so I assume they’ve done something there to cut down on smoking. Not sure what.
State fair cops have a big enough head already in their little fiefdom. I’m going to make a bet that there will be some problems this year. I wonder if this ban will apply to other events hosted there? I.e. Back to the 50′s. If yes, then for sure there will be issues.
As far as e-cigs, I guess if you have a home made unit all rhinestone encrusted and flashing LED’s then you may be a bit obnoxious. But I’ve never felt using an e-cig drew any more attention to anything else. I’m not a smoker though so maybe inside the smoker circle, e-cigs are looked down on.
January 25th, 2013 at 10:42 am
No different from regular cigarettes, in my opinion.
Good for the State Fair. Keep pushing this filth as far away as it needs to be to stop affecting others who don’t want to participate.
January 25th, 2013 at 12:59 pm
It is a legitimate concern that a kid could run into a cigarette – I’ve been concerned about that myself on occasion. That being said – you can’t police everything. This non-smoking thing has went way, way too far. Look at Lefty’s comment and the hatred in it. I don’t like sitting in airplanes next to fat, sweaty people who stink – but can’t pass a law about it. I think if you are driving slow in the fast lane – you should get a ticket – especially if there are a pile of cars behind you and wide open lanes in front of you. I think those people that get to claim bankruptcy on all their credit cards because they took fancy vacations, bought new furniture, and went out to eat a lot should be charged with theft. I’m tired of helping my elderly relatives who have worked their entire lives effectively manage their health care and assist in making phone calls that take all day just to find answers for them while welfare moms and their kids get amazing health care (all because it is for the kids). They just legalized pot in Colorado. Do I like the idea – hell no. But – it is none of my business if people smoke. I know many hardworking successful smokers. We’ve got bigger problems and our government isn’t about making us all “perfect.”
January 25th, 2013 at 1:04 pm
“…I don’t consider this the same sort of nanny state issue as the government directly telling someone not to smoke.”
It’s still a government agency self funded or not.
So only Mark Dayton/State legislature can tell someone where to smoke for it to pass the “Nanny State” rule? Seems like a weak argument.
Why not take this a step further and require all of the state fair food vendors to put the estimated calorie count of each item on their menu boards and then track where and how much you’ve eaten before (you’d have to scan your ID before purchase) and if you reach a certain total calorie threshold you would not be allowed to buy anymore food.
Think how many kids we could save from obesity if we did that!
And that goes double for beer sales (we’re already halfway there now ’cause they gotta card ‘em for the alcohol sale).
@Lefty: Few people are going to “Politely ask” someone to go to the DSA so your condescending remarks about smokers, tongue-in-cheek or not, leave little doubt that you classify them at about same level as the “untouchables” in India.
Are all of your friend non-smoker?
Sorry, while I’m on board with banning smoking from the workplace and bars (and the last few years that I did smoke at home I did so outside), but I draw the line at restricting smoking outdoors, because believe it or not, cigarettes are legal to purchase and consume and if I’m paying taxes for city parks I damn well be able to use the amenities that I pay for unencumbered by silly regulations that don’t have the payoff that these people think they do.
So if the sight of someone smoking in public bothers you that much then you should perhaps consider emigrating to North Korea because the grand master plan of these anti-smoking Nazi’s is to control what you do in your private life and the DPRK is certainly the model for that.
OK, most of the above comments are all over the top (I don’t think Lefty would like North Korea all that much) but that’s the point:
There is no reason to implement this now, especially since there will be no real benefit that I can see that this will somehow improve your state fair “experience” of walking around in 90 degree heat, eating high fat overpriced fried food and drinking sugar pop while you visit the swine barn with all of its lovely aromas.
As was noted before, the number of smokers taking up the habit is down sharply so we are doing better in that regard. Thus there’s no reason to do this other then to grab some free advertising (via the newspaper “article”) to show just how progressive we are here in the land of 10,000 regulations.
January 25th, 2013 at 3:04 pm
Nurd, for crissakes…it’s Nazis, not Nazi’s.
January 25th, 2013 at 9:45 pm
MSPD: thanks for being a grammar Nazi! ; )
January 25th, 2013 at 10:57 pm
OK, as far as I am concerned, smokers can just smoke themselves to death and look stupid while doing it. Anyone younger than about 50 has no excuse for beginning to smoke in the first place.
I am, however, completely tired of the attitude that it’s just fine to force others to breathe that putrid cancerous crap that they think they can selfishly spew into everyone else’s air.
January 26th, 2013 at 9:17 am
hey mulch, is your pickup/double wide insured by R.J. Reynolds? or Ligget and Myers?
bb
January 26th, 2013 at 11:16 pm
I recently quit smoking so I think all outdoor smoking should be banned just because it smells fucking delicious and makes me want a smoke. ;-)
January 27th, 2013 at 8:00 pm
here’s the deal boys. free butts for our you WW2 vets, thank you for your service you 18 year old. jar heads, swabbies and army grunts. free, don’t get addicted tho. carry this on to today, and how many of our our valuable vets are in va hospitals dying with the big ‘c’?
who’s sleeping with who?
i smoked from the 6th grade until i was 25, then they went out the window. BUT, sometimes today i can feel the need with the right combination of foot or likker, would i like to light up??????
no, but popcorn and a smoke in the past was ‘good’.
bb
January 27th, 2013 at 8:28 pm
bb stacker,
You really need to have that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder diagnosed and properly medicated.
lefty