BERLIN (Reuters) - Several German lawmakers want to ban smoking while

driving, saying it's hazardous.

"The dangers of causing an accident rise drastically when you smoke and

drive," said Peter Danckert of the ruling Social Democrats. "I want a

complete ban on smoking for drivers."

Danckert and Katherina Reiche of the opposition Christian Democrats told

Germany's best-selling newspaper, Bild, they will push for legislation to

outlaw smoking for drivers.

Reiche noted parliament had passed a law outlawing the use of cell phones

for drivers.

"Cigarettes are just as much of a distraction as cell phones," she said.

"We need a new law banning it with fines."

German motoring club ADAC spokesman Rainer Hillgaertner dismissed the

idea, saying: "Eating chocolate bars, bananas or fish sandwiches while

driving is also dangerous."

"Eating chocolate bars, bananas or fish sandwiches while driving is also dangerous."

So is eating a bowl of cereal while driving, but you don't see any laws against it do you?

Been waiting for this to happen. Surprised it's in Germany first and not here. It's beginning...

I was watching Demolition Man on TV last night. Are we going to become that society where we're fined for cursing in public next?

Stefan

Why not? Smokers are becoming second-class citizens, where it is not only ok, but also encouraged to denigrate them, create laws to segregate them, tax them heavily and disproportionally, and blame them for rising medical costs (while relatively ignoring the dangers of poor diet and drinking at the same time). I wonder how the anti-smoking zealots who want a total ban will feel when if they get their way and smoking is banned, their gas taxes, sales taxes and property taxes go up to recompensate local and state governments for the lost revenue coming from tobacco.

Liberals have decided that they can build a more totalitarian government by attacking cigarette companies. By creating a "public awareness" about the dangers of smoking they create the impression that the government is more concerned with your health than you are, thus the need for Medicare and the FDA. By painting the tobacco company executives as manipulative crooks, they create the impression that only the government can control the "ruthless greed" of all businessmen, and so justify the Antitrust Division of the Justice Department. Through legislation and prosecution, they have empowered a generation of litigious, anti-business, anti-conceptual lawyers who will sue anyone for anything. (The lawyers behind the anti-tobacco lawsuits are also behind suits against gun manufacturers and HMOs, to name but two popular targets.) All the while, the massive, punitive taxes placed upon all companies and citizens feed their coffers.

Oh the horrors of such a stupid thing! No smoking while driving, while sitting in LA Traffic it is the one thing that helps to sooth nerves....we gotta worry about nuts shooting us in traffic and now they say "no smoking"....LMAO

Charlie

CaribbeanSoul,

You act as if the tobacco execs are the helpless victims of an over bearing government. Does it not bother you that tobacco companies put chemicals into their tobacco to make it more addictive and advertise to little kids to try and get customers for life? Does it not bother you that they lied for decades about the dangers of cigarette smoking?

By the way, it's not just the liberals, there are probably just as many conservatives against that industry. I admit, it's kind of dumb to ban smoking while driving, but that's another issue all together.

Hey!

bmellis is raising public awareness again!!!

Tobii3,

You don't have to take your inadequacies out on everyone else. I was just mentioning the obvious discrepancy in his statement. Are you afraid of people seeing both sides?

People SEE both sides everyday

People READ both sides everyday

People HEAR both sides everyday

You have made an art of beating a dead horse by reminding us again and again and again of information that is PUBLIC knowledge.

Perhaps you could "raise our awareness" by enlightening us with, oh, I don't know, maybe some USEFUL information??

So you see CaribbeanSoul 's tired diatribe against liberals insightful and useful information, but the other side as useless?

Hmm...

ahem...

In your words...

""Does it not bother you that tobacco companies put chemicals into their tobacco to make it more addictive and advertise to little kids to try and get customers for life? Does it not bother you that they lied for decades about the dangers of cigarette smoking?""

WOW!!

GOSH, I NEVER HEARD THAT BEFORE!!!!

Gosh, I bet you never heard how liberals were responsible for everything wrong in the world? All you have to do is turn on the television and hear coked out Coulter or others constantly bombarding liberals. Conservatives own the majority of television and radio outlets. What's wrong with being a little "fair and balanced" ?

As for Caribbeans post...

_INSERT GROUP NAME____ have decided that they can build a more ___INSERT ADJECTIVE__ government by attacking cigarette companies. By creating a "public awareness" about the dangers of smoking they create the impression that the government is more concerned with your health than you are, thus the need for Medicare and the FDA. By painting the tobacco company executives as manipulative crooks, they create the impression that only the government can control the "ruthless greed" of all businessmen, and so justify the Antitrust Division of the Justice Department. Through legislation and prosecution, they have empowered a generation of litigious, anti-business, anti-conceptual lawyers who will sue anyone for anything. (The lawyers behind the anti-tobacco lawsuits are also behind suits against gun manufacturers and HMOs, to name but two popular targets.) All the while, the massive, punitive taxes placed upon all companies and citizens feed their coffers.

This is a GREAT statement.

Notice his use of -- creating a "public awareness" -- in THE SECOND SENTENCE???

Guess that was your cue to enter more babble from your wealth of useless information.

Once again, I would "turn on the television" but I'm a little too busy with something called a JOB to park my a$$ in front of the TV to listen to the same diatribe every single day.

bmelis

What information do you have that would lead you, in your great judgement, to declare that Ann Couler is coked out? Is it just because she takes aim on your liberal left ilk and scares hell out of all of you? You are trying to be a little to prejudgemental in your "not so humble" opinions! Go look in a mirror!

Charlie

Sure it's a great statement if you buy the flawed logic.

"By painting the tobacco company executives as manipulative crooks, they create the impression that only the government can control the "ruthless greed" of all businessmen, and so justify the Antitrust Division of the Justice Department."

What do antitrust cases have to do with product liability? Who's painting an image when, as I pointed out in my original post, the execs have been found guilty of being "manipulative".

"Through legislation and prosecution, they have empowered a generation of litigious, anti-business, anti-conceptual lawyers who will sue anyone for anything."

You only get money when you sue if your case is deemed to have merit by a jury or a judge. So we should be mad that cigarette manufactors are called manipulative and greedy, but lawyers who get people money for damages are definately manipulative and greedy?

"(The lawyers behind the anti-tobacco lawsuits are also behind suits against gun manufacturers and HMOs, to name but two popular targets.)"

Prove it. How's this relevant anyway?

So you see Tobii3, the argument is flawed and biased. At least I contributed a reasonable rebuttle, you've done nothing but throw insults and make an ass of yourself.

Another thread gone right in the toilet.

How does she scare me? What logic drove you to make that statement? I dislike her because her logic is flawed and her intentions are obvious. She tries to convince people that every problem since the 60s is because of liberals. How dumb is that?

I say she's coked out because the way her eyes look and the way she acts. She acts like someone who is on cocaine.

yeah, draftman, and this one took a quick downward turn. i swear it was doing fine then . . . splat. oh well. there's other threads to read.