Smoking Area's in the Parks....

[thebigman65]

I know I may come off sounding like I am on my soap box a bit....but I live in Ontario, Canada and recently, they have expanded the no smoking laws and banned smoking in all outdoor patios, playgrounds, sports fields, etc.

The Gov here basically said one of the reasons, for the new updated no-smoking laws, is to prevent children from being exposed not only to the smoke, but also the view that might be perceived by younger people that this is a cool thing to do and therefore they may try to emulate that behavior....so I thought that if that is the case, all amusement or theme parks would be lumped into that category....

One of my pet peeves when walking through the parks is when I see people walking around smoking....announcements about the designated smoking areas are made all the time and I am pretty sure any person old enough to smoke would know this....

My question is, what is your opinion on banning smoking all together in the parks?

Not judging anyone, just interested to know peoples take on this.....

 

[kaytieeldr]

A complete ban on smoking would likely result in a 20% drop in attendance (based on the % of smokers just in this country). Fine with me if Disney were to eject people smoking outside the designated areas, but not a complete ban.

Walt Disney World isn't an outdoor patio, playground, sports field, etc. As a theme park/business, it wouldn't be 'lumped in' with the places you list.

 

[Mambo Junkie]

I am a former smoker (I quit 4 years ago after 40 years of smoking) and I must admit I thoroughly enjoyed the smoking areas. I never took my child in there but I had a major addiction and would not have enjoyed the park without the ability to smoke. Now I can't stand the smell of smoke but I know where the smoking areas are and would not go there - they are easy to avoid. I would not begrudge others. As kaytiee said, I would have no problem with the rulebreakers being escorted out. I followed the rules when I smoked, and they can too. I really hate it when people smoking while walking out of the park, especially when it's very crowded. I couldn't stand it even when I smoked, and I never smoked while eating out in a restaurant. I do not like cigarette smoke in my food.

 

[Networth]

I would say 20% is a bit steep. I'm assuming half of the smokers would suck it up and use a patch or gum for the duration of their trip. Especially if it was a "right of passage" trip.

 

[thebigman65]

Just to clarify....by outdoor patio, I mean ones associated with bars and restaurants....Just re-read the post and thought that may not be clear....

 

[thebigman65]

IMHO....the "Losing business" argument does not hold water.....when they banned smoking in bars and restaurants here some 20 years ago, all the business owners were up in arms and said they would go out of business....didn't happen....In fact I think business increased because Non-smokers went to bars more....

Yes it is not the same thing as a Disney park....but I agree with a PP....smokers would definitely still go to the parks....I know I would of when I smoked

 

[Love Tink]

Smoking is a legal activity. As long as people don't smoke outside of the smoking areas, I have no problem with it.

At a restaurant/playing field/playground, one is "trapped" with the smoker. At an amusement park, one is not (as long as one doesn't enter the smoking area).

And unlike some, I have not seen people casually strolling around Disney World smoking. I've seen a few people I thought at first were smoking, but it ended up being an electronic cigarette. I think the smoking is really well contained at Disney World.

 

[Madame]

IMHO....the "Losing business" argument does not hold water.....when they banned smoking in bars and restaurants here some 20 years ago, all the business owners were up in arms and said they would go out of business....didn't happen....In fact I think business increased because Non-smokers went to bars more.... Yes it is not the same thing as a Disney park....but I agree with a PP....smokers would definitely still go to the parks....I know I would of when I smoked

Yes but you can just step out of the bar to light up. Some bars have a roof-top smoking area, so technically outside. Look at the bingo halls (where people don't want to leave their table to smoke). They've taken a huge hit (along with charities dependant upon them) & have not fully recovered. Casinos have also been hit.

 

[Boo Bear]

I don't mind if people smoke as long as they do it in a designated area. I've seen people light up wherever they want in DHS and that kind of irritated me, but otherwise, to each their own.

 

[stephm0188]

I've seen people smoking outside the designated areas, which is kind of annoying :\

And I was under the impression that Disney also requires e-cigarette users to use designated smoking areas. Is this not the case?

 

[HopperFan]

I've seen people smoking outside the designated areas, which is kind of annoying :\ And I was under the impression that Disney also requires e-cigarette users to use designated smoking areas. Is this not the case?

Disney rules state e-cigarettes must be used in designated smoking areas.

Having had my daughter receive a substantial burn from a cigarette during a Disney parade while she sat in her stroller - I'm all for strict enforcement of the designated areas.

 

[Planogirl]

Disney needs to enforce the rules. I am against banning smoking and no I don't smoke. It's easy to keep kids and teenagers out of smoking areas.

 

[jcnewton]

I wouldn't mind them banning it inside the parks. No offense to smokers, but it's a choice, and smoking areas are a courtesy. I don't honestly think they'd lose that much business, if any at all, considering you can't really smoke in most places nowadays.

 

[Airship Ariadne]

They should move the sections further from the paths and eject anyone breaking the rules...and it isn't 20% that smoke, it is down to 18%. I wouldn't want to be in the park with smokers that had gone hours without their fix, they can be a surly, unpleasant lot, so banning outright isn't my choice, but why not add seating areas behind some of the large restroom buildings, they can smoke there and kids won't see them. Better than having the current spots along paths kids walk down, same with the resorts, move them off to closer to the parking lots...the exhaust will only add to the flavor.

 

[Rommie]

I say I have no problems with Disney banning smoking altogether at the parks, and this is comming from a heavy smoker. People need to learn to keep things separate. A theme park is not an ideal place to smoke.

 

[kerplop]

I wouldn't mind them banning it inside the parks. No offense to smokers, but it's a choice, and smoking areas are a courtesy. I don't honestly think they'd lose that much business, if any at all, considering you can't really smoke in most places nowadays.

You can smoke anywhere in a lot of non-American countries and a lot of those countries have a higher rate of smokers than we do here. Disney should enforce the current stuff, but like everything else some people do it and get away with it and Disney just stands by. I've seen it in a lot of rule breaking and it's annoying, but what can you do really except complain to a CM I guess, but they may not even do anything.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I don't smoke, but I don't think a smoking ban is a good idea. A theme park is not the same as a patio or playground. I never see a lot of smoking outside of the designated areas either.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I would say 20% is a bit steep. I'm assuming half of the smokers would suck it up and use a patch or gum for the duration of their trip. Especially if it was a "rite of passage" trip.

Calculated in my head, so may be slightly off, but 20.58% http://www.12keysrehab.com/blog/wp-...04/12-keys-percentage-of-smokers-by-state.jpg I added all the percentages and divided by 50.
What's a rite of passage trip?

 

[Networth]

Eh just saying I doubt Disney would see an attendance drop of 20% if they did out and out ban smoking. I was saying I can imagine some smokers using nicotine replacement therapy durning a WDW vacation if they viewed the trip as something extremely important to their kids/nieces/nephew/grandkids what have you.

Your number about smokers is correct from all data I have seen. With roughly 1 in 5 adult Americans smoking, is it's slowly dropping I believe Healthy People 2020 expects it to be down to 12-15% by 2020-2025 with the current trend.

 

[LBIJim]

Plenty of foreign visitors smoke, so I don't think Disney would want to upset that crowd. I doubt they'd ever ban smoking completely in the parks.

I saw three or four instances of people smoking while walking around at a recent Halloween party. And they apparently changed the location of at least smoking area during the party. On the standard map, there is a DSA to the left of Space Mountain. During the party CMs were directing smokers to an alternate area to the right of SM. The Halloween party map reflected the change. The standard smoking area was right by one of the trick or treat trails.