# The world revolves around smokers.. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 24, 2003, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-revolves-around-smokers/220927 "2003-12-24T23:29:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![rostfrei](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7bcc69/32.png) [@rostfrei](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rostfrei)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2003, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-revolves-around-smokers/220927/41 "2003-12-25T20:56:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BayleDomon \* > \*\*You seriously define a ‘break’ as going home at the end of your shift and expect everyone else to follow that definition? \*\* Perhamp I should work my four hours, clock out, and then go sit in the break room for 15 minutes before going to my car and driving home? That way, I’m sure to get my break. ---
**Author:** ![rostfrei](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7bcc69/32.png) [@rostfrei](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rostfrei)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2003, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-revolves-around-smokers/220927/42 "2003-12-25T20:57:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rostfrei \* > \*\*Perhamp I should work my four hours, clock out, and then go sit in the break room for 15 minutes before going to my car and driving home? That way, I’m sure to get my break. \*\* Sorry, that should read, “Perhaps”, not perhamp.:smack: ---
**Author:** ![buttonjockey308](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@buttonjockey308](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buttonjockey308)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2003, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-revolves-around-smokers/220927/43 "2003-12-25T22:11:50Z")
I have the same experience with smoking colleagues, who often take more than their share of time out of the office, and frankly, i take the lesser of two evils. I’d rather they went outside for a few minutes (since you can’t smoke anywhere in the building where I work) and spewed the carcinogenic filth up into the atmosphere, rather than into my face or into my space. For the folks who prattle on needing a cite about the dangers of environmental tobacco smoke, listen up. I’ve been a firefighter for 13 years, I wear a self contained breathing apparatus in environments considerably LESS toxic than that which exists in a room full of smokers. Second hand smoke is bad. Period. No one, ever, will convince me otherwise, and quite honestly, anyone who believes ETS is good for you, is just plain stupid. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2003, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-revolves-around-smokers/220927/44 "2003-12-25T22:18:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by buttonjockey308 \* > \*\*I have the same experience with smoking colleagues. \*\* :eek: Most smokers use cigarettes! ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2003, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-revolves-around-smokers/220927/45 "2003-12-25T22:28:57Z")
Wait. I don’t understand…are you folks saying that the smokers in your workplace are allowed to take breaks that you non-smokers aren’t? I don’t think that’s right (and I’m a smoker!). However, I think it’s not so much a problem with the smokers as a problem with your supervisors. If the supervisor is _giving_ smokers more breaks than non-smokers, then confront him/her. Don’t take it out on the smokers. I think everyone should get the same amount and time of breaks. If, however, you prefer to work through your break time, then don’t blame people who take theirs away from their desk. Personally, I don’t consider a break at my desk to be a break at all. A break, to me, involves me _getting the fuck away_ from work in any way, shape or form. Otherwise it’s not a break, but a breather. And no, I’ve never eaten lunch at my desk while working either. That half hour is MINE…saying that I’ve been on lunch simply because I had food in front of me while I was slaving away is false. ---
**Author:** ![Coil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Coil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coil)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2003, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-revolves-around-smokers/220927/46 "2003-12-25T22:35:48Z")
From the cite posted by beagledave > [@](#): > > Current smokers also had production rates 4 percent below “never smokers” and 8.3 percent below ex-smokers. I find this interesting. It seems ex-smokers are more productive than never-smokers. Maybe we should encourage people to smoke and then quit. Or it could be a sign of a badly done survey. I wish i could get that link to open so I could read more. I’ll have to try it later and see if it works then. ---
**Author:** ![Trillionaire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@Trillionaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trillionaire)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2003, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-revolves-around-smokers/220927/47 "2003-12-25T22:36:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JamesCarroll \* > \*\*You’re asking him to prove a negative. > > Better yet why don’t YOU provide cites that prove that second hand smoke is a DIRECT cause of lung cancer? \*\* Why the hell can’t a negative be proved? A study could (hypothetically) determine that there was no causal link between the two. All I was asking was for some justification for a sweeping, controversial statement that flies in the face of what every rational person knows. **Number Six’s** cites all seem pretty good anyway. (I especially like the one from Philip Morris.) ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Serpentine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3be4f8/32.png) [@Silver\_Serpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Serpentine)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2003, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-revolves-around-smokers/220927/48 "2003-12-25T22:37:31Z")
Hey, I’m a smoker, and I think that if someone takes more breaks than they’re allowed, give them warnings and if it continues, fire their ass. I’ve never expected special treatment because I’m a smoker. I’ve worked with both smokers and non-smokers. I’ve worked with both good smokers and bad non-smokers. I could give examples, but I don’t think that’s the point of the OP. > [@](#): > > Our department stipulates that you must work 4 hours to be entitled to a break. My way of thinking says, I work 4 hours and I get to go home, that’s my break. Everywhere I’ve worked that had that rule, I would get a 15 halfway through, as would everyone else. Your way of thinking seems to mean that unless you work 4 hours, 15min, you get NO break. Depending on the details of your company’s policies, you were either completely right or a complete bitch. I don’t know what the poloicy is, so I won’t say which it is. Either way, I think she was completely over the top. I’ve never felt like crying because I didn’t get a smoke. BUT if work’s so stressful that I feel like I’m going to start crying, a smoke break will certainly help. She’s a drama queen, either way. ---
**Author:** ![lezlers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@lezlers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lezlers)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2003, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-revolves-around-smokers/220927/49 "2003-12-25T23:59:48Z")
I think **Jay jay** , hit it on the head. If you’ve got a problem with smokers being given extra breaks, take it up with the people _giving_ them the breaks, not on them. Something tells me that if any of you non-smokers bitching about breaks were offered a couple extra 5-ers throughout the day, you’d take them. I somehow doubt you’d pull the little self-rightous “but it’s not _fair_ for all the others!” shctick then. Honestly, either take the breaks yourself or bitch to management if it’s bothering you that much. Bitching to the smokers themselves just makes you appear petty and jealous. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2003, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-revolves-around-smokers/220927/50 "2003-12-26T00:40:55Z")
I saw the Penn & Teller _Bullshit_ episode about second hand smoke. They claimed that there was one original study done, and that study basically found no causal link. However, the study stated that it hadn’t been completely ruled out. All the organizations cited in this thread base their conclusions off this one, flawed study. The people who did the original study were interviewed and stated that they were not happy that major organizations like the World Health Organization, American Lung Association, and Amercian Cancer Society were all citing their study in a prejudicial manner. Any thoughts? Can we navigate those links and determine if they all do have a single study they are all based upon? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2003, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-revolves-around-smokers/220927/51 "2003-12-26T01:00:52Z")
And I have to say, I don’t think I’ve ever worked in a place where smokers got more breaks than non-smokers. It always just seemed to me that non-smokers don’t really _use_ their breaks. They sit at their desk and bullshit with their other non-smoking friends then bitch about not being allowed to get away during their break. Well, _get away_! No one is forcing you to glue your butt to your chair. ---
**Author:** ![geewhiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f0a364/32.png) [@geewhiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/geewhiz)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2003, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-revolves-around-smokers/220927/52 "2003-12-26T01:10:07Z")
I am a non smoker and I can’t stand the smell of smoke. The problem i have is when I have to walk through a cloud of smoke to get into a building. This is especially bad on rainy days. Alot of the buildings at my new college have signs up that you can’t smoke within 20 feet of the entrance to a building. I love that! It is not politically correct but I think it goes to protect everyone’s rights. Non-Smokers: Not to have our lungs assaulted by smoke. Smokers: To smoke if you wish. I feel people can take a short smoke break at work if they want to as long as it is not inconvienent to anyone else. Such as you can’t interrupt a meeting to smoke, you can’t smoke during business hours if there is a line of people waiting to see someone, etc. As ar as my experience has been, smokers are not more productive than non smokers and vice versa. A bad worker is a bad worker. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2003, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-revolves-around-smokers/220927/53 "2003-12-26T01:16:35Z")
UCLA + SUNY + assorted reputable British health folks say being exposed to tobacco smoke has a negligible effect if any on your health. [http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/abstract/326/7398/1057](http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/abstract/326/7398/1057) ---
**Author:** ![geewhiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f0a364/32.png) [@geewhiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/geewhiz)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2003, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-revolves-around-smokers/220927/54 "2003-12-26T01:23:25Z")
Fetus and everyone else, scroll down the page. There is letter after letter and articles talking about how this study was flawed, it is called irresponsible journalism. etc. It is also a very old study. I have head of this study in the past and it has never been given much merit. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2003, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-revolves-around-smokers/220927/55 "2003-12-26T02:02:50Z")
> [@](#): > > Better yet why don’t YOU provide cites that prove that second hand smoke is a DIRECT cause of lung cancer? We can’t even know for sure that inhailing radioactive asbestos actually causes lung cancer, how the \_\_\_\_ are we supose to know if smoke does, then 2nd hand smoke, it’s not saying much that we can’t prove it. But the smoke stinks, I don’t want to smell it, also if someone has an addiction that requires a break then they should be in rehab or everyone should get that break. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2003, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-revolves-around-smokers/220927/56 "2003-12-26T02:17:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rostfrei \* > \*\*Perhamp I should work my four hours, clock out, and then go sit in the break room for 15 minutes before going to my car and driving home? That way, I’m sure to get my break. \*\* I see where the disconnect is, I think. That 15 minutes of break time, at least for my company, is paid off-time. Strictly speaking, we work 3 hours and 45 minutes, and the other 15 minutes is a short break taken in the middle of that time. Since it’s paid time, though, it’s counted to make the total 4 hours. From what you said in the OP, it sounded like your company had a similar policy. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2003, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-revolves-around-smokers/220927/57 "2003-12-26T02:23:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BayleDomon \* > \*\*I see where the disconnect is, I think. That 15 minutes of break time, at least for my company, is paid off-time. Strictly speaking, we work 3 hours and 45 minutes, and the other 15 minutes is a short break taken in the middle of that time. Since it’s paid time, though, it’s counted to make the total 4 hours. From what you said in the OP, it sounded like your company had a similar policy. \*\* Yeah, except someone’s being a Type-A hardass. I’m sorry, but the days of employee loyalty are dead. The corporations killed them themselves. I do my job, and I do it well, but if my employers expect me to do extra, they’re paying me extra for it. I don’t shrug off breaks. I don’t shrug off lunches. I’m entitled by law in this state to those things. I take them. Now, for a small-business employee whose boss is actually a nice person and cares about his/her employees, then I’d be helping out where I could. But for a huge corporation like I’m working for now? Uh-uh. Smoker or not, I’d be well away from my desk during break and lunch. ---
**Author:** ![Palewriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/db5fbb/32.png) [@Palewriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palewriter)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2003, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-revolves-around-smokers/220927/58 "2003-12-26T02:46:45Z")
Jeez, you guys sound like robots. “15 minutes off-time?” Gimme a break. I’ve smoked these 40 years and still like it. You have a problem with that? Kiss my ass. At work, I’ll take as many breaks as I need to. I’m still thinking about work while I’m smoking. Sometimes I get my best ideas while I’m out on the patio taking a drag. - PW ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2003, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-revolves-around-smokers/220927/59 "2003-12-26T03:29:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Palewriter \* > Jeez, you guys sound like robots. “15 minutes off-time?” Gimme a break. I’ve smoked these 40 years and still like it. You have a problem with that? Kiss my ass. At work, I’ll take as many breaks as I need to. I’m still thinking about work while I’m smoking. Sometimes I get my best ideas while I’m out on the patio taking a drag. Preach it, brother! Can I get a hallelujah? ---
**Author:** ![Dizzy\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dizzy\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dizzy_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2003, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-revolves-around-smokers/220927/60 "2003-12-26T04:34:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ellis Dee \* > \*\*Can I get a hallelujah? \*\* No. 😛 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-revolves-around-smokers/220927.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-revolves-around-smokers/220927.md?page=4)