Daytona Speedway to ban smoking in the grandstands

[URY914]

Daytona International Speedway | Bans Smoking | Tobacco | The Daily Caller


This Sunday’s Sprint Cup Series Daytona 500 will mark one of the last days fans will be permitted to light up in the grandstands at the Daytona International Speedway.

Starting this summer, a smoking ban will prevent Daytona Speedway attendees from smoking in their seats. Smokers will instead have to go to designated smoking areas behind the grandstand.


“It is the year 2012,” Speedway president Joie Chitwood III said, according to the Daytona Beach News-Journal. “I am not aware of any other sporting venue in Florida that allows smoking in their seats.”

Speedway spokesman Lenny Santiago explained to The Daily Caller that fan feedback was another reason for the ban.

“It was time for us to move in this direction and join the other major facilities and other venues in the state and across the country that are going smoke free,” Santiago said.

“We do realize that we have fans that smoke, so we are conscious of that and are offering areas where they can continue to do so in a way and in a place that is not intrusive or offensive to other fans,” he added.

The new rules will not have an impact on Sunday’s race — although attendees will be asked to voluntarily refrain from smoking in the grandstands. The first race that will see enforcement of the ban is the Coke Zero 400 on July 7.

NASCAR goes PC. They sure won't be doing this if Winston still had thier name on it. Will they ban beer next? Will they ban mullets? Will they ban farting? It's a slippery slope......

[exc911ence]

I support the smoking ban, and would support a mullet ban as well.

[Tim Hancock]

I don't smoke, but I despise smoking bans. I choose to wear a motorcycle helmet, but I despise mandatory helmet laws. I choose to wear seat belts, but I despise seat belt laws. etc etc.......

[Zeke]

It's not the same, Tim. I absolutely hate it when someone lights up a hooter but I support legalizing marijuana. Anyway, the smokers can either get a spot in the infield or maybe Daytona could allow smoking in Chicken Bone Alley (the back straight) stands.

[Joe Bob]

[masraum]

I don't smoke. My parents did. I don't even like when I'm stuck at a stop light with the windows down and smoke is blowing into my car from the next car over. If I was going to be in the grandstands, I'd support that ban.

[WolfeMacleod]

I'm not sure I understand the reasoning behind the smoking ban... at a racetrack. What with the exhaust from the cars, smoking tires, and all...

[porsche4life]

Tim, I'm fine if you want to shorten your life, but please don't shorten mine. Hence the smoking ban.

[Flieger]

Originally Posted by masraum

i don't smoke. My parents did. I don't even like when i'm stuck at a stop light with the windows down and smoke is blowing into my car from the next car over. If i was going to be in the grandstands, i'd support that ban.

+1

[on2wheels52]

Just watching your back Sid.
Jim

[dhoward]

Originally Posted by Tim Hancock

I don't smoke, but I despise smoking bans. I choose to wear a motorcycle helmet, but I despise mandatory helmet laws. I choose to wear seat belts, but I despise seat belt laws. etc etc.......

+1

And people really get me over the percieved risk to their health because they smelled cigarette smoke.

I haven't smoked for years, but when I did, I was pretty careful not to bother other people with it. Unbelieveable how many people would sit down next to you at a bar, while you were smoking and then complain about it. One year I was a volunteer at a charity event in a local park. I was very careful to position myself downwind from anyone else. Some guy had the audacity to tell me that the smoke from my cigarette was bothering his wife who had lost her mother to breast cancer WTF???

[nota]

anti-smoking nazi's suck

[cstreit]

Originally Posted by masraum

I don't smoke. My parents did. I don't even like when I'm stuck at a stop light with the windows down and smoke is blowing into my car from the next car over. If I was going to be in the grandstands, I'd support that ban.

...but the hydrocarbon laden exhaust is okay? Why aren't you complaining about the idling bus on the other side? What about the coal power plant down the road? I always get a 'kick' out of the "no-smoking here" outside airports as I'm smelling half-burned jet and diesel fuel roiling through the lower deck choking out all life. Fairly specific about what bothers some people...

[URY914]

Do you guys know why smoking was banned on airliners?

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by nota

anti-smoking nazi's suck

Litter bug smokers suck, and stink.

[cstreit]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

Litter bug smokers suck, and stink.

..people that make over-broad generalizations... well... you get it...

[Head416]

Originally Posted by dhoward

I was pretty careful not to bother other people with it.

Maybe you did a good job of it, maybe not. I see smokers all the time who THINK they aren't bothering anbody with their smoke, but don't realize how disgusting it is for people who choose not to smoke and get it blown in their faces anyway.

Cars at stoplights are a good example.
And douchebags standing right outside the front doors of restaurants.

It's like somebody driving down a residential street late at night bumping bass and thinking what they do is their business and not anybody else's.

[pwd72s]

Gawd...spare me from the behavior zealots!

Tell me again about the school that said mom's turkey sandwich, banana, fruit juice, and chips wan't a proper school lunch...you people supporting the nanny state are going to eventually get what you wish. Just don't be a whiner when your life is affected...

[VaSteve]

I love racing. I love freedom. I don't mind smoking esp outdoors, but my wife really does. It makes her sick so if next to me at a racetrack where someone was smoking, shed be sick and ***** to me. No fun. Then you have drunk people not watching what they are doing holding a lit smoke. A kids head is about "hand height" on an adult. An 1800 degree cigarette in the face isn't pleasent, I don't care who you are. I support this.

You can't smoke in the stands at WGI. I think you can RIR....well, it IS Richmond.

[cstreit]

...and yes Grandstands are a little cozy to allow anyone to smoke, I agree with that.

..so I can see complaining if someone is blowing smoke in your face, or dropping ashes in your soup... ...but these ninnies that claim smelling a cig from 15 or 20' away OUTSIDE and that it makes you sick is pure psychosomatic baloney. Yeah, perhaps an open sewer or rotting meat, okay... but a little smoke? Car exhaust and other common outside scents are just as bad worse but you don't see people swooning when they walk near the street...

Sorry, not buyin' it...