Smoking in zoos, yes or no?

Should zoos ban smoking?

  • Yes

    Votes: 52 40.6%

  • No, but it should be restricted to certain areas

    Votes: 56 43.8%

  • No

    Votes: 20 15.6%
  • Total voters
    128
Javan Rhino

Javan Rhino

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
So here's one I was thinking about. Simply, should smoking be banned from zoos? Or restricted to certain areas, or left as it is (with most zoos currently opting for the actual law, saying that it must be in the open, not in a building).

I'm a strong believer that it should be regulated. I don't want to stop smokers enjoying a day with a cigarette, what I do want though is for me and the animals to breathe clean air.

A couple of examples to share. I was at Chester last Saturday, and I was [by misfortune] twice stood next to a smoker whilst trying to photograph the animals. These people had no consideration that they were blowing the smoke straight into my face. Now, before anybody says 'why didn't I just move' it is because there was a crowd, and that was the only opening where I could get my monopod. I'm sure their cigarettes could have waited until they were in a quieter area and away from a crowd.

Another, much worse, example is when I saw somebody smoking at the Welsh Mountain Zoo. The spider monkey was right up to the wire with its face practically pressed against it. Of course, this person then thought it would be quite funny to BLOW THE SMOKE IN THE MONKEY'S FACE :eek:.

So, what do you think? In my opinion, zoos should ban smoking unless in a designated 'smoking area,' away from other non-smoking guests and animals.
 
I would say designated areas because if you say no, people will still try and do it anyway- anywhere in the park that they think they can get away with it, whereas if there is a designated area that is well signposted and away from any busy areas or animals then smokers are more likely to notice and obey the rules.

At my local zoo, they didn't have any specific smoking areas, but the public voted to have them put in (little wooden huts-maybe not the best idea for the fire risk but anyway...) and I have seen people use them.
 
Being a nonsmoker, I would say yes to banning it. Although I know people are still going to do it. At my old university, they have a ban on smoking throughout the entire campus, but you'll see many people still doing it. I would suggest a designated smoking area, but somewhere away from animals. At the Seneca Park Zoo they have it in the area located next to wallabies, which I always felt bad that they had to deal with the smoke floating over to their exhibit.
 
As you can probably guess from my examples, I'm a non-smoker. I like the idea of the huts, and it is nice to hear about people using them. I think if it were banned, then (especially on busy days) people may not run the risk of a fine (they don't know who will report them), however it may put some people off going if they can't have the freedom to smoke at least somewhere. It is almost a human right, just as food, drink and toilets are (in the workplace, it is against rights not to provide smoking breaks etc).

I think if the zoo has space, they should adopt a 'smoking zone' policy. It could even just be little shelters in tucked away corners.
 
I think a ban would be fine. It took a while for people to catch on to the smoking ban in pubs but nobody does it now do they? And you never see smoking in aquariums because people know they shouldn't.
Besides the animals health, there are a lot of children at the zoo, who really don't need to be breathing smoke.
Nothing stops them going outside if needs be.
 
I have to disagree with the point above. Most pubs have areas within the pub you can smoke, even if it is outside. BUT I believe there should be designated areas for staff that smoke. So there are times I have not left the zoo at all in 5 days. In NSW atleast the government zoos will always be smoke free. All NSW government buildings and businesses are. I'm at the zoo right now it's ten at night and if i was a smoker, I would have been forced to go without even now. I do believe public areas should have a ban though.
 
Sorry, I take back my disagreeing. As I'm not sure what the situation is in the uk, but here in aid a number of pubs built special smoking rooms that allow the public to be inside and smoke (smoking rooms that are 50% open And 50% closed) as well as opening balconies and improving beer gardens.
 
Sorry, I forget that people on zoochat aren't always british. Over here it is the case that nobody can smoke inside at all, so pubs/restaurants etc you always have to go outside to smoke. As for keepers, surely they can go outside too?
 
It is a big zoo. And Not only keepers. I'm not allowed to leave the site at all until 10 tomorrow morning (which doesn't bother me but a heavy smoker would go nuts) I also spent time living in the zoo. Would you really want to get in your car and have to go for a drive to have a smoke. Any smoking areas should not be near heavy traffic public areas or other non smoking staff. Luckily, I wasn't a smoker while I was living on site. Another BUT. Not being able to smoke at work did make quitting easier for me.
 
Devi just a quick one since they banned smoking in pubs we now have 39 pubs a week closing
Fair enough they can not all be blamed on smoking but according to the brewery trade 95% can be
There should be areas asigned for Smoking in all public gathering facillities
Do not make zoos the new pubs
 
I think smokers should have an enclosed, glass walled room into which non-smoking zoo patrons can observe them while reading educational exhibit graphics on the dangers of smoking.............
 
I agree. And all Non-Smokers should be kept in glass rooms also bechaus eof the all otherd angers of life....By the way, my grampa is now 88, and he started smoking in an age of 16....So I advice all non-smokers to stop eating, most of our food is absolutly not healthy and so amny people die on a heart attakc because they are to fat......

No Smoking in Zoos ? So please forbid also eating and drinking in zoso, so the people can't feed the animals. And by the way, its disgusting to see all the fat people,espeiclly in the Usa in Zoos, Buaäh.

What comes next ? Forbidding breathing in Zoos ? I've never met so extreme people like the humans in the USA. Violence is okay, Eating all the time fast food is okay,doing wars and killing people for money is okay, but smoking and S...E...X thats sooooo evil.....
 
Tarsius - I'm sorry you were so offended that was meant as a joke. I think the difference between horrible eating habits and smoking is that you are effecting everyone around you (including animals) when smoking....and your grandpa is a lucky man i have known many people that have died from lung cancer.

I also think you are being unbelievably unfair to say that all americans are okay w/ violence, obesity, wars, and killing people for money......i think i am not the one being extreme here.

On a more reasonable note....having designated areas is what i voted for because i think it is the most fair to everyone involved.
 
Don't get me started on lung cancer my best friend died 2 years ago from lung cancer
and had never smoked in his whole life at the inquest it was said that his lungs were full of lead but they wouldn't state lead poisoning on the death report it was put down to passive smoking
His job CAR MACHANIC

Smoking was ok in the 60's & 70's unlead petrol is good for us in 00's & 10's

And as for people being obese if they were to take the chemicals out of nearly all foods then most people would not have this reaction to food nowadays

Again is this good for us
 
@Drew. In more than 250 years after opening of the first zoo in the world in vienna, itw as allowed to the visitos to smoke, and not only one animal has died becauseof smoke from cigarettes , but thousands of animals in zoos has died because people has fed them by food , which they have bought in the zoo! Animals do not have problems with cigarette smoke, so I can't understand why it is forbiden to smoke in OUITDOOR areas in zoos, its just becuas ethe extreme non-smokers.I know a lot animal keepers, which are smoking in front of their animals, so why not ? Some animals even like the smoke !

It would make more sense to forbid eating in zoos than smoking. I have never effecting any person by smoking, because I don't smoke while other persons eating or blowing them smoke in their faces. And I ask people, if they have problems if I smoke in their presents.

Their are so many diffrent kinds of cancer you can die on, lung cancer is just one of them.

And, non-smokers are mostly more extreem against what other people doing, they are more inconsiderate than all smokers I know, especially people in the USA.
 
Unfortunately not all smokers are as considerate as you are. You must know hang around with the right group of people because i have had countless encouters with jerks who have no consideration for other people and could care less if there were people (including my children) near them as they spew chemicals into the air. As to the keepers who smoke in front of thier animals....that just seems completely irresponsible and dangerous. Just because the animals "like" (did they tell you) the smoke doesn't mean that it's good for them.

As i said i don't think it should be forbidden just confined to certain areas.
 
Tarsius said:
@Drew. In more than 250 years after opening of the first zoo in the world in vienna, itw as allowed to the visitos to smoke, and not only one animal has died becauseof smoke from cigarettes , but thousands of animals in zoos has died because people has fed them by food , which they have bought in the zoo! Animals do not have problems with cigarette smoke, so I can't understand why it is forbiden to smoke in OUITDOOR areas in zoos, its just becuas ethe extreme non-smokers.I know a lot animal keepers, which are smoking in front of their animals, so why not ? Some animals even like the smoke !

It would make more sense to forbid eating in zoos than smoking. I have never effecting any person by smoking, because I don't smoke while other persons eating or blowing them smoke in their faces. And I ask people, if they have problems if I smoke in their presents.

Their are so many diffrent kinds of cancer you can die on, lung cancer is just one of them.

And, non-smokers are mostly more extreem against what other people doing, they are more inconsiderate than all smokers I know, especially people in the USA.
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I can see how people feeding animals is bad for them (and certainly don;t agree with it), but eating is essential, whereas smoking isn't. I'm not saying ban it, but restrict it to certain areas in the zoo. I'm glad that you are considerate, but some people aren't, and some people will smoke infront of non-smokers that don't want to have to breath in the smoke. I for one think it is horrible to get a gob-full of smoke, not because of health dangers etc, but simply because it is a disgusting taste. Also, somebody smoking next to you leaves a terrible smell on people's clothes.

I don't mind people smoking, but I'd rather they didn't smoke infront of me.
 
I brought this subject up on this forum in June 2009 - again after a visit to Chester. Obviously things havn't changed much.
I wouldn't expect zoo's to out and out ban smoking, but designated area's should be provided. The problem would be policing the restrictions - would staff be comfortable approaching a visitor who is smoking outside of an area and what could they do if the person refused to extinguish the cigerette? Probably easier to turn a blind eye.
 
I'm a hard-core smoker..let's put that right away. Banning smoking completely is rediculous in my opinion. Restricting it to certain areas: I agree. every visitor should have the freedom of doing what they like.. smoker and non-smoker. If there should be any prove that smoking in a zoo was bad for the animals... haha, make me laugh. Most zoo's are in urban areas so cars and big lorries should also be banned. I just want to say: in my opinion everybody must be able to be happy in the zoo.. smoker and non-smoker. So let's keep it to restricted area's. Last summer there was a verry dry period in the zoo were I work. We considered a temporary ban to prevent fire... In the same week that I was preparing the signs, it started raining again.. Thank God! ;-)
 
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