How can I defend myself against cigarette smoke?

First, let me say that I smoked for ten years and quit five years ago.

Sure, I can usually walk wide to stay out of the path of sidewalk smokers, but there are those who light-up as I walk by (even while I'm carrying my 11-month-old daughter).

With the correlation between cigarette smoke and various health ailments, I wonder if I could take justifiable action that would be considered self-defense.

Not really wanting to slap the nicotine addict, I was thinking of something without violence - like flicking the cigarette out of his/her mouth, or spraying water on the lit cigarette.

You can claim that smoking is a choice which we each have the freedom to make, but this freedom is infringing on the health of ourselves and the health of our children. I am looking for some measure of self-defense against the continued pollution to my body.

So, what can I/we legally do to thwart the invasion of the air we breathe with these known carcinogens?

Whether you agree or disagree, smokers have the freedom to choose whether they risk their own health by smoking or not. I agree that they should not endanger the health of others by smoking in close proximity to others; however, unless there is a specific by-law or law preventing their smoking in a public place, you cannot legally prevent someone from exercising their legal right to smoke in public, especially if it is outdoors. While you could choose to use words to persuade someone to put out their cigarette (at the risk of being assaulted yourself), if you use any physical means to interfere with their legal right to smoke in public, you could find yourself behind bars, charged with assault and battery. If you feel strongly about this issue, devote your energy to lobbying politicians to introduce a public smoking ban in your community, state or country. Don't pick on individual smokers. Remember, most of them are addicts who cannot easily quit smoking, even if they wanted to. If you must lay blame on someone for smokers affecting public health, blame tobacco companies for pedaling this drug, and the politicians who have allowed this to happen for so long, and, even now, refuse to do enough to stop this menace to public health.

Every time they walk by you, or you walk by them, cough like you're having a serious asthma attack.
:)

u have a choice to do what u need to do to stay away from it while i have a choice to light up where i want.

I hope you're joking. Of course you can't do any of those things. Don't go places where there is smoke and if you're outside, just move away from the person. If you knock a cigarette out of someone's hand or mouth or spray them with water......You'll be arrested for assault. Guaranteed. You just can't do that.

If you are so concerned about breathing carcinogens what are you doing walking on a city street with a baby in your arms. The exhaust from passing cars and buses will make you sick far more quickly than an occasional sniff of someone's cigarette.

How about this: You have an 11 month old daughter, which means you have sex. Sex can spread viruses to others, some that can kill you. So, how about I just slap your baby out of your arms?

Makes about as much sense as your gibberish.