"No Smoking" signs in Trek Films - fun to discuss!

[RapidNadion]

This came up in another thread somewhere on the BBS, and I'm sure it's been talked about before, but does anyone have a comprehensive list of all of the appearances of "no smoking" signs in Trek films, and where they were mounted? The only ones I'm aware of (thanks to the folks here on the board) are:

• in the transporter room on the Enterprise in TWOK and TSFS, and
• (I think) outside the doors to the Kobayashi Maru simulator in TWOK.

What I think would be fun to discuss is the nature of these signs. Why, for example, is smoking not allowed in the transporter room? Does it have to do with a desire to avoid suspended particulate matter in proximity to the pad, or is it a general "Welcome Aboard - now don't you dare smoke anywhere on this ship" notice?

And outside the simulator (if it is indeed there): no smoking ... why? To avoid setting off the stunt pyrotechnics built into the faux bridge?

Also ... I wonder if the 1701R had designated smoking areas, for when the "smoking lamp" was lit.

Thoughts? Additional smoking sign sightings?

 

[sbk1234]

Considering the No SMoking signs were a Nicholas Meyer thing for TWOK, I wouldn't expect to see them before. As I understand it, Roddenberry didn't much like the idea of Trek folk smoking. Meyer thought it was the kind of real world details that would work well on screen. Therefore I wouldn't expect that any Trek production with ROddenberry's involvement would include them, which would really only mean TNG in modern Trek. We did see St. John Talbot smoking in Trek V, but again, Roddenberry didn't have much to do with it, and felt that much of the film was apocrophyl. (I know, I can't spell.)

 

[Yeoman Randi]

Your question makes me wonder...did we ever see anyone smoking anywhere in trek? i cant remember an instance where we did. One would hope that at that point in time no one would still be smoking. Interesting question!

 

[Neumann]

Your question makes me wonder...did we ever see anyone smoking anywhere in trek? i cant remember an instance where we did. One would hope that at that point in time no one would still be smoking. Interesting question!

Yes!!! Martia on Star Trek VI, and the was the sexiest weirdo-alien/villian we've had! Kirk also smokes in that scene, like a real Macho Captain

 

[T J]

Kirk and the changeling shared a smoke in ST6 on the Klingon prison planet.

^^ Beat me to it!

 

[Dane_Whitman]

Your question makes me wonder...did we ever see anyone smoking anywhere in trek? i cant remember an instance where we did. One would hope that at that point in time no one would still be smoking. Interesting question!

As sbk1234 mentioned, David Warner's character in Trek V smokes. Also, Kirk smokes a cigar in TUC and a female character in the VOY episode Ex Post Facto is seen smoking.

 

[tharpdevenport]

Q gave Picard a cigar in "Q Who".

 

[SchwEnt]

I believe the first time smoking is seen anywhere in any ST was Picard getting a butt in the Dixon Hill program in "The Big Goodbye".

 

[Yeoman Randi]

Ok, yes i do remember Martia smoking.....but Kirk did too? Geez, i don't remember that. And i watched 6 only a few weeks ago! *sigh* A mind is a terrible thing to lose. Thanks for answering me guys!

 

[Sky]

McCoy is clearly smoking something when he operates on Sarek.

(Which is not in a film but anyway)

 

[Trekker4747]

Yeah, at the end of ST6's Director's Cut Kirk smokes a cigar with Bones on the Enterprise's balcony.

 

[Cryogenic]

One point to chew on:

I don't think it's necessarily that no-one can, or should, smoke plant leaves in Star Trek's 23rd Century. Rather, I think the presence of signs that enjoin, "No Smoking", and variants thereof, naturally imply that smoking must be widespread if people are being told not to smoke, and on starship bridges, at that. In my opinion, this cute "in-joke" is nothing of the sort, but is a very contrived and stupid piece of retrograde thinking, or no thinking at all.

 

[Trekker4747]

It's possible that while humans may have for the most part given up smoking, alien species may not have.

 

[Cryogenic]

It's possible that while humans may have for the most part given up smoking, alien species may not have.

Yeah, but Starfleet is still a human-centric organisation. Its headquarters are on Earth and it stuffs its starships full of human mouth-breathers. And why should anyone serving in Starfleet, much less aboard a starship, have to be reminded not to smoke? Shouldn't that be a given? And shouldn't they have read it and heard it in a thousand training manuals and lectures? The whole gag -- in my opinion -- is baloney.

 

[Mysterion]

Considering the No SMoking signs were a Nicholas Meyer thing for TWOK, I wouldn't expect to see them before. As I understand it, Roddenberry didn't much like the idea of Trek folk smoking. Meyer thought it was the kind of real world details that would work well on screen. Therefore I wouldn't expect that any Trek production with ROddenberry's involvement would include them, which would really only mean TNG in modern Trek. We did see St. John Talbot smoking in Trek V, but again, Roddenberry didn't have much to do with it, and felt that much of the film was apocrophyl. (I know, I can't spell.)

See this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRWWfsFr24I at about 4:30.

Roddenberry seems to acknowledge the "No Smoking" sign in the transporter room, and sort of implies it is his idea.

 

[AdmiralGarak]

I would think 'no smoking' on starships would be a given. On the list of stupid things to do, that ranks above licking the third rail of a subway line.

 

[The Grim Ghost]

Why shouldn't people smoke in the future? Cancer has probably been cured, and they probably would have advanced cigarettes/cigars that aren't harmful to people's health at that point anyway.

 

[sbk1234]

Considering the No SMoking signs were a Nicholas Meyer thing for TWOK, I wouldn't expect to see them before. As I understand it, Roddenberry didn't much like the idea of Trek folk smoking. Meyer thought it was the kind of real world details that would work well on screen. Therefore I wouldn't expect that any Trek production with ROddenberry's involvement would include them, which would really only mean TNG in modern Trek. We did see St. John Talbot smoking in Trek V, but again, Roddenberry didn't have much to do with it, and felt that much of the film was apocrophyl. (I know, I can't spell.)

See this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRWWfsFr24I at about 4:30.

Roddenberry seems to acknowledge the "No Smoking" sign in the transporter room, and sort of implies it is his idea.

It seems to me that his idea was nobody would smoke at all. The "No Smoking" sign he was alluding to was created for the movies; specifically, I believe, TWOK, which Gene had basically nothing to do with, production wise. The sign would seem to indicate that smoking was very much alive and well, since obviously people needed to be reminded not to do it.

 

[Doug Otte]

...On the list of stupid things to do, that ranks above licking the third rail of a subway line.

Uh-oh! Now you tell me!

Doug

 

[JarodRussell]

One point to chew on:

I don't think it's necessarily that no-one can, or should, smoke plant leaves in Star Trek's 23rd Century. Rather, I think the presence of signs that enjoin, "No Smoking", and variants thereof, naturally imply that smoking must be widespread if people are being told not to smoke, and on starship bridges, at that. In my opinion, this cute "in-joke" is nothing of the sort, but is a very contrived and stupid piece of retrograde thinking, or no thinking at all.

They still drink coffee and alcohol, so they also smoke. Even more so when you think that medical advancements will make every sort of cancer treatable.