Smoking ban

Well a victory for common sence at last.

BBC News

The previous attempt was going to be so unworkable, now if they can sort the hunting ban out.....

Tories got there in the end.

 

Good good!

 

I think this will be better for business. I'm pretty sure ( but not completely certain ) that the ban comes into force in Scotland very soon , possibly 1st March.
I have two village pubs opposite each other just 2 or 300 yards down the road. I often fancy nipping down the pub for a quick pint , however they are pretty basic village 'working mens' bars, and typically a high percentage of regulars smoke, the air is often so thick with cigarette smoke that my eyes sting. I am an ex-smoker and even i suffer badly, so i can't imagine what it is like for anybody who hasn't taken the weed.

It isn't even the health issue that bothers me so much, it is just the smell and thought of coming home an hour or so later after a just couple of 'sharp ones' with my clothes reeking of tobacco. Basically it's just not worth the hassle.

Now that the smoking ban will be in place i'm determined to get my real (as opposed to virtual) social life back .
With a total ban, any regulars who might have abandoned ship to drink in a 'smoking pub' now won't have that option and so will just have to huddle round the sand bucket out the back, every 30 minutes

 

26th March. A good thing, long overdue. Let's just hope that the 'stick' is nasty enough to ensure the pubs stick to, um, the 'carrot'. If you get my drift.

 

Will be interesting to know how they intend to police this. But I agree with S&C in that it will be nice to go out in an evening with friends and not come home smelling like an ash tray, it is a disgusting stench, just can't understand wehre Boney Blair's head was at when he came up his first idea, must have been smoking something himself

 

It works a treat in Dublin. Something to do with the huge fine if you break the ban! Doesn't stop 'em going out either - I was in a pub at 2.00am on a Tues night/Weds morning in January. Crazy!

Cheers

Rich

 

Yeah I was quite shocked just how well it worked in Ireland, Dublin still have great night life despite the ban.

They will police it with fines and heavy fines.

I personaly think its a good thing, a lot of the places I go now are those modern big airy pubs, my local irish club and bigger indie clubs. None of these places are that smokey. However I do go to Rileys snooker club very frequently and always come back stinking like mad.

Apart from Rileys are I avoid all the smokey places now, this ban should be very good as it means I can have a good night out with out stinking.

 

They banned smoking in all Swiss trains as of 1 January this year. Marvellous! Funnily enough, many non-smokers initially didn't go near what were smoking compartments, so I was always guaranteed a big choice of seats! Unfortunately, they're now catching on...

 

Personally I still feel pubs should be able to have waivers stating they are "smoke friendly" and that staff working there then have to sign a health waiver. It's not like bar work is difficult to find. Sorry and all that.

For small villages etc, I can see a potential problem if the boozer is a smokey one, but so what? Life's not fair. You don't HAVE to go to the pub do you?

What'll you do when they realise that - shock horror - alcohol is bad for you? Where'll your precious pubs be then!?

Having said that, I've now not smoked ciggies in 5 weeks, and love the one non-smoking pub Exeter has, even though they can't keep beer for sh**!

The smokey clothes thing is totally rank, imho.

Even when I did smoke, I loathed ANYONE smoking anywhere near me when I was trying to eat - how people can smoke and eat at the same time is totally beyond me...

 

The difference is though with alchohol with the fast majority of people they don't harm those around them that don't wish to drink alchohol. With smoking you are harming all those around you and is not fair to make them stay at home because of a minority of smokers.

 

Ah - but where is the DEFINITIVE proof (without propaganda) that PASSIVE smoking directly causes cancer? We know it causes all kinds of other illnesses, but???

Detection rates for cancer have gone up due to improvements in screening, and the numbers of people smoking have been in decline for years. Now if that's so, how come cancer rates are still rocketing upwards?

I'd not mind betting there's something in car exhaust fumes that causes lung cancer - and you can bet as a now-ex-smoker that I'm totally fed up with being forced to ingest car fumes no matter where I go. I don't see anyone blathering on about that though.

And no, I don't mind smokers - unless I'm trying to eat something

 

As i stated in my post it isn't about the health issues it is just the stink ! A non smoker doesn't directly effect any smokers in their vicinity by there no smoking habit , however a stinky smoker effects every person in their immediate vicinity by their smelly, filthy, proven to be unhealthy habit. I really don't think there is much to discuss.

I can recall years ago when i was a smoker i still used to sit in the non smoking comparments of trains and then go up to the smoker if i fancied a fag.

At work we have 2 smokers. Even though they smoke outside the back door, if the wind is blowing in the wrong direction you can still smell their cigarette smoke in the office if they've jammed the (fire) door open. The smell lingers for ages and actually makes me feel ill, how is this fair ?
BTW, i just go a close the door now and tell them to knock when they want to be let in again, this can be some time, especially if it is really cold and frosty

 

How's this, Dom?
http://www.ash.org.uk/html/passive/html/passive.html
Many of the components of tobacco smoke are extremely carcinogenic, so inhaling someone else's smoke must increase, even slightly, your risk of contracting it.

Quite simply because there are so many more carcinogenic/mutagenic substances in the environment, including the stuff from...

No betting required, undoubtedly true. The worst of all are diesel fumes, which are laden with extremely fine soot particles, which are not only small enough to get right into your lungs, but also are full of really nasty chemical species that are often carcinogenic. The sooner they put particle filters on all diesels (currently under consideration in Switzerland) the better.

Very good of you, Dom. I mind them, all the time.

 

I think they could have compromised with banning smoking in any place that serves or sells food or drink of any description.

Ummm... I'll get me coat.

 

Anyway, smokers stink. I recall my youthful days spent a wenching of an evening. You'd see a really nice looking girl, only to find out she reeked like a lum and smelt awful. Why anyone would ever take up smoking is beyond me...

I think the penalty for defying the band should be mincer.

After all, there's a lot of dogs to feed in this world.

 

The problem with that is pubs would just stop serving food.

 

Ahh, but they couldn't stop selling drink, could they?

 

Sorry I was dopy there I didn't see the joke Yes that would be a very good idea.

 

Personally, I'm pleased that this looks like it's going to happen. I hate the smell of smoke, both in the air and on clothes, and don't particularly like my eyes stinging as a result of it. Shame it couldn't happen sooner.

The point about people not having to go to the pub if they don't like smoke... I thought pubs existed to sell drinks to customers? That is more important than providing a dry haven for those intent on fast-tracking themselves to lung disease. Granted, some pubs will probably go out of business, but they'll be the ones that are barely scratching a living now. If they can't adapt their business, then inevitably they might not survive. It's business, no room for sentimentality.

With regard to fining, I believe there are proposals that anyone caught breaking the ban would receive a £2000 fine, and even stricter fines for the venue for not policing it properly.

 

OK - I always forget about tailor made fags - but what about rollups? How much crud do those put out? It's a known fact that tailors have thousands of mucky ingredients to make them burn evenly... Just curious here?

Excellent! Good to see the government have an even-handed approach to nannying us into health then. Any ideas whether the amount of crud coming out of an averagely busy (let alone Heavitree Fore Street-busy) road's traffic compares to, say, being in a pub with 30 smokers?? I'd love to know the answer to that one!