Smoking Ban

[DonRamos]

Not so much lost votes as lost revenue.

 

Fags are 75% tax.

 

If everybody quit imagine how much tax revenue they would loose.

[Scopex]

Not so much lost votes as lost revenue.

If everybody quit imagine how much tax revenue they would loose.

 

True, but think of all the premature deaths it would prevent, so surely a price worth paying?

 

Can't see what all the fuss is about really, smoking is a harmfull, expensive, nasty addiction which leads to reduced health and early deaths, including those affected by others second hand smoke. Ban it in all public places asap. The benefits would be immense.

 

Of course the smokers will bleat about their rights being infringed and its thier own personal choice, nope don't think so, it's an addiction and a harmful one at that, the personal choice issue doesn't wash with heroin users so why should it with smokers! Ban 'em all!!

 

And yep you've guessed it, I'm an Ex-smoker!!

[DonRamos]

Of course the health benefits are massive, but I'm sure the government is more concerned about the economy than everybodies health.

 

Otherwise smoking would of been banned years ago, along with drinking, red meat, and loads of other stuff that is harmful.

 

Anybody ever seen Demolition Man? Ring any bells?

[n4lly]

Ex smokers are the worst type

 

I smoke, but never in an eating establishment, public transport, in the company

of children etc. not by legisation but because of common decency.

 

Ever tried eating a full english in a transport cafe ?? Gag!

 

There's a point, what will happen to the transport cafe's ?

 

I dont care about this bill, i enjoy a drink and a smoke in/with my own company and space.

[Gaz51]

On many occasions I have been told I am a "considerate smoker", many people had no idea I even smoked.

 

WHY?

 

Because I don't smoke in other peoples faces or space.

I enjoy some of my fags, OK, the others are part of the disgusting habit I have. However, I don't believe in subjecting others (especially non smokers) to the effects of my habit.

 

After a night in the pub I come home and wreak of cigarette smoke, not nice.

 

Many's the time we've been round at friends houses and I've been offered an ashtray. Green light to spark up.........no chance. I refuse to smoke in anybodies house who don't smoke themselves. I don't smoke in my own house for the sake of the kids. Yes, sometimes I've been stood outside in the depths of winter freezing my rocks off thinking "What the hell am I doing this for?"

 

It's personal choice but if more people had a bit more consideration for others I don't think there would be half as much of a problem.

[DonRamos]

It's personal choice but if more people had a bit more consideration for others I don't think there would be half as much of a problem.

 

Well said Gaz

[habilis]

I agree with Gaz regarding "considerate smoking". I'm puzzled about pubs though.

 

Ive spent quite some time in pubs, more behind the mahogany than in front, and there is no excuse for a smoke-laden atmosphere. At a cost, granted, modern "air scrubbers" ensure a crystal-clear atmosphere. If you work in a pub, you take the work knowing full well that you'll be passive smoking. I posted a notice, politely requesting cigar and pipe smokers not to do so at the bar as we found this smoke quite offensive. We made it clear they were welcome to smoke elsewhere within the pub.

 

Whilst smokers constitute a minority overall, a simple straw-poll will usually find them in the majority amongst regulars in a pub, particularly if their workplace has a no-smoking policy. Particularly amongst those small, "back-street" pubs, the economic effect would be devastating. And don't tell me those same pubs would suddenly become packed with the non-smoking locals hitherto unseen: there's a rule in the trade - "Good chimney-pots, empty pub". It's based on the socio-economic grouping of smoking - the higher the grouping, higher the house-status, more disposable income vested in house, more likely to stay indoors with a good bottle of wine, evidenced by the contents of their recycling boxes.

 

Legislate for clean air in pubs, encourage "considerate smoking", live and let live.

[Scopex]

Ex smokers are the worst type

 

I always thought dead smokers were worse!

 

Agree 100% with Daz with regards consideration of others but unfortunately very few smokers give that much consideration for others hence the importance of this bill.

 

I'm not one of these fire and brimstone Ex-smokers, thankfully, but still find it odd that many still class smoking as a habit and not an addiction? Heroin use simply couldn't be classed a habit neither should smoking as they are both addictive substances.

 

I fully endorse any form of public ban that would protect the public and may help dissuade youngsters from starting in the first place.

[Steve Walker]

The ban in Ireland, great, no smelly fags, no smell on your clothes.

 

I dont think this government or any future government will ever decide about this issue, how many smokers in the UK, lost votes spring to mind !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

See, this is what I don't get. There must be millions of people like Andrew who want non-smoking pubs and, given the choice, who would use them instead of the smoking ones.

 

So if there's this huge demand for smoke-free pubs, why aren't most pubs non-smoking? It's an economic no-brainer for the landlord. We've got five pubs on the high street, all of which allow smoking. Surely if one of them banned smoking it would immediately put the other four out of business?

 

The only conclusions I can think of are:

 

It hasn't been tried, there's a massive untapped market and I should immediately get into the smoke-free pub business.

 

It's been tried, and for some reason it doesn't work.

[Andrew]

It's personal choice but if more people had a bit more consideration for others I don't think there would be half as much of a problem.

 

Top man Gaz

 

There's no answer to this situation IMHO, whatever the government decide to do, in the publics eye they will be wrong.

 

Ex smokers are the worst type

 

To true, i'm one of them, smoked from 13 years old, had an health scare then never smoked since. I cannot for the life of me think why i ever lit/took that first ciggy, i hate the smell of them, heck i even walk over the other side of the road if the person in front is bellowing smoke.

 

I was like Gaz, never smoked in a non smokers house, car,even the garden. I stood outside of my back door smoking my ciggy as tho there was no tomorrow, rain, hail, snow, whatever.

 

On holidays if anyone sat with us, non smokers, i would not light up,

 

Gaz have you thought about packing them in !!!

Edited October 26, 2005 by Andrew