The Official UK Smoking Ban Thread!

Feedingstationvolunteer
edited June 2007 in Campaign
So its comin in on 1st July, pretty weeed off about it really, wont be too bad in summer apart from the concerts im going to but it'll be a bitch in winter going outside for a cig in the freezing cold! suppose its for the good of everybody but is it not true that there ISNT actually any real proof that 2nd hand smoke kills? i think that this ban will stop alot of people from starting smoking as myself and few others i know started smokin when was weeed in bars.

So what do you all think of the ban? will it work? will it be hard to enforce? will people listen?

Discuss.
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Comments

  • We've had the ban in force in Wales for a while and there's been no problem. Initially, there were rumours that in the rougher pubs it would be ignored and anyone who attempted to enforce it would get a beating, but after one pub had three enforcement visits on the first day, everyone accepted it and it's working without any problem.
  • I doubt it'll cause many problems, it's a shame it had to be legislated for, but I guess sometimes these things need to be done 'for the greater good'...
  • Keith Oates
    Keith Oates Posts: 22,036
    Like most things, the thought of it is actually worse than the real happening!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Ride Daily, Keep Healthy

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  • marinyork
    marinyork Posts: 271
    I think the ban is probably the best thing the New Labour Government has done (out of countless bad things). It's unfortunate that it's had to have been legislated on but we had decades to try the other way and it didn't work. Over the years there were various ideas to try and balance things up but there were very few smoke free pubs around and the smoke free areas were never effective, nor were landlords crazy ventilation schemes that they swore blind worked. I think it's a shame railway stations have started to go smoke free, it was one place I didn't have a problem with people smoking.

    It will work, it won't be hard to enforce. I think smoking is the only thing where people will accept the "nanny state" compared with speeding and alcohol so that is why I don't think it'll be hard to enforce.
  • papercorn2000
    papercorn2000 Posts: 4,517
    PROOF doesn't actually exist in science. There are correlations, possibilities, apparent relationships. Cast iron scientific proof only exists in the media, politics and in the minds of people who don't understand how science works.

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  • Melvil
    Melvil Posts: 2,219
    Yes, there is no actual proof that passive smoking will kill you but it smells, makes you cough and is generally unpleasant. I think even hardened smokers will agree that a smoky atmosphere is not actually that nice (apart from some who say it gives pubs 'romance' and 'character' - well, perhaps some pubs can install dry ice machines for a smoke-like effect)

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  • andyoxon
    andyoxon Posts: 2,205
    fsv, you might be interested in this... http://www.cyclingplus.co.uk/forum/topi ... _ID=130759

    andy

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  • Gary Askwith
    Gary Askwith Posts: 1,835
    Has Bonj got a brother?[;)]

    Economic Growth; as dead as a Yangtze River dolphin....

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  • Pingucp
    Pingucp Posts: 4,991
    <font color="purple">The smoking ban in Scotland has been fantastic. It took a couple of weeks for the stale fag smell to dissipate from some pubs but pubs are infinitely more pleasant to be in now [:)] No stinging eyes, no horrible smoke in the throat, no rancid clothes afterwards.

    And the probability of getting cancer from passive smoking has been reduced.

    Should've happened years ago.</font id="purple">

    <hr noshade size="1"><center><b><font color="green">Wear the fox hat.</font id="green">
    <font size="1">Cols d'cosse</b></font id="size1"></center>
  • rothbook
    rothbook Posts: 943
    Some Scottish and Irish pubs are spending money doing up the bogs cos the fag smoke obscured some equally unpleasant pongs...
  • <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Feedingstationvolunteer</i>

    So its comin in on 1st July, pretty weeed off about it really, wont be too bad in summer apart from the concerts im going to but it'll be a bitch in winter going outside for a cig in the freezing cold! suppose its for the good of everybody but is it not true that there ISNT actually any real proof that 2nd hand smoke kills? i think that this ban will stop alot of people from starting smoking as myself and few others i know started smokin when was weeed in bars.

    So what do you all think of the ban? will it work? will it be hard to enforce? will people listen?

    Discuss.
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    Scotland and Wales have had smoking bans in place for some time, each country has dofferent legislation so your thread title so not accurate.

    Experience in Scotland is that the ban is popular and pubs don't go out of business - decorators make lots of money because once you take away the smoke you see how grotty the paint is.

    _____________________________________________________________________
    Be nice to grumpy old men (or else)
  • marinyork
    marinyork Posts: 271
    Some nightclubs are wanting to pump out smells to replace the smell of tobacco smoke.
  • gavintc
    gavintc Posts: 3,009
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Feedingstationvolunteer</i>

    So its comin in on 1st July, pretty weeed off about it really, wont be too bad in summer apart from the concerts im going to but it'll be a bitch in winter going outside for a cig in the freezing cold! suppose its for the good of everybody but is it not true that there ISNT actually any real proof that 2nd hand smoke kills? i think that this ban will stop alot of people from starting smoking as myself and few others i know started smokin when was weeed in bars.

    So what do you all think of the ban? will it work? will it be hard to enforce? will people listen?

    Discuss.
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    I have no real sympathy for you and I take great amusement walking into pubs in Glasgow with the 'unclean' standing outside in a steady west coast drizzle, hunched shoulders, the cold wind making them huddle against the building. The pub itself is now a pleasant haven from the smoke filled entrance.
  • Noodley
    Noodley Posts: 1,725
    I am sure I heard on the radio news today that the age for buying cigarettes is being raised in Scotland from 16 to 18 - I was half asleep at the time so I may have been dreaming. This should lead to more people living longer and making use of the free personal care which so annoys spire - more of the same please. [:D]
  • <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Noodley</i>

    I am sure I heard on the radio news today that the age for buying cigarettes is being raised in Scotland from 16 to 18 - I was half asleep at the time so I may have been dreaming. This should lead to more people living longer and making use of the free personal care which so annoys spire - more of the same please. [:D]
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    Drug taking is also being made illegal so that'll be stopped too. [;)]
  • <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Peyote</i>

    ...it's a shame it had to be legislated for...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">Yes; you might think that people would have sufficient manners not to inflict their vile smoke on strangers in public places, mightn't you?
  • <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by NickM</i>

    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Peyote</i>

    ...it's a shame it had to be legislated for...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">Yes; you might think that people would have sufficient manners not to inflict their vile smoke on strangers in public places, mightn't you?
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    You would, unless those strangers had willingly gone into establishments were they knew that there was the possibility that smokers would be smoking![;)]
  • rothbook
    rothbook Posts: 943
    Not often willingly since there are so few non smoking bars. No choice.
  • bobbyp
    bobbyp Posts: 275
    Its been done to death I know but surely some sort of compromise could have been reached. After all, thats what we voted for at the last election. The manifesto promise had exclusions for various places with food, children etc. When it came to the actual vote the manifesto went out the window and MPs voted how they felt.

    Demoracy in action. A minority elect a set of people who then do what they want.
  • rothbook
    rothbook Posts: 943
    The ban will help people give up smoking. This is a Good Thing.
  • <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by bobbyp</i>

    The manifesto promise had exclusions for various places with food, children etc.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    What! It would have been ok to smoke in restaurants and where children can breath the smoke?
  • rothbook
    rothbook Posts: 943
    Allowing smoking sections in restaurants is like providing urinating areas in public swimming pools.
  • bobbyp
    bobbyp Posts: 275
    Helping people give up is a good thing but not quite the point I was making. I was pointing out that we have a blanket ban, not the compromise that was voted for at the last election. 25% of the population is a lot of people who have had their freedom curtailed by this act, why could the needs (or wants if you prefer) of this group not have been addressed to some degree?

    Probably the wrong forum to be putting forward this argument on but I have friends who smoke and friends who don't. If I'm out with smoking friends we go somewhere that allows smoking, if I'm out with people who don't smoke we go somewhere that doesn't. Works very nicely. Would have been addressed by the no smoking with food ban that was originally touted.
  • rothbook
    rothbook Posts: 943
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"> 25% of the population is a lot of people who have had their freedom curtailed by this act <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    Speaking as a smoker I'm glad the rights off the other 75% have taken priority. It'll help me give up too, how sad to huddle under a bus shelter in the drizzle with a fag.
  • bobbyp
    bobbyp Posts: 275
    Ok, so my argument was flawed by the use of too many negatives. I <b>meant</b> to say that the ban would exclude places that didn;t serve food or allow children. Restaurants, family pubs, eating pubs or any others that wanted to be would be no-smoking but the choice would be there for the owners of the business to decide their customer base. Thats what we were told we were getting.
  • rothbook
    rothbook Posts: 943
    I think, bobby, that latent demand will be a boost to these places. Lots of people hate their clothes stinking of others' addiction after a night out.
  • bobbyp
    bobbyp Posts: 275
    You've still not persuaded that there isn;t a middle ground. As an example if we have a landlord that smokes, who has customers who all smoke, why should they not be able to provide that atmosphere if they want?

    My problem is with the outright banning of things, it offends my liberal sensibilities.
  • rothbook
    rothbook Posts: 943
    As I understand it, if one of the bar staff is a non-smoker then Health And Safety would suggest that smoking in the pub would be against the bar staff's rights to breathe clean air.

    Smokers can still smoke, after all, just not indoors.

    I agree about bans usually, not with regards to smoking.
  • bobbyp
    bobbyp Posts: 275
    I was in San Francisco a few years ago and went into a bar that allowed smoking as it was run and staffed only by a landlord who smoked. He did all the cleaning as well so there were no other workers. This was sufficient to get past the Californian legislation. Absolutely off topic I know but hey, I'm bored.
  • jw31
    jw31 Posts: 33
    I'm a smoker who's given up and started again many times. During the last couple of years I've become increasingly self-concious of smoking in public places and have tried to avoid smoking in busy areas. The ban is a good thing all-round creating cleaner environments for all and as a few have mentioned will encourage people to quit. The only people who I think will suffer are the smoking die-hards who spend a lot of time in their local pubs/social clubs, but maybe the ban won't be enforced too heavily in these cases, and possibly righly so...I think there's gotta be some flexibility somewhere.