Banning Public Smoking

[DaBeeeenster]

Well, I lived in San Francisco for 3 months (smoking in public places is banned in California) and I thought the law was superb. It was quite incredible to go out on the piss, wake up and not have to wash everything you wore the night before cos it all stank of fags. I did start feeling healthier as well.

I think it would be a bit harder to implement practically in the UK; california has a climate that allows people to go outside if they are in a bar, restaurant, club etc. and have a cigarette. It's not illegal to smoke outside there though - only in public buildings like restaurants and bars. I think that is a good medium. It's a bit ludicrous to try and ban smoking in parks for example.

It would be a defiant act of government to implement it but I would really like it if Labour had the balls to do it. I know a lot of people would start banging on with the "political correctness gone mad" rubbish but that's always going to happen. At the end of the day I dont see why I should breathe in bad air just cos someone is too weak willed to not smoke. I personally see smoking as a mental weakness.

Maybe they should have smoking and non-smoking sections to pubs like they do in restaurants? Having said that I doubt anyone would stick to them in the Uk...

[Knoxville]

Originally posted by DaBeeeenster
Maybe they should have smoking and non-smoking sections to pubs like they do in restaurants? Having said that I doubt anyone would stick to them in the Uk...

In the pub i go to there is a no smoking section, and it is stuck to, all the smokers stay at the other end of the pub.

I normally sit in the non-smoking area, but sunday night there were no seats free and someone we knew was in the smoking section anyway so we sat there. I'd forgotten just how much it makes your clothes smell :/

[Agent]

A move like this could also help to give the impression that smoking is socially unacceptable, and hopefully lure people away from it.

[Knoxville]

In some ways yes, but in others it only makes it more taboo, if i tell you not to do something what are you gonna do?

[Agent]

Originally posted by Knoxville
In some ways yes, but in others it only makes it more taboo, if i tell you not to do something what are you gonna do?

I know exactly what your saying, which is why i said "socialy" and "lure". Its not going to be an overnight process obviously.
Hopfully it would lead to people being able to see it for themselfs that its not sencable to smoke. At the moment it has a "cool" image when your young, and even when your older.
There are illegal drugs that have a much lower death:users risk than smoking does, but no where near as much use, one of the main reasons i belive to be that its not "socialy acceptable", "cool", or whatever you want to call it.

[Knoxville]

I think amongst most social circles its not seen as cool, its just tolerated, there are of course gona be groups which find it popular and cool, its these people that need sorting.

One of my biggest complaints about smokers is that when they've destroyed they're lungs completely alot of them will go get free treatment on the nhs

*edit* btw i just voted dunno, as i'm unsure about it, unless i was to see the rules that would be put in place laid out properly i'm not sure about a complete ban , i.e what places would be included and the fines involved *edit*

[Agent]

Originally posted by Knoxville
I think amongst most social circles its not seen as cool, its just tolerated, there are of course gona be groups which find it popular and cool, its these people that need sorting.

Even what your at school, people try and push others into it. If its not seen as cool in most social circles why is it done in clubs, pubs, ect.. at the moment ?
Im quite lucky that the club i goto has very few smokers, probably because there on somthing else, but thats another thread.

[DaBeeeenster]

So do you guys sleep ever or what?

I'm surprised that the government has not tried to implement this earlier actually - I reckon it's a sure vote winner...

[Shorty]

Makes me think of something...

So the government want to push smokers into only smoking at home? Isn't that a little bad for the economy?? Smokes are nicely taxed.

Less areas to smoke = less ciggies smoked = less bought = less tax.

Ahh wait, the argument of less NHS patients due to smoking? Not quite as cut and dried as it may appear. There isn't enough hard statistics (do please try to find them if you can) on the EXACT number of smoker-ONLY related treatments on the NHS.

Im a smoker and I actually exercise caution where I smoke. I don't smoke in cafe's, restaurants. I smoke in smoking areas of pubs (never at the bar). I smoke outside the office and rarely in the street. Not everyone I guess is as considerate.

[Ravens Nest]

I'm not a smoker myself, never have been.

But i can see how hard it is for some people who cant give up, it seems to be an extremely addictive and expensive pastime..

But i dont think smokers should be banned from public places, i suppose it depends on the place itself.

Perhaps they should leave it as smoking zones & rooms for people not force them to go out in all kinds of weather to have a quick fag.

The only things i hate about smoking are
1) Sometimes all your friends are in the smokers room, so you are sitting on your own

2) You start coughing and your eyes water if you sit to close to some who does smoke.

3) Smokers have about three times more breaks than you

[steve threlfall]

Originally posted by Knoxville
In the pub i go to there is a no smoking section, and it is stuck to, all the smokers stay at the other end of the pub.

I normally sit in the non-smoking area, but sunday night there were no seats free and someone we knew was in the smoking section anyway so we sat there. I'd forgotten just how much it makes your clothes smell :/

i know mate. that environment did no good for that mofo cough ive picked up (no, im not a smoker btw)

[Big RICHARD]

IMO they should ban smoking outright and make tobacco at least a class B drug, probably class A due to the dangers of it. Yes I do smoke at the moment, but a ban would make it far easier to stop too!

[[R4A]Bigman]

A couple of stats I've just looked up:

Over 120,000 deaths were caused by smoking in the UK in 1995; that is, one in five of all deaths. (Department of Health report - Statistics on smoking: England, 1976 to 1996)

Department of Health report - SMOKING KILLS - Executive Summary:
Smoking is the United Kingdom’s single greatest cause of preventable illness and early death.
More than 120,000 people a year in the United Kingdom die from smoking.
Currently about 13 million adults in this country smoke.
We smoke more cigarettes per person than the European average and more deaths are caused by smoking in the United Kingdom than in other countries.
Passive smoking kills hundreds every year and causes misery for many.
Smoking costs the NHS up to £1.7 billion each year.

So, smoking costs the governement around £1.7 BILLION each year. Thats a pretty heafty sum. Taking into consideration that the total NHS costs paid by the taxpayer are extimated at £54 billion (HM Treasury Budget March 2000), thats a massive 3% of the total funds. Thats a lot of money that could be spent better.

But, you say, what about the revenue from the cigerretes? Well it would appear that the revenue due to smoking has been estimated at £8 billion every year. I don't know how accurate that figure is, but we will work with it for now.

That leaves a "profit" of £6.3 billion per year. Divide that by 120,000 deaths. Is a smokers life in the UK worth £52,500?

I think a life is completely priceless when it comes to this, especially when smoking could have never been around and everyone would be just as happy.

[steve threlfall]

Originally posted by Big RICHARD
IMO they should ban smoking outright and make tobacco at least a class B drug, probably class A due to the dangers of it. Yes I do smoke at the moment, but a ban would make it far easier to stop too!

fair ebough mate but imo opinion smoking is not even close to being as dangerous as heroin or crack. If you want to quit smoking then you will quit smoking. With harder drugs the addiction runs much deeper.

[Shorty]

Originally posted by [R4A]Bigman
That leaves a "profit" of £6.3 billion per year. Divide that by 120,000 deaths. Is a smokers life in the UK worth £52,500?

To the government who needs the tax cash. Yes, sadly I feel it is.

[Big RICHARD]

Originally posted by steve threlfall
fair ebough mate but imo opinion smoking is not even close to being as dangerous as heroin or crack. If you want to quit smoking then you will quit smoking. With harder drugs the addiction runs much deeper.

You sure? I recently heard that tobacco is only slightly less addictive than heroin. Heroin kills you, crack kills you, tobacco kills you, how is it not as dangerous?