Smoking ban in all pubs and clubs

[Moby-Dick]

I think I picked a good time to quit !

It'll be nice not to have my clothes smelling anymore.

however I'm not a big of fan of it being mandatory - it should be up to the landlord.

[DeludedGuy]

I think that poll is correct. Every smoker I know agrees that Smoking should be banned in all clubs and pubs. And nearly all the smokers I know are either trying to quit or want to quit in the future - this ban might help.

The one thing that really gets to me is when I get home from a club and my clothes smell like I have been smoking a thousand cigs - that pees me off.

[Howard]

Sorry I thought it said "Cars cause more health problems than second hand smoke"


I think it's silly banning it in pubs... That's the most "socially accepted" place to smoke. But then again.. My clothes do stink of smoke after I've been to the pub

Ban it in high streets and other public places though, please!

[menthel]

Finally. It will be nice to be able to go to a pub, without stinking of fags when you leave. It will also mean that there will be no smoking in any restaurants now! Hurrah.

[Atomic]

The reason you see more smokers in pubs than non-smokers is because a lot of non-smokers avoid pubs because they dont like the smoke!

The non-smoking pub in Norwich is always full, even throught the day when other pubs are half empty. Now thats saying something. The landlord was interviewed in yesterdays paper and said it was the best thing hes done, his takings have gone up as a larger proportion of non-smokers buy food.

I'll be happy being able to put my clothes in the laundry basket when I come back from a night out rather than straight in the washing machine.

[iranu]

I can't stand this bloody nanny state! It should be up to the landlord/business owner to make the decision whether to ban smoking in their establishment. Whilst I can see the argument from both sides why can there not be a compromise and say that all pubs/clubs must have adequate ventallation/air conditioning. I don't recall a mass demonstration by bar staff to ban smoking.

Having worked in bars I never found the atmosphere to be so bad that I had to complain/leave the job. Proper no smoking areas, i.e. totally separate from the smoking area is better.

As for restaurants I agree that it is anti-social to smoke at the table.

[Ramedge]

The worst thing i feel about going to pubs is coming home stinking of smoke! I really hate it!

Theres a couple of quite nice pubs in town one of which is fairly small me and my mates love to go there for a drink but in such a small pub with most of the people in there smoking, it doesnt make it very enjoyable for people who dont smoke.

So in my opinion a smoking ban is great but thats me being selfish because i dont smoke.

[dkmech]

To smokers. When you go out with your friends and there is a mixture of people who do smoke and who don't. Assuming there is a place with a smoking and non-smoking area. What's going to happen? I guess women can be assertive and force everyone into non smoking area if they don't smoke and the smoker then will have to wonder off for a smoke occasionally. But imagine its a night out with the lads. How many non smokers will have the strength to say "guys, lets sit in non smoking area". And what will happen if they do? They'll get told "oh come on, I'll be breathing out away from you, there's aircon, blah blah blah". And i am guessing in 80% of the time a few smokers will be able to drag non smokers into the smoking area. It's simple smokers NEED a smoke and non smokers just WANT to be in a clean area. Need beats want, right?

And every time a smoker does the "i wont be breathing on you" thing they forget about it after a while and non smokers get their share of second hand smoke.

I think that ultimately there has to be a ban. Maybe some feel its too soon, but it has to be done, and hopefully it will discourage people from taking up smoking and the current smokers will hopefully find it easier to quit. At the end of the day if no new smokers take up the habbit in a couple of generations it will be greatly reduced.

[Matt1eD]

I appreciate that many people dislike smoke, however under the current system people have a certain level of choice (not complete choice I admit), I don't smoke however on the whole if I go to a cafe I choose to sit in the smoking section. When EvilWeevil and I go to Nero during term time, we choose to sit there... it sounds weird, but it adds to the whole experience (and it's much less crowded in that area).

Since Italy banned smoking in public places (unless special dedicated rooms with ventilation - which is rather vague in its specification - are provided) the cafes and restaurants have lost a certain level of atmosphere.

[dkmech]

I appreciate that many people dislike smoke, however under the current system people have a certain level of choice (not complete choice I admit), I don't smoke however on the whole if I go to a cafe I choose to sit in the smoking section. When EvilWeevil and I go to Nero during term time, we choose to sit there... it sounds weird, but it adds to the whole experience (and it's much less crowded in that area).

Since Italy banned smoking in public places (unless special dedicated rooms with ventilation - which is rather vague in its specification - are provided) the cafes and restaurants have lost a certain level of atmosphere.

If its less crowded in the smoking area then surelly people want more room in nonsmoking areas and are voting with their feet?

As for smoking atmospheer - i just about probably can see where you are coming from. But I think given a bit of time people can get used to the healthy non smoking atmospheer. If you never knew different it may take time to adjust.

I don't agree with banning everything left right and centre, and smokers should be helped and positively encouraged to quit, but as a non smoker I am looking forward to a breath of fresh air.

[Matt1eD]

If its less crowded in the smoking area then surelly people want more room in nonsmoking areas and are voting with their feet?

Fair enough, but then should the smokers be cramped into the corner?

As for smoking atmospheer - i just about probably can see where you are coming from. But I think given a bit of time people can get used to the healthy non smoking atmospheer. If you never knew different it may take time to adjust.

Certainly agree with that.

[TheAnimus]

Now all we need to happen is have smoking outside banned, only allow it in the privacy of someones home or their car (assuming their not driving).

Score 1 for people who don't like breathing in second hand smoke, this is what smokers forget. If your a non smoker, its akin to desiel fumes from the X90 bus (a somewhat delapidated bus in cornwall). Its fowel.

When should personal liberties start infringing on someone else, its the same as noise polution, smokers rarely ask to light up. Look at the small restraunter, they can't afford to go completely none smoking, they need the 20-40% of customers who smoke. They're too small to implement any effective non-smoking section (say they have 16 tables). This is just the legislation the rest of the 60% need, smoking when theirs food near by is just rank and frankly I have to mentally picture them getting kemo or something to make me not go up and make a scene.

Now clubs, i like the idea of only having beverages staining my shirt, rather than smoke, but then again i always wash a shirt i've warn out to a club before i re-ware it (seams quite a rare trait with my student friends).

The only place i dissagree is a coffee shop, purely because i know how much my smoking friends love the cig + cof.

As for freedom of smokers, what about freedom of non smokers? trying to get a group of people to meet at reading's first non smoking pub (Back of Beyound) is a mission if 2 people or more in the group smoke, even if the group is 10+ their that ****ing selfish.

If 80% of the population smoked, and only 5% disliked second hand smoke, oh, and it wasn't for the fact smoking is horifically unhealthy, the anti-smoking ban people might have a leg to stand on, the anti-nanny state argument is absurd, is it a nanny state that takes away our right to drink and drive?

In short, score one for the human race living in britain.

[dkmech]

Fair enough, but then should the smokers be cramped into the corner?

No, but lets say 70% dont smoke and 30% do. There should be 70/30 split in the area allocated, not 50/50. And if it is clear, as mentioned there that the smoking area is a lot less crowded that means that the distribution of tables doesn't correspond to the population using the place. Add to that that the two people (one of whom is writing the post) are nonsmokers themselves and only go there for the space and you have even more nonsmokers present.

Also. Won't somebody think of the children!

While you don't get many children going to pubs - cafes and restaurants are a bit different. Kids might not be drinking coffee but I am sure there's stuff for them in a coffee shop, like tea and cookies/muffins etc. I don't have kids yet, but when I do I know I will definately not want them breathing second hand smoke.

[DaBeeeenster]

I must say I find that poll hard to belive, most of the people I know smoke and so there is a fair amount of people with a vested intrest in not standing in the English weather more than they have to on a night out.

This is just a product of your demographic.

[jesusLOL]

1/4 of the population smoke, 1/2 the pub going population smoke.

Make of that statistic what you will.

I get sick of people going on about having a right to smoke, fair enough, dont poison me though in the process, do it in your own home.

[Carlh]

I really cant see what other option the government had when it actually came to the vote although in all honesty it probably would have been better to have a non smoking section in all pubs/clubs and have completely non smoking in resturants etc.

Another thing which noone has seemed to mention is that the all the health organistions on the news this morning were stating that hopefully this will cut down the smokers and reduce health implications (which I can see where there coming from).

However if the smokers slowly reduce (as most people think there will) where is all the extra revenue the government NEEDS for schools and the NHS going to come from, as lets face it the duty on tobacco makes a large portion of there budget on a yearly basis.

Ok so heart problems and cancer problems *Might* reduce slightly by people not smoking however there still going to need the funds so guess they shall have to raise taxes on other products (or massively increase the duty on the people still smoking after the ban is implemented)