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What does everyone think of the new smoking laws


JaseyBoi

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I think that the new smoking laws in some ways are good and in other ways a pain!

Its good to ban smoking from Restaurants, or have designated areas for smokers at restaurants as I 'for one' hate to eat when there's someone smoking in the area.

I feel that banning smoking from pubs is a daft idea, most of the pub cliental are smokers (in my experiance at least), this is going to cause more problems in a place where you need to reduce the problems. Going to the pub withoot ma smokes? Na min.

Banning smoking from offices: This hits home for me, I smoke, I work in an office, we already have a designated room for our habbit which doesn't affect a soul. So now, we will have to go outside for a smoke and leave this room unoccupied. What happens if I do smoke inside..I get sacked, arrested?? :help:

If they're going to do that they be as well just start an Air-breathing Tax. Watch them do it as well!

Its good to see that the government is taking on an initiative that looks after our way of life, but they cant just expect this to be the answer.

Im thinking.....This is going to create havoc in pubs/clubs..the already over-stretched Police force are going to be drafted in to sort it out...leaving the real criminals to get away with things the Government should be focusing on.

Its nae on !!

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It worked beautifully in the Republic of Ireland, so there's no reason why it shouldn't work here.

People will learn to adapt or even...gasp...give up. A lot of smokers think "oh, people will stop going to pubs", but they forget that people will be attracted to going to the pub by virtue of not having to breathe other people's smoke in.

Anyway, I haven't actually looked at the legislation, but I'd assume that the ban is similarly worded as to the Irish one - that it actually bans smoking in the workplace. What will happen if you smoke in your workplace? The sack, most likely. Companies in Ireland that don't comply with the legislation face a three thousand euro fine - which for each offence could soon rack up.

As for interfering with people's rights : you have the choice to smoke, but others don't have the choice as to whether they want to breathe it in or not. I can't remeber the quote, but essentially, how can you expect to have any rights when you're harming others in the process?

The police won't have to deal with much hassle - all they'll need to do is send a couple of undercover police into a club, catch a few people doing it and smack the place with a huge fine. The simple fact that they could do that will ensure that pub/club owners will stop it happening. Once a couple of places get nailed with fines, I don't think anywhere else will dare risk it.

If you want to go to the pub and smoke - well, here's a novel suggestion, what about smoking outside? There's plenty of pubs with seating areas, and that way, the staff don't have to breathe in your smoke either.

As for saying "but it should be allowed in some cases" - why? Why limit the benefits to some workers when it can be extended to all?

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I think it's a good idea in principal, and should at least cut the number of social smokers. And given that most people who start smoking, do so socially, this should be a great improvement. At the moment, I don't have a problem with smoking sections in restaurants, as long as they are well separated. But in pubs, really you're only going to get affected by other people's smoke if you're sitting in close proximity to them; so I find an outright ban a bit extreme. I still think enforcement will be a problem.The police will be relying heavily on the public to report sightings, and quite frankly, I don't think anyone will be too bothered. And anyway, it's alcohol which is Britain's greatest social challenge, not cigarettes.

With regard to the workplace issue, I wonder just how many people are bothered by smoke at work, has anyone found figures?

In France, smoking has theoretically been banned in public places since 1992. Has it made any difference to the quality of life? Absolutely not.

I think the ban will also be the test of the Scottish Parliament; we'll just have to wait and see.

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det ar sa javla dumt o roka

It's working just fine in Sweden.

it's a great idea. because of many differnet reasons. but mainly because the staff at the pubs won't be forced to breath this ugly smoke. that was the main issue in Sweden, the staff at the pubs. the workers shouldn't suffer just because you wanna breath som poison.

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The police will be relying heavily on the public to report sightings' date=' and quite frankly, I don't think anyone will be too bothered. And anyway, it's alcohol which is Britain's greatest social challenge, not cigarettes.[/quote']

I think you're missing the point in how it'll be enforced - all it takes is a random spot check by undercover police in a pub, they find someone smoking in there, and bang - huge fine handed out to the establishment. I don't know what the penalties are going to be, but even if it was 2000, that's a lot of money to lose per offence - could any club here, even Liquid, tolerate being hit with a 20,000 loss in one night? The simple *fear* of that happening will force pubs and clubs to stamp it out if anyone tries smoking in their place, even if they don't want to.

Agreed about alcohol being a social challenge, but I fear it's too engrained in the national psyche to just remove overnight. They don't seem to be targetting it in the right way - instead of simply restricting trade by forcing minimum drink prices/etc, they should slap windfall taxes on pubs/clubs that make a certain profit. Use the money raised to educate people, and things might just start changing. I don't think raising prices will work - if you look at the idiots who tend to batter each other on Belmont Street, they tend to be well dressed in whatever ned fashion is that day - and that stuff isn't cheap, to be fair.

It would make sense for anyone convicted of a crime while underneath the influence of alcohol to be hit with a decent penalty too - perhaps a mandatory probationary period.

With regard to the workplace issue, I wonder just how many people are bothered by smoke at work, has anyone found figures?

Probably quite a lot of people really, most non smokers I know can't stand it, but tolerate it because they have to.

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I think the whole thing's a lot of pish. If smoking's so terrible that nobody can dare catch a whiff of someone else's cigarette' date=' ban smoking completely. However, the government would never do that because they don't want to pay for all the extra old people that would be around (ie less people would die of cancer etc).[/quote']

People always say this to me when I indicate that I am entirely in favour of a smoking ban.

My response is "fine, ban smoking then."

They then tell me that they pay tax on cigarettes, blah blah, irreplacable, blah blah, zzzzz

In any case, I find it morally reprehensible that the sole reason for letting people kill themselves (and sometimes other people) slowly, should be to keep the tax bill down.

Give me a break.

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At the moment' date=' I don't have a problem with smoking sections in restaurants, as long as they are well separated.[/quote']

I do.

Parents frequently take young children into the smoking sections of restaurants. What choice do they have?

But in pubs, really you're only going to get affected by other people's smoke if you're sitting in close proximity to them

Complete bollocks. Having worked in a pub which supposedly had ventilation systems and a 'no smoking at the bar' policy, I still got really sore throats and stank of smoke at the end of every shift.

I still think enforcement will be a problem.The police will be relying heavily on the public to report sightings, and quite frankly, I don't think anyone will be too bothered.

The reasoning you use above could equally be applied to underage drinking, should we just allow teenagers into pubs and clubs as a rule because the enforcement mechanism is not absolute?

And anyway, it's alcohol which is Britain's greatest social challenge, not cigarettes.

Yes, but if I stand next to you and drink ten pints, I'm the only one who gets drunk.

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I can't wait for the ban to come into force, it will make going to the pub a far nicer experience.

As far as I know the ban coming into force in scotland has nothing to do with the workplace but I wouldn't think many offices would allow smoking in the office anyway.

The couple of times I've been in the Holburn bar since they became smoke free have been the busiest I've ever seen it.

If i had my way smoking would be banned completely, sometime it is jsut as unavoidable when you are walking down the street as it is in a pub.

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I think the whole thing's a lot of pish. If smoking's so terrible that nobody can dare catch a whiff of someone else's cigarette' date=' ban smoking completely. However, the government would never do that because they don't want to pay for all the extra old people that would be around (ie less people would die of cancer etc).[/quote']

I agree with you. Much as I would like to give up my 24 year smoking habit in principle, it probably wont happen and I dont need nanny-state parliamentarians telling me that I cant have a fag and a pint after I finish working in one of their bloody offices. You're totally right - they ARE treating cigarettes like a Class A drug and I have also commented on why they aren't bringing a total ban on sales. That tax incentive is just too great for them to care that much about the publics' health.... I have no objection to a mix of smoking and non-smoking pubs. As for smoking outside, hmm, a greater burden on the NHS as all the smokers develop pneumonia (which we are obviously going to be more susceptible to.....)

Bollocks to it. I'm going to live in Belgium where everyone seems to smoke 1000 fags a day. :swearing:

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Rant rant rant rant

Bollocks to it. I'm going to live in Belgium where everyone seems to smoke 1000 fags a day. :swearing:

Don't let the door hit you on the arse on the way out will you?

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Im a smoker so i may be biased but i cant see how the government can totally ban smoking without interfering with peoples rights....

A pub with no smoking is like a swimming pool with its own urinating section............

Whats your thoughts?

I think they're stupid laws! If I want to smoke then I should be able to smoke - I shouldnt have to go without one of my pleasures just because some geek wants to breathe clean air. If they want to breathe clean air then they can go outside. People come to pubs specifically to smoke so banning smoking is backwards!

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I think they're stupid laws! If I want to smoke then I should be able to smoke - I shouldnt have to go without one of my pleasures just because some geek wants to breathe clean air.

So asthmatics shouldn't be allowed into pubs then?

If they want to breathe clean air then they can go outside.

no' date=' if you want to destroy the lining of your lungs, you can go outside, and leave mine and everyone else's the fuck alone

People come to pubs specifically to smoke

shite.

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People come to pubs specifically to smoke so banning smoking is backwards!

Dunno about anyone else here but I go to the pub for specifically for a drink :cheers: . I've been off the fags for nearly three years now and when I did smoke I never once recall going to the pub specifically for a smoke.

Despite the scaremongering of the alcohol barons people will still go to pubs if smoking is banned. These are the same people recently exposed in the Observer a couple of weeks ago for encouraging their staff to exploit the new drinking laws down south to the full extent to keep those profits rolling in. They don't care about the carnage they create in the process.

People will learn to live without fags or adapt. I've been to the Republic of Ireland since their ban came into effect and it doesn't seem to have made much difference to the craic there.

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Not trying to be amusing old boy - merely using it to make a point.

Forgive me for not being as sharp as your good self, rather like the great Ghost Watch, it was a little bit too realistic...

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