Smoking in pubs
Bryn Holloway writes: Concerning the Government's latest proposals re smoking in public places. I am retired, smoke a pipe, and I live alone. My social life consists of a lunchtime trip to my local pub where I meet up with old friends, enjoy a pipe or two, some civilised conversation and (occasionally) meet new friends. I am the only one in my generation who smokes. Nobody objects, so why do politicians in their remote ivory towers in Westminster want to disrupt the even tenor of the lives of those of us in my position? Incidentally, do we old lunchtime drinkers and talkers qualify as binge drinkers?
posted by Simon Clark @ 12:27
6 comments
6 Comments:
I only smoke in the pub. If smoking is banned I shall stop using pubs. I smoke big cigars that take an hour to smoke so I can't nip out for a quick puff! Has any government actually read the WHO report on the effects of passive smoking? It ain't the smokers who are to blame, it's the motorists.
At least in England some common sense is prevailing allowing smoking in private clubs and the like. The idiots at the Scottish Parliament are probably going to ban breathing everywhere as well. You will gather, I reside in the above mentioned persons neck of the woods.
I am a smoker and feel that my liberty is being taken from me. Yes, it is true that two-thirds do not smoke but what about the other third? What is so hard about making a smoking section? If the pubs have a non-smoking section they can switch the signs, can they not? When will we all wake up and see where this is going?
Everyone I know, smoker and non, supports the view that pubs should have smoking sections, even if it
means a return to old style 'lounge' and 'saloon'
sections of pubs.
I imagine you're aware of the stories coming from Ireland of pubs becoming too smelly now that the tobacco smell is no longer covering up the stench of
years of accumulated bolidy fluids.
I feel that in all the debate about smoking in pubs an important issue that has not been brought to the fore is the law of unintended consequences for which this government is famous. All those in favour of banning smoking in pubs are rubbing their hands in glee that they will now be able to go to that "nice little country pub" and not have any smokers around them. The only thing wrong with their idyllic dream is that the "nice little country pub" will have closed down due to lack of trade and will probably never reopen again.
The number of people going to pubs is diminishing and this latest bit of health fascism will sign their death warrant.Despite the government's protestations that the ban has worked well in Dublin they never mention the rest of the country where I have been told that 400 pubs have closed down. I have not verified this figure but can you imagine if the same scale was replicated in England.
I feel that my liberty is being taken away as well. It'll be a very sad day when I visit my local for the last time, to sit and drink a pint, smoke a few cigarettes, and just gaze into space.
But one day the lies that have been told to get this ban in place will be be revealed, and sanity restored. It may be a long time though.
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