Benefits of a smoking ban

Jim Lawlor writes: I would like to add to all the benefits we are going to have when the smoking ban is law. We'll have the BENEFIT of meeting new groups of smokers gathered outside pubs. Hospital patients will have the BENEFIT of fresh air when forced outside hospital grounds for a quick smoke. You will have the BENEFIT of a smoke in prison if you're jailed for smoking in a pub. Workers will have the BENEFIT of unemployment money when pubs close. Children will have the BENEFIT of spending more time with parents who have deserted the pub and so face more passive smoking at home. Lastly, if we do what the PC brigade tell us, we'll all have the BENEFIT of living longer, or maybe it will just feel longer.

Your vote counts!

Liz Barber writes: Please visit www.freshne.com and vote against the proposed ban. Also useful is a list of venues where smoking is prohibited, which makes it easier to avoid them!

Bore of the month

John Smith (but of course!) writes: I am a devout Non-Smoker and Anti-Smoker and I am sick and tired of what FOREST represents. Smoking is a dirty filthy habit and is a total menace in all public places and the public are becoming more and more hostile toward smoking and smokers.

An increasing number of medical departments are refusing treatment to smokers and many hospitals already have a total ban on smoking. Also large numbers of employers are refusing to employ smokers because most companies have a total ban on smoking in the workplace except maybe 'FAG' companies and employers are no longer tolerating smokers nipping outside for a 'FAG' many times a day because, when this is added up, the smokers were losing many many working hours which causes loss of production and errors. Insurance companies are also biased against smokers, charging them higher premiums and extra waiver clauses too.

I see a total ban on smoking in all public places coming very soon as in Southern Ireland who are very successful with this and there has been no loss of business that was predicted. Instead business has increased because all those Non-Smokers who had stayed away because of the filthy smoke, suddenly came back and actually increased business. Also smokers, seeing the game was up, started giving up the filthy habit in their droves.

I also predict that thousands of smokers who get cancer will start to sue the tobacco companies for millions like they are doing in America right now and the end result could mean the closing down of all cigarette and tobacco companies. So it is no good you replying to this with your slick smooth defences of smoking and smokers. It won't work and you will lose and fade away. Tough ****.

Q: what are my legal rights?

Anon writes: My private (rented) residence is about to have a smoking ban applied to it, on the basis of the lack of an outside fire escape and that it is a listed building. I personally think there is no legal basis for this ban and have no intention of complying with it. I was wondering if you could point me in the right direction for further research of legal rights?

In sickness and health

Lyn writes: As a smoker I have noticed that, along with myself, the other 2 or 3 people at work who smoke are also the ones that have virtually no time off sick, unlike our supposedly more healthy colleagues. There are only around 30 people in our company and there isn't a week that goes by without someone being off sick for a day or more and it is always the non smokers!

Write to your MP

Wendy Ramwell writes: Why don't we all write to our MPs? If they get enough letters and e-mails they must listen. Come on, let's do it. Let's fight for our rights.

Treated like second-class citizens

Dianne T writes: I write to say how totally outraged I am at the way smokers are now treated at East Midlands Airport. My husband and I travel from there regularly to Cyprus.

Several years ago smokers were able to use the upstairs bar and downstairs was all non-smoking, which seemed to work fine for most people. Last year they started to carry out some refurbishment work and on arriving at the airport earlier this year we found the upstairs bar had been turned into a non-smoking café. However, a bar had opened at the far end of the departure lounge and there was a very pleasant smoking area with tables and seats, along with a separate non-smoking area. The smoking area was well ventilated with air conditioning and there were no lingering smells.

On travelling at Christmas we arrived to find that they had built a corral for the smokers, enclosed in plastic/glass with no seats and only a couple of pedestal tables. Needless to say it was packed with people trying to have a drink and a smoke with nowhere to put cups, glasses or hand luggage. The ashtrays were overflowing as were the bins, with dirty cups everywhere – it was totally disgusting.

In my opinion, condensing the smoke into this small enclosed area makes the smell twice as bad and it lingers on the clothes, which is not nice when you have to sit on a plane for 4 hours. Everyone we spoke to was absolutely disgusted with this new arrangement. Why are we treated like second-class citizens and herded like cows into a corral? Why have the airport once again changed their attitude when we had a nice area to use, which didn’t seem to affect the non-smokers and kept everyone happy?

A lot of people, like myself, are a bit nervous of flying and like a cigarette and a drink just to relax. I don’t find it amusing that we are treated with such distain. I was so angry I wanted to get a petition going there and then, but obviously people were getting on their flights. But this really does need to be addressed, so is there anything you can do or recommend?

I realise that smoking will eventually be banned everywhere, but in the meantime why treat us like this? All I can say is roll on the day (hopefully sometime this year) when my husband and I move out to Cyprus for good and where smokers are not condemned.

Why I will resign my job

SW writes: I am 45, female with two grown up children at university. I am a graduate and I have been a senior manager in the NHS for many years. But I am now at the point where I am sick and tired of being told what I can and cant do with my life, particularly around smoking and my freedom of choice.

My smoking does not affect my work (I do it in my own time), and no-one is around to see me when I do it (I stand outside in all weathers, hiding around a dark corner!). Now I am told that I cannot smoke outside, in my car, or anywhere on the grounds.

If I continue to be bullied and discriminated against for my life choices I will resign, out of principle, and I will take my skills abroad. I have always believed, as a famous philosopher once said "Every adult of sound mind, should be able to do what they want, as long as they cause no harm to others".

Instead of writing these articles, we should be out there pushing for our rights. When there were petrol increases, everyone made a physical and public effort to put things right. Why do we smokers sit quietly and just take it? Surely there is something more we can do?

Manners matter

Jamie writes: I know the jury is still out on whether or not it actually does any harm. My query is on people who willingly smoke near non smokers. I live in an area of low income and high unemployment so the ratio of smokers to non smokers is quite high (about 3:2).

On a number of recent occasions I have been subjected to other peoples' smoke either in cafes, at bus stops or just in the street. Normally I move away but there have been a few occasions where there has been nowhere to move to and I have voiced my concerns, tactfully, to the smoker in question, usually asking if they would mind not blowing smoke in my face directly.
On four out of five occasions I have received a quick curt answer to the effect that if I don't like it, then tough. On one instance I was severely verbally abused.

I am all for the right of people to smoke, but I don't see how the case for smoking is going to stand up when there does seem to be a lot of ignorant and rude smokers around.

Reasons to smoke

Derek Anderson writes: As a smoker, I believe that smoking relieves my stress. It was an essential tool during the World Wars I and II. What more needs to be said?

Anyone for snus?

Bertee writes: Why oh why doesn't the UK make the sale of snus legal so smokers can use this most excellent Swedish tobacco product when they choose and more specifically in non-smoking environments. This low-toxicity product is so much more popular than fags in Sweden that bars there have containers on the table for used snus, instead of ashtrays.

Fight the ban, fight for choice

Rebecca Lowe writes: On behalf of everyone at FOREST, we wish all our friends and supporters a smoker-friendly New Year. If you believe in freedom of choice and want to support our 'Fight the ban, fight for choice' campaign please continue to visit FOREST Online and post your comments on our blogs (The Smoking Room and Smokers Corner).

Most important, MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD by writing to your MP, local councillor, national and local newspapers - and encourage your friends and family to do the same. In addition, register your support by posting a short response to this post (click on 'Comments').

Friends of FOREST (smokers and tolerant non-smokers) represent the moderate majority but we have to make ourselves heard. Over to you ...