The private members clubs ruling i do admit i struggle to understand.

 

I don't support it mainly as a matter of principle in that I am sick and tired of my family life being increasingly controlled by fecking politicians and others who think they know best and want to impose their will on others.

I happen to think it would be quite feasible for many pubs to have a well ventilated smoking room so us sad gits can kill ourselves as we wish.

 

Do you drive without a seatbelt, David? Or if not, is it only the possibility of being caught that makes you wear one?

 

Yes I drive with a seat belt
And I keep to the speed limits
And I don't drink and drive
And I don't use the phone (well not a lot anyway)

All good things I agree. My point being that there are strong and valid arguments for govt banning this and that but the overall effect is numbing.

Now there are doubts on whether kids can go on school trips any more

I buy some simple electrical kit but the chap in the shop is not actually allowed to tell me how to use it

Schools don't have time for sport in schools any more - better do a lesson in citizenship or whatever

Don't get overweight or the NHS won't be able to help you

If I bash a mugger I am likely to get done for assault

Seems there is a masterplan so that we can all live to be 120 as do good zombies on low fat diets with personal trainers.

etc etc

Just ignore me - I'm old and sad

 

We were in Hawaii in 2003 and they had vented smoking rooms in the bars - worked a treat and you couldn't smell the smoke anywhere in the pub, even the smoking room was OK!!

There was someone on here last week that installed the systems into pubs and said they 100% worked, but no-one was interested.

The worst thing is the private clubs - our local WMC is fabulous, an old 1500's coach house, and a decent place to go in the summer with cheap beer, Snooker, Pool etc. I can state that pretty much 95% of the regular punters in there smoke, so what will they do now (all in their 70's so wont be bothered about giving up )

 

This is one subject where i think common sense makes the correct answer obvious.

Going by the thousands of poll votes from all the votes put in approx 75% support the ban.

So if your in a pub with 100 people in it statistically only 25 of those either want to smoke or feel that others should be allowed to smoke. Why should those 25 people take priority over the other 75 in the pub?

Admitidly maybe a higher % of people in pubs prob smoke than 25% but thats because the MAJORITY feel they have to stay away.

Popping outside for 5 minutes to have a puff isnt going to kill you, smoking inside could kill us!

 

I dont have a car, just a small motorcycle and I dont suppose I go any where near your partner. Do you have a car?

 

i chose NO reason being

not coz im a smoker trying too quit mind u

just im totaly against ppl in power dictating to the masses wot they can and cant do... always thought this country was about freedom of choice (with in reason i may add) and if its some1's choice too smoke then so b it

now i kno some1 is gonna say "but its our choice not too smoke or inhale your horrid fumes"

all i can say is, soz to that but live with it, its been happening since tabs were invented y is now (past 10years) ppl r totaly agaisnt it

well thats my rants over, these r my views and i dont care if they offend, im old enuff too stand by convictions and young enuff too remember wot its like too have freedom of choice and speech(with in meaning of course)

 

the sooner smoking and cigarettes are illegal the better!

 

Dont people who dot want to passive smoke have freedom of choice then?

 

Of course - go to a non-smoking pub.

 

But you are still conributing to the pollution problem. There are millions of asthma sufferers in the UK and pollution is a contributary factor.

You said
And yet you choose to do so. Now I have informed you of the problem, are you going to be good to your word and stop affecting other people's health?

Whether I have a car or not is irrelevant, you're the one that expressed the opinion not me.

 

I think if my little 125 four stroke really affected the health of any one I'd stop and stay at home. But in reality its not an issue............
I understand its the particulates that cause asthma or at least make it worse, and last time I looked it ran of a cupful of petrol a week and not dirty diesel.

There are things we all do that will eventually cause health problems to others.

 

Small the effect may be, but lots of small effects equals a big effect, and you choose to add to it.

So you want to draw the lines to suit your lifestyle. If you have to give up the things you want to do then you are not so keen, however, if it is something you disapprove of, you're all for it. Do you see how hypocritical and selfish that appears?

 

Have I read correctly that the law doesnt stand in the house of commons bar as well, so they can still smoke in there for years to come

One rule for one eh?

 

Anybody watch Question Time last night - somebody brought of the subject that one other that is exempt from the ban is the HOUSE OF COMMONS!

They have a smoking room apparently which is unaffected by the ban, and Peter Hain (to$$er) says that as the HofC is classified as a palace, it's exempt.

Sounds like another classic case of Do As I Say, Not As I Do!

 

DW - beat me to it!

 

Misleading statistic mate.

1) Banning smoking in public places will have only a nominal impact on the number of **** being sold. People will still smoke.

2) Only a small percentage of people who require treatment for or die from smoking related illnesses actually have "smoking related" as the cause on the medical records or death certificate.

3) Its not just the cost to the NHS that needs to be taken into account. What about the loss of revenue from sick days, the cost of invalidity benefits, etc, etc, etc.

What may well happen is that the billions in duty will be collected, but the costs of dealing with all those non smokers adversley affected will fall.

If anything, we should be looking at a tax reduction

 

The car pollution argument is at face value a difficult one to deal with.

But, unlike smoking, i don't come home smelling of car exhaust fumes, and except in very exceptional circumstances, i can't actually smell it either and therefore don't consider it to be at health-threatening concentrations. At least there has been some effort to make petrol and cars more environmentally friendly.

And whilst not outright refuting your claims about car exhuast fumes on an asthmatic, i personally believe you're embellishing its adverse effects for your own ends.

 

You live in London though, so may be used to it.

I know when we travel down to London 2 or 3 times a year, after a day in the city I always have some sort of film on me, and can tell that i've been there.

Diablo, got those statistics from some website earlier - the figures were different to what I said, but the generated revenue figure was similar at £7bn, and that included all the variables you mention.

IMO, if they want to ban it then it should be outright, not just in public places, but then that goes against my freedom of choice ideal.

 

Maybe you're used to it, but as a country bumkin, whenever I go in to a city for any length of time, I end up with a headache. I can't be sure but I am reasonably certain it is due to the pollution levels

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/369169.stm think again. Compare these figures to the numbers that died of secondary smoking last year!

 

Hello, TelBoy - would you like to comment??

 

Smokers and politicians should be beaten with sticks until they learn the error of their ways.

 

Just as a matter of interest who is expected to enforce this ban?

 

The Police probably, leaving crims and burglars way more time to do their crime stuff

 

If you want. From the article you link to...


Irony is the word, i think.

 

Not really. My point was that car pollution was a very real factor in asthma which the article shows, that there are other factors is somewhat irrelvant in making the point.

 

I wonder if sour grapes cause any pollution?