My God! They voted for the total ban!

[Happy-Go-Lucky]

I mean, did I imagine that bit on the news just now? Has it really been totally banned? Or have I jumped the gun? My God, I never thought they would have voted for it. Hurruh, finally my faith in the government system hath been restored!

I think this is brilliant. I have little sympathy for smokers whose arguements are "You are taking away our civil liberty to smoke". That may be true, but what about non-smokers right to fresh-air? Smokers have been "taking away our civil liberty" to breath fresh air all this time. And smokers can hardly complain that we are forcing our damned fresh air on them - at least our way doesn't make you stink, turn yellow, and slowly kill you.

I also think that this will massivley reduce the smoking numbers among all people, but especially young people. I am sure that many young people take up smoking because it is all part of the culture around them when they sneak into clubs and pubs, and it is all around them, they are bound to try it sooner or later. I don't think this ban will make many people stop smoking, but I think it will stop many people taking it up in the first place, because it won't be being rubbed in their faces everytime they go out, and be associated with the "grown-up" socialising habits such as pubbing and clubbing.

Hoorah! A victory for us non-smokers at last!

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http://standrews.thefacebook.com/profil ... d=37100117

[munchingfoo]

Yes - the smokers arguements were clutching at straws at best.

[hr]

Tired Freudian references aside - your mother played my mighty skin flute like a surf crowned sea nymph trying to rouse Poseidon from his watery slumber!

[Al]

No, you're right. It is a total ban.

One thing it does prove is that New Labour's manifesto commitments aren't worth the paper they are printed on. But we all knew that anyway.

I don't know why you would go to a pub for fresh air. Mountains. The seaside. The countryside generally. These are places I would go to for fresh air.

And what do you mean "at last"? You've had nothing but victories lately.

[flarewearer]

auleaugh

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[Happy-Go-Lucky]

Quoting Al from 19:43, 14th Feb 2006
I don't know why you would go to a pub for fresh air. Mountains. The seaside. The countryside generally. These are places I would go to for fresh air.

I don't think people would go to pubs FOR fresh air, but it might be nice to be able to breath some while we are there. It seems unfair that to enjoy going out for a drink and socialising with your friends, we have to submit ourselves to smokers' fumes when we do. I'm not saying smokers shouldn't be allowed to smoke, they have every right to. But they do not have the right to inflict it on everybody around them too.

And what do you mean "at last"? You've had nothing but victories lately.

I don't know who you are refering to when you say "you've". I am on no side. Many of the issues discussed and voted on recently have been of no concern to me at all, or have gone the wrong way. So often these MPs seem to vote to keep things as they are jst to avoid causing a coffufle. This was the first time is ages, if not ever, that I felt that not only was it really important and had wide-implications, but it actually got voted to change despite the controversy, and, I felt, it got voted in for all the right reasons.

[hr]

http://standrews.thefacebook.com/profil ... d=37100117

[Nickel]

I'm sure the dedicated smoker will be happy with their tobacco speak-easy's

[David Bean]

Not this old chestnut again! Just when you thought it was safe to go back on the Sinner, another interminable smoking thread gets posted...

As far as I'm concerned, the chances of getting fresh air in a pub are about the same as getting served at age 12. And I don't know about anyone else, but to me the idea of the government dictating which otherwise legal activities the owner of an establishment may permit to take place on his premises is disquieting at best.

[hr]

Psalm 91:7

[ronald villiers]

Quoting David Bean from 21:05, 14th Feb 2006

As far as I'm concerned, the chances of getting fresh air in a pub are about the same as getting served at age 12.
[hr]

quite common then in many parts of scotland

[hr]

If at first you don't succeed, in wi' the boot an' then the heed.

[Nickel]

Quoting David Bean from 21:05, 14th Feb 2006
As far as I'm concerned, the chances of getting fresh air in a pub are about the same as getting served at age 12. And I don't know about anyone else, but to me the idea of the government dictating which otherwise legal activities the owner of an establishment may permit to take place on his premises is disquieting at best.

By 'otherwise legal' do you mean things that would be legal if they were not against the law?

--
nickel

[Al]

"I don't know who you are refering to when you say "you've". I am on no side."

I do apologise. I obviously took the "Hoorah!" as an indication of approval and the "us non-smokers" as showing which side you were on.

[Nickel]

Quoting Al from 21:31, 14th Feb 2006
I do apologise. I obviously took the "Hoorah!" as an indication of approval and the "us non-smokers" as showing which side you were on.

Have non-smokers had a lot of victories lately then?

[flarewearer]

Quoting David Bean from 21:05, 14th Feb 2006
And I don't know about anyone else, but to me the idea of the government dictating which otherwise legal activities the owner of an establishment may permit to take place on his premises is disquieting at best.

The government dictate pretty much everything which goes on inside a licensed premises as it is. Why should one more thing be disquieting?

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[David Bean]

Quoting nickel from 21:31, 14th Feb 2006By 'otherwise legal' do you mean things that would be legal if they were not against the law?

No, I meant legal in other circumstances, i.e. when you aren't in a pub. And so far as government interference in private behaviour is concerned, less is almost always more.

[hr]

Psalm 91:7

[Nickel]

Quoting David Bean from 22:23, 14th Feb 2006
No, I meant legal in other circumstances, i.e. when you aren't in a pub. And so far as government interference in private behaviour is concerned, less is almost always more.

That is hardly unprecedented though, shooting an air rifle at some can's (for example) is legal, however shooting it into a crowd of people is not. Even if you are careful not to hit any of the people.

I think the argument for the ban is that there is no way to smoke in a pub without it affecting other people like you can if you were to smoke outside.

[Eliot Wilson]

Quoting David Bean from 21:05, 14th Feb 2006
I don't know about anyone else, but to me the idea of the government dictating which otherwise legal activities the owner of an establishment may permit to take place on his premises is disquieting at best.

As you well know, mon brave, I am not in a position to bang the drum for one side or the other, least of all on this issue, but the position which other countries - the Republic of Ireland, for example - have adopted is that banning smoking in public places is a matter of protecting employees from a known and avoidable hazard. They would argue that what is essentially a health and safety at work issue overrides a debatable case of personal liberty.

[hr]

Bill and Ted beat the Grim Reaper at Twister

Bill: "You played very well, Death, especially with your totally heavy Death robes."

Death: "Don't patronise me."

[Paranoid]

Just out in Chicago training at the moment and one of our resident teachers made mention of this ban being voted in (Although from what I understand at the moment the House of Lords still has the right to veto).

Anyway, this guy also mentioned how out here in Chicago smoking is banned from ALL public buildings, but whats more is that no one can smoke within 20 meters of a public building either...

I'm not a smoker, but I would say thats a bit extreme!

[hr]

..I've got this pain down all the diodes on my left side...

[Gubbins]

Quoting Paranoid from 23:45, 14th Feb 2006
I'm not a smoker, but I would say thats a bit extreme!

Probably a bit Draconian, but if you've ever been in a ground floor office next to the place people go outside for a fag, you'll understand why they added the clause.

[hr]

...but then again, that is only my opinion.

[Guest]

cool, right, good for them, lets move on and not fucking talk about this kinda shit.

Its happened, get over it

[Oirish_Martin]

I'm from the Republic of Ireland. I've heard all these arguments before. The smoking lobby still sounds as daft as ever. The upshot of the ban will be from things as minor as your clothes not stinking after a night out, to less people dying from cancer. It's kind of daft that once a government actually achieves something worthwhile all you find is smug remarks directed at supporters of the bill and irrational fears about draconian lawmaking. I'm surprised to find it happening here all over again to be honest...

[flarewearer]

Quoting from 20:57, 14th Feb 2006
cool, right, good for them, lets move on and not fucking talk about this kinda shit.

Why, what do you wan't to talk about dear unreg?

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