Just out of general interest how is the smoking ban going down in England? It came into force on the 1st of July right?
What do you smokers and non-smokers think of it?
The smoking ban came into Ireland about 2 years ago, and, being a non-smoker i personally thought it was/is one of the best things the government has done.
At the start it was weird going into pubs and clubs as you didn't have the smell of smoke to cover up the musty smell that the carpets had picked up over the years.
2 years on, new carpets and furniture, and when you get home you don't stink of smoke! It's great!

Personally? I am glad .

I am glad that I can go into a pub and have a meal without having some buggers smoke blown all over me.

Quote from danowat :

Personally? I am glad .

I am glad that I can go into a pub and have a meal without having some buggers smoke blown all over me.

Here Here!

I fully support it, I do not want to breathe in other peoples smoke. I see most smokers are selfish in that they don't give a monkeys about anyone else around them when they smoke. I am glad now they have to take it outside where they can smoke all they want.

Once the pubs loose the smoky smell it will be great! Finally I can go home without smelling like i just smoked a vast amount of cigarettes.

+1 in my view!

Yay, not more passive smoking in restaurants or pubs

Definatly more healthy now going to a pub or similar but even though I am not a smoker I never minded going into smokey pubs.

It is a good thing though and I am all for the ban.

sure its healthy but having to sit outside to have a smoke annoys me ( mainly because of the irish summer )

I smoke, but it's not really bothering me. What does bother me is the principle - the government shouldn't be quite so controlling of people, and the people shouldn't accept it so easily.

My dad doesn't smoke, and apart from the odd schoolboy puff, never has. Yet he says he would support people's RIGHT to smoke as much as he could.

Personally, I think the 'ban' should have been less forced. Allow people to make smoking bars and clubs, as long as they are advertised as such. Maybe even make them apply for a (free) smoking licence.

As it is, all the drunks and youths (and drunken youths) will all come outside to smoke, and that'll probably mean... more STREET FIGHTING!

been the law in scotland for a while, since i was basically to young to sit in a pub it never bothered me. I do kinda smoke, but it doesnt bother me going outside with my mates for a fag then back in for a pint. I respect that people dont want to be sucking in all my second hand smoke so i dont really mind, place i usually go has a kinda canopy outside the door so its not raining or anything.

(Yes im 16, but its ridiculously easy to get into a pub when your 6 foot 3).


talk about ironic anyway, the drink probably does more damage than the smoke, but whatever. Theres just no way a pub can be called healthy

they had that law here in australia for a while now and im a smoker and when i drink i smoke even more. but i do agree with the law's but dont beleave they should exclude smoking so drasticly i mean some pubs and bar's created outdoor aera's so smokers could dance drink and party in the out door shaded aera's

/hijack

We had it 1st of June. As a non-smoker (when sober at least) I do like it. You don't feel as shitty the day after. Even when I was the driver I felt awful in the morning because the smoke I had inhaled. You can say it's controlling the people, but I say it's good for the people working in those places. What I don't like though is the extreme forcing of it. If you want to build a separated and ventilated smoking area in to your club or bar you can't serve drinks on that area and there can not be any kind of entertainment available. Silly really, well of course, if it was a nice zone it could be considered as bar, and you can't smoke there in bars so...it kinda makes sense in a way.

Quote from tristancliffe :

My dad doesn't smoke, and apart from the odd schoolboy puff, never has. Yet he says he would support people's RIGHT to smoke as much as he could.

Well, what about mine rights? I don't want filthy smoke in my face. Its hard enough for me to stand around friends that smoke even outside. I surely don't want to go inside a pub where the whole house is filled with that s**t.

Quote from tristancliffe :

As it is, all the drunks and youths (and drunken youths) will all come outside to smoke, and that'll probably mean... more STREET FIGHTING!

It doesn't in Norway, and we are VIKINGS

Quote from Blackout :

/hijack

We had it 1st of June. As a non-smoker (when sober at least) I do like it. You don't feel as shitty the day after. Even when I was the driver I felt awful in the morning because the smoke I had inhaled. You can say it's controlling the people, but I say it's good for the people working in those places. What I don't like though is the extreme forcing of it. If you want to build a separated and ventilated smoking area in to your club or bar you can't serve drinks on that area and there can not be any kind of entertainment available. Silly really, well of course, if it was a nice zone it could be considered as bar, and you can't smoke there in bars so...it kinda makes sense in a way.

Your lucky, here your allowed like a maximum of 2 walls, anything more is counted as in indoor public area so you arent allowed to smoke.

As a smoker I don't mind having to stand outside or in a smoking room, actually chances are you might have a better night out meeting new folk and talking shite while havin a fag...And it's an added bonus being able to bring the kids into the pub for dinner...I can't stand anyone smoking while I'm eating< which is a bit od as I smoke....cleaner and better smoke free

The stupidest part of this LAW is the requirement for signs bloody everywhere! Every single entrance to a public place has to have a large sign, with more signs inside the building between sections, public transport, company cars etc.

Do we need signs to tell us not to murder, rape, pillage? Once people are used to this law these signs will do nothing but make everywhere look messy, it's government grafitti. The sign making companies must be laughing themselves silly.

I have no objections to people smoking, but what I do object to is me having to breathe in the same fumes. After all, they get the filtered end.
Smoking is the only recreational habit where you're not only harming yourself, but those around you as well. Which isn't fair, since those other people have made the decision not to smoke the same as the smoker made the decision to do it.

That's the basis for the entire ban.

It'll be nice to come home from a night out and not have to quarantine my clothes because we've been enclosed in a small space with a load of smokers And if it inspires people to give up (like it has in my office) then all the better.

I smoke, although I'm trying to quit. In practice the ban doesn't bother me too much, but I do find all the sanctimonious non-smokers quite irritating, so I'm taking every opportunity to make them breathe tobacco smoke outside now.

Quote from tristancliffe :

I smoke, but it's not really bothering me. What does bother me is the principle - the government shouldn't be quite so controlling of people, and the people shouldn't accept it so easily.

My dad doesn't smoke, and apart from the odd schoolboy puff, never has. Yet he says he would support people's RIGHT to smoke as much as he could.

Personally, I think the 'ban' should have been less forced. Allow people to make smoking bars and clubs, as long as they are advertised as such. Maybe even make them apply for a (free) smoking licence.

As it is, all the drunks and youths (and drunken youths) will all come outside to smoke, and that'll probably mean... more STREET FIGHTING!

While I agree with that, in essence, surely it's the non-smokers RIGHT not to be "forced" into breathing in harmfull smoke?

It's a big roundabout, and TBH, there is/was no "right" soloution

Quote from MyBoss :

Well, what about mine rights? I don't want filthy smoke in my face. Its hard enough for me to stand around friends that smoke even outside. I surely don't want to go inside a pub where the whole house is filled with that s**t.

Your rights as a non-smoker are important too, but so are smokers rights. This is why allowing pubs/clubs to be smoking pubs/clubs, and others non-smoking is, imo, the best way.

And I agree with Pilot - the signs are horrid and tacky. But I guess they keep a government printing company in work, thus reducing unemployment, at the expense of the tax payer.

Also, the government will lose money from banning smoking. So they'll increase EVERYONE's taxes to compensate. Non-smokers, from now on, will subsidise smoking! Smokers will have to pay the tax twice.

And it's worse, because now the law states you have to smoke at home, which is going to be tough for people with allergies or athsma!

Quote from MyBoss :

Well, what about mine rights? I don't want filthy smoke in my face. Its hard enough for me to stand around friends that smoke even outside. I surely don't want to go inside a pub where the whole house is filled with that s**t.

It's all about choice....Before you didn't have any, now I don't.

If there were smoking and non smoking pubs, then we could both choose to go into whichever one we preferred.

Think about it though, if there was a market for non-smoking pubs, then someone would have opened them by now anyway. I think the lack of them shows that this non-smokers belief that everyone wants a smoke free environment is a bit off.

What p!sses me off most about pubs though, is when people bring their kiddies along for a meal, then let them rampage about inside the place.

Holding a cigarette at 6 year olds head height used to keep them away, now I need a new plan.


Edit:

Quote from Dajmin :

That's the basis for the entire ban.

You're wrong there.

The reason is purely a Health and Safety one. Employers are legally required to minimise employees exposure to substances that may be harmful to their health.

It has bugger all to do with you whingy non smoker types, who appear not to have heard of showers and washing machines.

Quote from Bean0 :

It has bugger all to do with you whingy non smoker types, who appear not to have heard of showers and washing machines.

Show me the lung washing machine.

Quote from Bean0 :

It has bugger all to do with you whingy non smoker types, who appear not to have heard of showers and washing machines.

Do you really think people don't like passive smoking because their clothes smell?
I think it might have something to do with the fact that your smoke is killing them. Passive smoking is just as dangerous as smoking.

@tristan: Your comment about more street fighting is just plain wrong. It hasn't happened in any other country where smoking bans have been for years, why would it happen in England.

Quote from Blackout :

Show me the lung washing machine.

Obviously that part shouldn't be taken 100% seriously. It's just that most of you seem more concerned with the smell more than anything else.

You probably do more damage to your lungs by walking through a busy city, inhaling all the various vehicle fumes anyway.

Quote from nikimere :

Passive smoking is just as dangerous as smoking.

Nah, you can't burn yourself passive smoking

Both my wife and I were smokers many years ago and when we went to Finland, we went on a train. The smokers carriage was on the end of the train and I swear it was never cleaned. It was knee deep in ash and cigarette ends. We were horrified by it at the time but now we say 'serves us right!'
If tobacco was introduced within the last decade or so it would be banned as a dangerous substance. But tobacco companies and governments of all colours love it! Smokers pay an extortionate amount of tax, for something that will possible kill them, will probably mess up their breathing and definately cost a bloody fortune, yet still keep coming back for more. Dumb or what?

Quote from Bean0 :

Obviously that part shouldn't be taken 100% seriously. It's just that most of you seem more concerned with the smell more than anything else.

You probably do more damage to your lungs by walking through a busy city, inhaling all the various vehicle fumes anyway.

Well, it was more of a joke. But as I said on my previous post the smoke usually made throat feel shitty. I don't mind the smoke smell on my clothes as it goes away if you put them outside for a while. But your second comment, well, not true where I live, the air is pretty clean so tobacco smoke is more toxic. And I'm not entirely thinking myself as I don't go to bars that regularly, but thinking the people who work there. They have to be there almost every day to make a living, isn't it reasonable that they don't have to inhale toxic fumes? The law is said to save money over here as amount of lung disease from passive smoking should decrease.