Smoking ban to end!??

I think a fair option would be for all pubs etc to have a designated smoking area (no more than 25% of the pub and possibly even closed off from the rest of the pub) with it's own air-con unit to filter out the smoke from the pub. Regular inspections to make sure the air-con is working corrctly and absolutely no smoking outside of this area. This would allow everybody to have the night out that they want with none of the nasty side affects and would've cost no more that all the cannopy's and heaters!

Non smokers are still not happy as now everyone smokes outside thay can't use beer gardens as everybody is out there smoking, there's no pleasing some people, they've ruined smokers pub visits and they're still complaining!!!

Right, I'm of out to smoke in my car before the new law about no smoking in my car comes in next year! Roll on the road rage!!!!

Strangley the smoking paranoia only appears to be here in the UK. Not a problem across the rest of Europe.

Is that because their governments assume that the majority of the population are adults and capable of making their own decision

PS
I'm not a smoker but believe that adults have the right to make their own decisions

[the_lone_wolf]

Originally Posted by Tris

PS
I'm not a smoker but believe that adults have the right to make their own decisions

You've missed the point entirely...

While it would no doubt benefit people to stop smoking, they won't, and it is their right to do that if they want, but just because they have the right to inhale cigarette smoke, does that remove the rights of the people who don't want to?

Aside from revenue from taxation, which will be offset to some extent by increased cost of treating their cancers and chronic lung problems, what benefits does smoking give society? just because it's a legal drug doesn't mean that it's any less of a drug addiction

Originally Posted by rubberduckofdeath

for a minute i thought nobody could read my confession...!!

Originally Posted by the_lone_wolf

You've missed the point entirely...

While it would no doubt benefit people to stop smoking, they won't, and it is their right to do that if they want, but just because they have the right to inhale cigarette smoke, does that remove the rights of the people who don't want to?

Aside from revenue from taxation, which will be offset to some extent by increased cost of treating their cancers and chronic lung problems, what benefits does smoking give society? just because it's a legal drug doesn't mean that it's any less of a drug addiction

they die well before their years of expensive elderly care. bonus.

[the_lone_wolf]

Originally Posted by gettin2dizzy

they die well before their years of expensive elderly care.

touché

They also die well before they've claimed decade after decade of state pension. And corporate pension for that matter. Your creaking works pension fund may just hold out if enough people die early.

Besides, every revenue/cost calculation I've seen from the anti-smoking lobby groups always makes one fundamental flaw - they assume that if smoking is erradicated and would-be smokers now don't get lung cancer they are now IMMORTAL and won't die or require treatment for anything.

In reality, all your smokers, currently dying in their 50s/60s/70s of lung cancer and heart disease are now dying in their 70s/80s/90s of liver and kidney failure, the last 20 years complicated by Altzheimers and Parkinsons. Which costs more to treat? What's more of a drain on society?

Originally Posted by the_lone_wolf

what benefits does smoking give society? just because it's a legal drug doesn't mean that it's any less of a drug addiction

If you follow that argument to its logical conclusion, the next has to do what many of us (the majority?) on this site do.

Ride motorcyles for the pure pleasure of doing so.

What posible benifit does a weekend warrior bring to society.

[the_lone_wolf]

Originally Posted by Tris

If you follow that argument to its logical conclusion, the next has to do what many of us (the majority?) on this site do.

Ride motorcyles for the pure pleasure of doing so.

What posible benifit does a weekend warrior bring to society.

did you even read my reply? perhaps if i make it bold you'll see the point: i never said people shouldn't be allowed to smoke, i even said they have every right to, in the same way that people have every right to use their bikes for pleasure, it's all about how much your actions inconvenience other people - bikes might annoy a few people a bit as they zip by, cigarette smoke might give a few people cancer

as for weekend warriors - they pay huge taxes on their fuel, and boost the economy by making the purchases in the first place, smokers pay taxes but do little as consumers otherwise, i doubt the ashtray industry is as large as the motorcycle industry - i dare anyone to find a smoker who spends the same amount on fags as the weekend warrior does on his GSXR, lurid leather suits and tinted visors

now following your "logic;" huge numbers of people use bikes a functional means of transport, they reduce congestion and are certainly better at negotiating traffic - how would you enforce a ban on people using their bikes for pleasure? endorphin monitors on all bikes? some sort of thought police?

[yorkie_chris]

Originally Posted by the_lone_wolf

i dare anyone to find a smoker who spends the same amount on fags as the weekend warrior does on his GSXR, lurid leather suits and tinted visors

60 a day, £15 a day = over £5k a year
Can get a lot of bike for that sort of money.

Another one into the mix, how well proven is it about passive smoke causing cancer? IMO something like a clean air rule for pubs demanding extractor fans would have most of the benefits and keep everyone happy (except for the hardcore health nazis, but who cares about them)
A pub I used to work in spend about 5k on ventilation, you had to be right next to a smoker to actually get a whiff of it. If anybody says you're at risk due to passive smoking somewhere like that they're talking bull.