Smokin!

[Stingo]

BACK SOON, going for a ciggy.

[Stingo]

pmsl!

Originally Posted by sharriso74

I think we will see more legislation like this come in as society becomes more selfish. If people don't want to be responsible for their actions the goverment will legislate more to force people to behave in an acceptable manner.

I'd have to completely disagree with this. As more legislation comes in, people are less likely to behave in an 'acceptable manner', not the other way round. How can you expect people to take responsibility when some git in whitehall keeps taking responsibility away from them?

The more you rules and regulations you force on people the less they'll think for themselves and the less likely they'll take responsibility for anything. You'll just end up with an entire society full of mindless idiots saying 'sorry guv, no law against that, not my problem'.

Originally Posted by Stingo

I don't believe that the drinking of alcohol is going to be banned/curtailed or anything drastic - however the behaviour of certain people after the consumption of this stuff is another issue.

Why should taxes go up? There'll be less smoking related illnesses in the future therefore there will be a reduction in the NHS bill (this money will be freed up for other illnesses).

Immigrants and the like are again another issue.

Personally, as an ex-smoker, I'm glad about the forthcoming ban because at least my kids will have a better chance of living in a smoke free atmosphere than I or most of us did

Well thats the difference, I wouldn't take my children (when I have them) to a pub at all. Why would I take my children somewhere to watch me drink? Other drunks etc..... I wouldn't.

There are PLENTY of non smoking pubs. And the majority have smoking and non smoking sections.

Why will taxes go up?

Fags = HUGE revenue for government.
Less people buy fags, less income they are getting, and considering they are already over spending, this = More taxes to all.

Hospitals getting less patients... Maybe it will get a few less UK CITIZENS, but with all the new people deciding England is their new home, but i can garantee a LOT of these people arn't paying tax at all, yet are entitled to healthcare???? (Bit like Pikeys really)...

The amount the hospitals will save on Smoking patients and related illnesses will no where near cover the revenue the government gets every year through smoking...

Just think, all smokers who go out to the pub, most will buy a new box to go out.
So say 200 people in a pub, for arguments sake, 100 smoke. Out of those 100 people buying a new box of fags, only 10 buy a box to smoke outside the pub due to the new laws.

At £3 tax (ish) for every box of fags, that alone is already £270 alone, from ONE pub... Not to mention the millions of pubs/clubs about..........

Trust me, give it, mmmm i reckon 1-2 years and taxes will go up.........

Originally Posted by wyrdness

So non-smokers who don't like smoky bars and coming home stinking like an ashtray can 'go somewhere else'. Pray tell, where? I don't know any non-smoking pubs that I can go to.

Your 'right to smoke' ends where my 'right to breathe' begins.

there are non-smoking sections to pub, if that was kept i'm sure people would be happy, if you want to smoke you go in the venturlated smoking area and if not then go to the non-smoking area.

What is wrong with that?

I think it's great news and about bloody time too!

One in the eye for the smoking few, who think it's their god given "right" to smoke when and where they want with their "F#@k everybody else" attitude.
The one's whom smoke where they've been asked not to.
The one's who think it's the cool thing to do when socialising. There is nothing cool about having breath smelling like s#@t!
The one's who insist on lighting up in between courses in a restaurant, therefore removing any taste of their meal (although, I've heard smokers can't taste much).
The one's who, rather than blow their smoke in face of the person they're talking to, turn their head and blow it in your face instead.
The ones who forget there is a cancer-stick in their hand and wave it around like a magic wand, trying to turn you into cinders (Unlike Cinders, I've started off wearing nice clothes and ended up with holes in them).
The ones who smoke around children and have the cheek to bleat about their rights.
The ones who believe that smoking doesn't cause cancer.

<climbs down from the tall gee-gee>

About 10 years ago, California passed a law stating it was illegal to smoke in public, even in your back garden. A work mate of mine flew into a rage, on reading about it in the paper. He then turned on every non-smoker he could find and ranted about his rights and the rights of other smokers. When I questioned him about the health implications, he retorted "I don't care about anyone else .... but I wouldn't smoke around my grand-children, nor my wife, who is also a heavy smoker". So, some human life is more important than others?
Sadly, 4 years later, his wife died from lung cancer, which was due to her 40-a-day habit.
He never spoke the same way about smoking again.

[northwind]

Originally Posted by Daimo

They are trying to en-courage voting, but whats the point when it clearly doesn't get anywhere. Again, another prime example of the public Vs Government, and yet again, another prime example of the public being ignored....

Practically every survey that's been done showed the public in favour of a ban... Surveys of people actually in pubs dramatically so.

[northwind]

Originally Posted by Flamin_Squirrel

The more you rules and regulations you force on people the less they'll think for themselves and the less likely they'll take responsibility for anything. You'll just end up with an entire society full of mindless idiots saying 'sorry guv, no law against that, not my problem'.

Yup, I'm inclined to agree with that... But i don'tthink it's as clear-cut as either side would suggest. If you take away the need to think, then people will stop thinking it's true- but in this case, it's simply the case that a large number of people aren't acting reasonably, and so a laissez faire approach (which has been tried for years) just isn't working. I'd prefer if peope would always act reasonmably and responsibility, but the fact is there's always someone who doesn't.

[Stingo]

Strong words Mr Nutkins - but mucho truth in there rather than the oft argued %this & %that etc. It's not all down to money, it's not all down to choice of the individual - it's many things - one common factor has to be everybody's health, ultimately, whether you have one a day or 40.

If I go to a family style pub (when with the kids), I can choose to drink alcohol or not - I can rarely choose to have a smoke free area indoors. I can't wait to meet my mates down the pub and not have to worry about coughing up lung butter the next day.