tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8285162121291357473.post2664617780338982005..comments2024-03-03T19:52:17.901+00:00Comments on ReARM ~ RedNev's Blog: Smoking in pubsNeville Grundyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10923209266005338452noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8285162121291357473.post-81735536253619218462009-12-02T14:59:13.664+00:002009-12-02T14:59:13.664+00:00Clive: I think you have a valid point in your las...Clive: I think you have a valid point in your last sentence. People like simple explanations, and to blame pub closures solely on the smoking ban is simplistic to say the least.<br /><br />As for your earlier point, when my mother gave up smoking after around 50 years, she could smell the smoke on me from the other side of the room whenever I'd been to the pub. She said she had never realised how pervasive smoke could be, and I don't think any smoker can.Neville Grundyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10923209266005338452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8285162121291357473.post-10417735894511627862009-12-01T11:05:41.145+00:002009-12-01T11:05:41.145+00:00Speaking as an ex-smoker (clean since 1987) it is ...Speaking as an ex-smoker (clean since 1987) it is such a pleasure now, to be in a smoke-free drinking environment. In 1986, I would've railed against such blanket bans and to be honest, I only became aware of the reeking, eyes-watering, foul clothes, cough spluttering, ash tray-full scenario I'd contributed to, once I stopped. <br />Prior to that, I'd been an unthinking part of it. Like brick wall head-banging it's great when you stop! <br />I'd never want to go back to lighting up anywhere, nor, let's face it, when the health factors are indisputable, would anyone who thought long and hard enough.<br />It's got to be a step in the right direction and the sweet air vs. blue haze debate is being used as a smokescreen (hah!) to mask much wider issues in the licensed trade?Clive Powncebyhttp://www.bothyfolkclub.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8285162121291357473.post-81716519871396917042009-11-28T14:49:42.938+00:002009-11-28T14:49:42.938+00:00Curmudgeon: I assume by private homes you mean pr...Curmudgeon: I assume by private homes you mean private care homes, as the Government had no intention of banning smoking in our own homes. And that provides the answer to the exemptions: it was explained at the time that the ban would not apply to places that are people's homes even though others work there, and I recall a minister specifically quoting prison as an example of this. <br /><br />An exemption you didn't mention is palaces, which means the ban does not apply to Parliament, which meets in the Palace of Westminster; another perk (like subsidised booze) that politicians have for themselves but deny to the rest of us.<br /><br />I have to disagree about the origin of the ban: it was brought in as a health & safety at work measure. I'm fully aware the Government had a keen eye on knock-on effects, and hoped it would make people smoke less in general. It's a fair point about Ireland, but I was not commenting on the success or otherwise of the ban; I was just stating where it originated. As for me, I couldn't care less how much people smoke, as long as the smoke doesn't envelope me.<br /><br />Thanks TM: whatever we think of the ban, it's here to stay, so yes, let's move on. I just wanted to outline my views on this issue; it's unlikely I'll write about it again.<br /><br />Anon: I agree some non-smokers do think things have gone too far, but I also personally know some who want even tighter restrictions. As a non-smoker, I don't want things taken any further.Neville Grundyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10923209266005338452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8285162121291357473.post-75517341441525985632009-11-28T14:43:54.587+00:002009-11-28T14:43:54.587+00:00When anti smoking people were using education as t...When anti smoking people were using education as their primary method, the smoking rates were steadily declining for 40 years. Now that they got into invasive bans using snitchlines and law enforcement for privately owned businesses, many, even non smokers, have the opinion that they crossed the line.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8285162121291357473.post-58205908011065227122009-11-28T09:13:13.641+00:002009-11-28T09:13:13.641+00:00Well said RedNev. Let's just move on.Well said RedNev. Let's just move on.Tandlemanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06804499573827044693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8285162121291357473.post-61336638773588023772009-11-28T09:05:12.648+00:002009-11-28T09:05:12.648+00:00This has been debated elsewhere ad nauseam, but th...This has been debated elsewhere <i>ad nauseam</i>, but the point must be made that in previous economic downturns the pub trade has been very resilient. In this one it hasn't been. Since the smoking ban came in, the rate of pub closures has accelerated from six a week to six a day. It has turned a slow, gradual decline into a fall off a cliff.<br /><br />And the primary purpose of the ban was not to protect the health of workers but to reduce the incidence of smoking. If it was purely to protect the health of workers, why is smoking still permitted in private homes, hotel rooms, care homes and prisons, which are all environments in which people work?<br /><br />And it hasn't exactly been very successful in reducing the incidence of smoking when in Ireland the proportion of smokers amongst the adult population has risen post-ban from 27% to 33%.Curmudgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02558747878308766840noreply@blogger.com