No review of the smoking ban

Our Con-Dem government has said it is ditching the review of the smoking ban that should have taken place now, three years after the ban came in, so the situation is 'no change' at least for a while. There had been some pressure to extend the ban to pub doorways and beer gardens, while on the other hand there are numerous requests on the website to propose scrapping laws for the ban to be reversed. Both these extremes will be disappointed.

I know singers who often used to find singing in a smoky room difficult, and asking the audience not to smoke immediately in front of them sometimes went down badly, even though this request was motivated solely by the effect of smoke on the singer's voice and throat. Some smokers were prepared to co-operate but others took offence, but even when they did co-operate, the general smokiness in a room could still cause problems. Singers have had to refuse bookings in venues they knew would be smoky; performers generally prefer not to turn down work, but they have to put their voice first. My late Uncle Arthur was a good singer in the style of Frankie Vaughan, whom he knew when they were both starting out; one of the reasons he gave up performing professionally was the deleterious effects of cigarette smoke in pubs and clubs.

Personally, I'm quite happy with the ban as it is - I don't want it extended or eased - so I've no complaint about this decision.