England smoke ban to start 1 July 2006

[Martin Milner]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6196910.stm

So Dale, when can we expect smoking to be banned in the Chiffy Pub?

I'd be even happier about this date if it wasn't that Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have all beaten the English to it, and I'm told also Australia and Italy amongst other countries. Good ol' England, leading the world by example not.

From July 1st then, I hope to be attend pub sessions a lot more regularly, and sticking around longer.

[chrisoff]

Good for them, they may be late but they got there eventually. I have to say as a Scottish smoker the ban here has been fantastic (although I have yet to face it in the middle of winter). It helped me give up for a good part of the year (until I got dumped and started again) and the atmosphere in most pubs and clubs has improved greatly. I don't have to worry about some drunk twat walking into me and burning my favourite t-shirt on the dancefloor and in general I also smoke less than I used to when I'm out and about.

Like everything there is a downside though. Now you can really smell the gents toilets...

[Congratulations]

Charleston is trying to pass legislation to ban smoking, but I doubt it'll happen. I really hope it does, though.

[missy]

Ohio's passed in the last election. It starts today.

The one I can't quite get my head around is smoking is now banned in outdoor arenas. Up to now, smoking was permitted in certain "locations" (usually the stairs on the outside of the stadium, etc. - it was not permitted in the stands, etc.). Now it will be totally banned on the stadium property.

It will be interesting to see if some of the smaller neighborhood bars can make it without allowing smoking.

[Walden]

I don't like smoking. It is a filthy habit. The effects of second hand smoke on other people is terrible, as is the effect on the smokers themselves. I am allergic and can't be around it easily. That said, I feel so sorry for all these smokers I see stuck standing around out of doors in the bad weather, because they aren't allowed to smoke inside.

[Congratulations]

I don't like smoking. It is a filthy habit. The effects of second hand smoke on other people is terrible, as is the effect on the smokers themselves. I am allergic and can't be around it easily. That said, I feel so sorry for all these smokers I see stuck standing around out of doors in the bad weather, because they aren't allowed to smoke inside.

That's because you're a reasonable person, Walden.

[Cynth]

England smoke ban to start 1 July 2006

Well, how's it working out then?

Mr. Milner, please refrain from doing things like this until after I've had my coffee. I've been all over the place trying to figure out what year it is now, how someone could have revived this thread without posting to it, have I heard this conversation before, have I lost my mind, does July come after December, etc.

[The Weekenders]

You'll have to pry my CF Smoking Jacket out of my cold, dead fingers.

[dubhlinn]

I was down in the local Pub tonight and had a very interesting chat with the Landlady.
Her point was that at 5' 2" - 157.5 cm - in height, how is she going to deal with a big strong guy who insists on having a smoke and refuses to obey the letter of the Law.
She is not capable of removing him from the premises physically so she has no choice but to phone the Cops.

Now I just cannot see the local cops dropping everything to stop a guy having a ciggie but should her Boss get a fine for having a smoker on the premises she could lose her job.
The majority of people will live and learn how to deal with the new law but it will be very interesting to see how it will be enforced by the cops.

I forsee some interesting times ahead.

Slan,
D.

[Lambchop]

Before Florida went smoke-free, there was uproar from all quarters proclaiming that small establishments would go out of business, it would ruin the tourist industry, and that there was no way to enforce it. Dubh, I heard the same thing here -- what will little bitty women do when a big hulking meanie insists on lighting up.

What will happen is exactly what happened here, I suspect. She's not going to have to do anything--some equally big hulker of a nonsmoker will do it for her. People who haven't been able to eat out or go to pubs for YEARS will suddenly start showing up, and they'll be irate to find their dinner ruined by somebody's stinking habit.

There will be little pockets of holdouts, but they'll eventually be routed out.

[dubhlinn]

Dubh, I heard the same thing here -- what will little bitty women do when a big hulking meanie insists on lighting up.

What will happen is exactly what happened here, I suspect. She's not going to have to do anything--some equally big hulker of a nonsmoker will do it for her.

True.

My local is a very local kind of place where we don't see many strangers.

There has been the odd occasion when some young fool walked in and got a bit aggresive about a pool game or some such nonsense. It did not last long..
I'm six foot and one of the smallest regulars in the place.
There are a few Jamaican types there who hover about six and a half feet, a few Jocks - in the Scottish sense - who are smaller than the Jamaicans but taller than little old me.

Every one of them has been around the block a few times but would never go looking for trouble.

Should Trouble knock on their door, they would say "Hello".

Us regulars will keep our eye on the Landlady, and the refuseniks.

That could, with the best of intentions at heart, cause trouble with the Law.
I look forward to the day..should be good crack.

Slan,
D.

[Nanohedron]

That said, I feel so sorry for all these smokers I see stuck standing around out of doors in the bad weather, because they aren't allowed to smoke inside.

Don't. We smokers think it's a small price to pay for the bigger one.

[cowtime]

LOL!!!!

Cough, cough......

LOL!!!LOL!!!

edited to add, this has made me irritated enough to deliberately go smoke.

[chrisoff]

I was down in the local Pub tonight and had a very interesting chat with the Landlady.
Her point was that at 5' 2" - 157.5 cm - in height, how is she going to deal with a big strong guy who insists on having a smoke and refuses to obey the letter of the Law.
She is not capable of removing him from the premises physically so she has no choice but to phone the Cops.

Now I just cannot see the local cops dropping everything to stop a guy having a ciggie but should her Boss get a fine for having a smoker on the premises she could lose her job.
The majority of people will live and learn how to deal with the new law but it will be very interesting to see how it will be enforced by the cops.

I forsee some interesting times ahead.

Slan,
D.

Over here there are smoking enforcement officers who I believe are employed by the council and have the power to dish out fines.

Most of the enforcement is performed by the bouncers that are all over the city centre at a weekend. Every pub and club in the city centre has to have licensed doormen and if you get caught smoking inside they tend to be quite quick to eject you from the premises. Somemore forcibly than others. My brother, not long after the ban started, forgot while on the dancefloor at a local indie club and sparked one up. Not long after that a bouncer stormed over, stubbed the cigarette out on his face and then dragged him out the door. After a long discussion the doorman eventually admitted he was wrong to be so heavy handed but refused to shake my brother's hand for the ridiculous reason that he "doesn't shake hands". Strange.

[Nanohedron]

LOL!!!!

Cough, cough......

LOL!!!LOL!!!

edited to add, this has made me irritated enough to deliberately go smoke.

Yeah, I'm perverse that way, myself. Someone'll start railing in a shrill way about smoking, or there'll be a particularly smug antismoking ad on TV, and I'll deliberately light up. It's sort like flipping the bird, only better.