Actually, I don't have anything against restaurants or bars having separate smoking/no smoking areas.
And, as for myself, I don't mind going outside for a ciggie.
There's no need to apologize to me for being addicted, because going outside isn't too bad for me
What I DO mind is that we have had our rights to decide taken away by the nanny state.
I DO mind that smokers have left the pubs.
I DO mind that all the non smokers (and please, this is NOT a smokers Vs non smokers debate here
) who were used as an excuse i'e "Once the smoking ban comes in, all the non smokers will come out to play" have NOT come out to play.
For people in an affected industry, it's not for me to tell customers to "spit your dummy out if you like"
.
It is not an option for people who work in a business dependent on keeping drinkers in pubs to say "if you don't like it, screw you".
It just isn't good customer relations
YES, there are exceptions to the rule.
Some pubs have actually done BETTER since the smoking ban came in.
Hey, salute, happy days
But most other places have suffered.
Now the health of bar staff in particular was a factor that helped the smoking ban get passed through.
And to a certain extent, I agree with that notion.
However, I believe it is up to the person themselves to decide if they wish to work in a smoky atmosphere.
For one, I have always that a pub should be allowed to have a smoking bar, and a non smoking bar.
This was done in the past, so why not in the future?
Any bar staff who wanted to apply to work at a smoking bar should be sent away with a DVD and booklet detailing all the horrors of what can happen through working in a smoky atmosphere.
This should be in depth, with input from doctors, cancer researchers, people in the pub industry, cancer sufferers.
When that person comes back, they should have the right to sign a paper saying they have read/watched the media and are in possession of all the facts about the risks they are taking, and they they accept those risks.
As I say, i've always believed a bar should be allowed to have smoking/non smoking sections, but let's take the idea a step further.
What would happen if a licence was created where landlords could allow their customers to smoke on the premises?
I predict 2 things.
1 - 97% of pubs would apply for a licence.
2 - The licence fee would go up and up every year.Just one more way the government of "wetting it's beak".
I think one of the biggest indicators of how bad the implications of the smoking ban were to be was this.
How long did Tony Blaire stay as Prime Minister after announcing he was stepping down?
How close to the smoking ban coming out did Blaire finally do a runner?
Coincidence?
