We've had a ban on public smoking here for years now. You can't even smoke within 100 feet of buildings. They are trying to further the ban at the beach and similar outdoor places. Mostly everyone has adjusted, but restaurants and bars claim a decline in revenue. I know many smokers that don't go out to eat much or to the movies because they can't smoke. I don't think non smokers should be subjected to smoke. I mean if they are, they may as well smoke themselves...

same here

As a smoker, I am dreading when they ban smoking (and I feel it is just a case of when) – I can see and sympathise with both sides of the coin and I am not a fan of smoking in restaurants or places where people are eating etc. I do however enjoy going to the pub and having a pint and a fag as a way of relaxing, if it is banned in pubs and clubs I shall be staying well away. As much as non-smokers have rights (which I respect) us smokers should have the freedom to smoke if we wish. One idea would be to have two separate areas in pubs (which I seen a documentary about working very well somewhere else – cant remember which country). This meant there was one room for non-smokers all air conditioned etc and a separate room for smokers just the same.

I think it’s a bad idea telling people how to lead their lives and what to do and what not to do – like I said I respect the non-smokers position but to be honest you’ve probably more odds on getting knocked down by a bus than dying from passive smoking but yet we don’t vehicles on the road????

The issue is that it is my choice to cross the road and take that risk, it is not my choice to breathe in others smoke because it cannot be contained - that said, I respect the fact that smokers enjoy smoking!

What I cannot sometimes understand, however, is why someone would want to continue doing something that is almost guaranteed to kill them....having watched relatives and friends and aquantainces die of cancer (be it smoking related or not) I personally make the choice to try to avoid all things that could possibly increase the risk of me getting that disease.

I am a non-smoker and I can't see a ban working at all. Even though u may have seperate rooms for somkers and non-smokers will it really work.

IF they bring in this ban then what of smoker's? Isn't it a bit unfair on them? If the government are that concerned then they should have done more to discourage smoking in the first place. The government aren't really concerned about anybody's welfare they just want to sit on the fence, try to make everyone happy and line their pockets at the same time.

Totally agree with you Laura ISBT, I too smoke and enjoy going into a pub, having a few beers and a fag or two, the way that the goverment are trying to ban smoking in public places in my opinion is not fair on the people who smoke, we should have the same rights as non smokers, i think it would be a good idea to give people the choice of where they want to drink etc, either in a non smoking pub or a smoking pub, i dont think they should ban smoking in pubs, i do agree with non smoking in restaurants. the goverment are trying to make out that smoking is an evil thing to do and in some ways they are correct, i know its bad for my health but its my choice to do it and i enjoy it. in my eyes we only have a few pleasures in life and for me smoking is one of them.

What about those people who have to work in pubs? What about their passive smoking risks? Must be vastly increased?

like i said i think there should be smoking and non smoking pubs then everyone has a choice

You are 100% right there Chloe, but so is the risk of getting knocked down when you cross the road, there are so many things that this could be said for. Are you also now assuming that most people working in pubs are non-smokers. Its all ifs and ands. People have been smoking in public for hundreds of years and no big catastrophies so far. At the moment, I enjoy smoking I dont want to stop its one of my small pleasures so I will bloody well do it when I choose to and if somebody doesnt like it they can go whistle. Whilst I appreciate that non-smokers dont want their lungs filled with smoke through somebody elses choice to smoke I also appreciated that us smokers have the right to do what we want. In my opinion its a bit like pc going too far with politicians and other doo gooder groups telling us how we should live and what we can and cant do. I am all for living life the way I want to not the way others want me to. JMHO.

Laura

But I'm not saying you shouldn't enjoy it personally, the argument is that other people who don't enjoy smoking shouldn't have to breathe smoke in - thats their choice as much as you have yours

I am a non smoker and I worked in a bar, and I couldn't stand people who couldn't smoke in the restaurant coming and smoking all over me - they had no consideration at all and would stand there blowing their smoke in my face instead of blowing it toward everyone else. It made my eyes bad and I lasted about a month - I was lucky, I wasn't relying on it as I was just helping out a friend. Its just consideration.