The Stop Smoking Megathread [ including Champix]

[SnailyBoy]

I remember a time when Pubs were full of real people,people having a good time,now the ones that do remain open have had to transform themselfs in to Restaurants in hope the non smokers will turn up for a winge and summert to eat and another Winge about the prices

 

Yeah, because only smokers know how to have good time. Only on the condition they can smoke of course.

[alstromeria]

What a well thought out reply. You have proved beyond doubt that you are a master debater.

 

I started the thread......

[purdy]

I find the whole arguement of banning one drug from a place that sells a different drug quite amusing.

 

Personally, as a smoking tea-totaller, I think they should ban alcohol from pubs as I don't want my evenings out ruined by drunken people throwing up, spoiling for a fight, etc, etc. Fairly sure it would be safer for the staff too as H&S is being mentioned

 

There is of course one major flaw in your arguement. That is the banning of smoking in public places was not introduced because of complaints from non smokers as you seem to imply. It was introduced to save lives of people whose health was put at risk because of secondhand smoke.

 

Now of course you are perfectly free to approach your local MP and try to convince him/her that folks drinking in pubs constitutes a similar danger. Then all you need is a private members bill and the support of 350 other MPs and you will get your wish.

[purdy]

I started the thread......

 

Thank you for proving my point. :hihi:

[Cyclone]

I remember a time when Pubs were full of real people,people having a good time,now the ones that do remain open have had to transform themselfs in to Restaurants in hope the non smokers will turn up for a winge and summert to eat and another Winge about the prices

 

Have a walk down West Street and tell me how many of the pubs have turned into restaurants.

[Cyclone]

Pubs are all about people's SOCIAL lives

 

Museums, planes, trains, taxis, and buses are hardly social venues are they!!

 

So it's only socialising you can't do without a cigarette.

I guess you never go bowling or to the cinema then, those are SOCIAL activities and haven't allowed smoking for longer than pubs.

[Rupert_Baehr]

There is of course one major flaw in your arguement. That is the banning of smoking in public places was not introduced because of complaints from non smokers as you seem to imply. It was introduced to save lives of people whose health was put at risk because of secondhand smoke.

 

Now of course you are perfectly free to approach your local MP and try to convince him/her that folks drinking in pubs constitutes a similar danger. Then all you need is a private members bill and the support of 350 other MPs and you will get your wish.

 

 

Was it really? What evidence can you produce to show that is the case?

 

If the real reason for banning smoking was to save lives, why is it that MPs still allow smoking in their own bars in the palace of Westminster?

 

Do they have some sort of immunity to second-hand smoke not enjoyed by the general public?

 

I've no idea what the real reason for banning smoking in public places was, but I suspect that the fact that such a ban would have been very popular with a large number of people might have had something to do with it.

 

'Banning things' is a popular pastime in the UK. If it keeps the people happy (and it doesn't cost much), what's wrong with letting a significant number of very vocal people think they are getting their own way?

 

When smoking was permitted in restaurants and pubs, I wouldn't consider eating in a restaurant which permitted smoking, nor would I drink in a smoky pub. That was my choice.

 

If a restaurateur/publican wished to permit smoking that was his/her choice and if it drove people away, that was his/her problem. I don't run a restaurant, nor do I run a pub, so I've no axe to grind.

 

I had a friend who - before the ban - told me: "I don't go to pubs because they're too smoky." I saw her a few months after the ban was introduced and asked her whether she now enjoyed going to the pub. 'Errr... No. I don't go to the pub." "Why not? They're not smoky anymore?" "Errr...Errr ... they're too expensive."

 

I've no doubt some pubs have become more popular now that they are non-smoking, but I've also no doubt that some - particularly those in rural areas who had limited trade before the ban - have lost trade and in some cases, the loss of trade may have contributed to the pub closing.

 

I used to live in a small Norfolk village which had one pub. The pub was having problems before the ban was introduced (it seemed always to be on the verge of closing) and when the smoking ban was introduced, it had more problems - but it managed to survive.

 

The population of the village has increased over the last 40 years. 40 years ago (with far fewer residents) the village had 3 pubs and apparently at one time it had 5.

 

Habits change. When the village had 5 pubs it didn't have electricity (And that wasn't too long ago ) People didn't sit around eating take-away pizza and watching TV, they went to the pub. They didn't buy beer from supermarkets (though no doubt some did buy booze from the local off-licence) they drank in the pub.

 

Nowadays, many people don't go to the pub... Unless, of course somebody threatens to close it, in which case you'll hear things like: "It shouldn't be allowed! We can't do without our pub! I'm a regular customer! I go there and drink a half of shandy every New Year's Eve!"

[Cyclone]

The purported reason was to protect the people who work in the pubs from the 2nd hand smoke.

Whether that was the real reason, only a mind reader could tell you.

 

I do wonder why they didn't just make it a license condition and charge the councils who manage the current licensing with keeping a balance. The free market clearly wasn't going to provide as the path of least resistance was for every place to allow smoking.

[my eyes only]

Pubs are all about people's SOCIAL lives

 

Museums, planes, trains, taxis, and buses are hardly social venues are they!!

 

omg dont say that, I did in a ealier reply and was put in my place

[my eyes only]

Indeed, they clearly still use all those things, but then claim they won't go to the pub anymore...

 

Who has said they wont go to the pub anymore?