At the end of March all pubs in Scotland will be non-smoking. I am a reformed smoker, having smoked for 19yrs, I gave up in 1985. I am deeply saddened by this latest nanny state do-gooding law in that it further restricts one's right to choices. To my mind the simplest and best solution is to revert to the old fashioned Lounge and Smoke Room pubs that thrived until the mid-twentieth century. One simply chooses between a smokey room and a smoke free room. There is no need to cause suffering to smokers by banning them completely.
At least when I go into a pub I have the choice to drink alcohol or not - the same isn't true with smoking. Even with segregated areas/rooms the smoke doesn't know it's supposed to stay there!!!
On Sat, 18 Feb 2006 0:12:07 +0000, PeterE wrote (in message ):
You're right according to BAT funded research it doesn't! There is conflicting reasearch however. I'm pretty sure "environmental tobacco smoke" will be proved unhealthy in one way or another.
Alcohol doesn't make teetotalers clothes smell either which is good enough reason to ban smoking in public places.
If the licensed trade had got off of their collective arses in previous years and done something about providing clean air in their establishments there would have been no need for the legislation to apply to pubs.
Irrespective of that it should be illegal to smoke in any public place IMHO. A friend of mine told me the other day that in California it is illegal to even smoke in your own garden. I don't think that's true of the whole state but apparently communities can make their own laws. Maybe that's taking it too far?
But then the breweries etc. decided in their infinite wisdom to knock through most pubs so that they had one big room instead of several ie the old snug etc. arrangement. The extractor fans in most pubs are clapped out and need replacement well in a number of pubs i have frequented over time.
On a slightly off topic note i went for a trip round a few local watering holes this last week for the first time in a number of years and boy were some absolutely awful -the thought of the change to what they were a few years back- chalk and cheese.
Well one used to be very homely and had a good ambience served a good pint. Had a good reputation among drinkers. Now its like a truckers cafe for better description. I don't know how it survives as i was there on a Friday night and not much trade. Mind it was a Tetley house in the old days but i think we drank Smiths Magnet ale. i think the place will fail due in part to a number of other pubs in the near vicinity.
The other ;well the front room has been improved BUT health and safety needed to be there. I am slightly hard of hearing and need audio aids but the background musac was over the top and me and my mate had only ordered a half each to begin with thank god- we left. Others of the older generation were also leaving ; i noted that their drink wasn't consumed to the finish. The saving grace of this place is it has a full size snooker table in the back. Mind i was told some weeks back that there was an altercation in the pub. Some bloke was drinking with his partner, an argument broke out between them and he was alleged to be knocking seven bells out of her, upon which others in the bar intervened on her behalf. This led to the original protagonist to take on those that intervened. The upshot was the plods when they arrived charged everyone allegedly.
In a word NO but then the pub that i think will fail was also involved in a slight todo. Mind it was a few years back and things do happen and its alarming the number of gun incidents that have occurred locally -allegedly gang and drugs raise their head according to the word on the street. But to cut to the detail. Its a wake for a person of gipsy following (i believe) anyway someone produces a gun at the event, it did make the papers.
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