smoking ban ruining the fun

Thanks to James from Bath,for sending me this article by email,its a letter printed in the Bath chronicle
Bath Chronicle

What i am finding in a lot of these articles and letters,is a great deal of debate in the comments section-of course its two way banter but i have found an overwhelming response against the ban-all we have to do is get it more organised.

SMOKING BAN IS RUINING THE FUN AMONG PUBGOERS
the smoking ban.

A few years ago when a ban was starting its big push, I wrote a letter to the Chronicle claiming this was the thin edge of the wedge in controlling our way of life.

I had response at the time from supporters of the smoking ban and I replied, once again, that this was about our civil liberties being taken away and adding that drink would be the next target. This has been proven by the way in which the Government have already started making labels with strengths and units on bottles etc.
Next it will be our food!

For all people out there who are happy about smoking ban, I say that soon they will all be issued with a 'smart card' with an allowance for units of alcohol for the week and next in line will be saturated fats you can eat, so people who like to have a glass of wine with a good meal will be limited.

Then, of course, remember all the lost tax revenues will have to go onto our income tax payments.

For 50 years now I and many people my age have enjoyed a cigar or cigarette with a drink now we are being pushed out into cold and wet to get a little pleasure out of life.

In my local 80 per cent of clients are smokers - including the staff - and when we smokers go outside in the garden under umbrellas we find our non-smoking friends join us as in the bar there are not many left.

Even our landlord calls himself 'Billy No Mates' as he is usually in the bar on his own!

Surely everyone who has to put up with this situation should write to their MP and try to get ban changed to allow some pubs where they don't serve cooked food to have smoking allowed?

Finally, is it just a matter of time before we have limited air miles and we are stopped using our cars every day?

Big Brother is on its way - and I don't mean the programme on TV.

MR F W MORGAN
Bath

Here are the comments so far:
Mr Morgan is perfectly correct in saying this smoking ban is the thin edge of the wedge. State interference into the way people live their lives - it is an absolute disgrace. If there had been a market for non-smoking venues, then the market would have responded accordingly. There has never been a law against opening up non-smoking venues, but now there is a law against opening smoking venues. Passive smoking is an irritant and if it does cause cancer, then the risk is so low as to not register on the Richter scale. This ban was bought about by fraudulent science. Give people a choice, if they want non-smoking venues fine, but leave us smokers and tolerant non-smokers to our own haunts. Designated, ventilated areas to an agreed standard is the way forward; the technology is already proven - in fact cleaner air is breathed than standing in Milsom Street for 10 minutes with all the car fumes. Join us at www.freedom2choose.co.uk and fight this unnecessary and draconian law.
Bill C, Bath




The people who are so in favour of this ban do not realise that they will ultimately 'suffer' anyway due to the closure of very many public houses and other businesses. Over the past 3/4 weeks, in my area there has been a great loss of custom in some places and the anti-smokers who are filtering in tend to buy about one drink and then leave. Spike says, 'the boot is on the other foot' - ie. that those who enjoy smoking in pubs should 'leave if they don't like it.' Well, they are doing and the atmosphere in a lot of places now is about as exciting as looking at watching paint dry. The real characters who have personalities are staying away whereas really boring subdued people are inside pubs making them as drab and dull as themselves. If there had been a great market for non-smoking pubs, why didn't all these sanctimonious people either open them or go to them when they were able to do so? Instead they simply condone and kill the enjoyment of others. freedom2choose.co.uk
Jenny, N Yorkshire




Over 100,000 people die from smoking related illnesses in the UK every year. It's estimated that 650 people die from second-hand smoke every year in the UK (more than from drink driving!) SHS is lethal and there are over 100 independent, peer-reviewed scientific studies that show the harm it causes. Don't beleive me? Go and check the tobacco companies websites, even they have given up lying and OPENLY ADMIT that SHS is harmful. The tobacco companies' opinion, not mine! This law will save lives, the lives of people who now have the freedom2choose not to passively smoke!
Steven, Bath




How right you are Mr Morgan, Since the ban in my village, where there are 4 pubs, the atmosphere is about as dead as a wet fish! The same as your pub, i see 20 or 30 people outside, and 1 or 2 inside, namely the barmaid and owner/landlord! thats on a good night...say fri/sat....the rest of the week its EMPTY! All of our non smoking friends come and sit outside with us, as they don't know what to do with themselves, when we're all outside having a fag and a laugh! [so boring these Antis!] Oh well it won't be long before they can join us, as their puratism ways will have got all the pubs shut down, from lack of customers. Then where will they be...OUTSIDE ON THE STREET WITH ALL US SMOKERS!] FIGHT THESE DICTATORS [ WITH ALL OF YOUR MIGHT! WWW.FREEDOM2CHOOSE....JOIN NOW...THEY CAN SET US FREE
Tracey, Worcestershire




Spike says he has "suffered" for many years? Suffered from what Spike? You haven't been harmed in any way by second hand smoke, because it has been scientifically proven that second hand smoke does not cause any harm at all. What it boils down to it people like Spike just do not like people smoking, so they try to justify their abhorrence to this activity by making out that it can cause them harm. I don't like the ghastly stink of non smokers, who sit there with a glass of shandy and suck boiled sweets non stop, they make my clothes and my hair stink of it. So shall we ask the government to ban this as well, on the grounds that the sickly smell from second hand sweets causes cancer of the nose? Well, if the anti smokers are going to tell ridiculous made up lies, we all might as well join in.
Peter T, South East




Fun - not a word that you could associate with any of the 'hundreds' of non-smokers (OK, 1 or 2) that have come into my local since the ban. Sit in a corner, have one drink and leave. About time the ban was overturned and the pubs given back to the people who really know what they are for - socializing. If the non-smokers don't like it - open your own pub freedom2choose.co.uk
Tich, York




And what about those who don't smoke but enjoy a drink? We have suffered for years and any complaints made are greeted with -'leave if you don't like it' well the boot is on the other foot now.
Spike, Bath




So very, very true. The imposition of this law is destructive to essential personal and social recreation and relaxation. There should be an acceptance that many businesses provide pleasure and communal, adult enjoyment. The propaganda behind this ban is so full of lies, exaggerations and sound-bites that even the smallest amount of research shows it is a blatant effort to de-normalise smoking and, as such, to demonise the legal activity of a quarter of the population. Smoking venues are not anathema to the majority of the population as can be seen from figures from the Office of National Statistics - It's a shame that Government used our money to get ASH & CRUK to commission polls and base popularity upon their biased figures. Bring back commonsense - you can ask people to risk their lives, often voluntarily, in the emergency services but prevent them from relaxing with a legal product - crazy.
Neil E Dunn, South West