Smoking Ban in Ireland / Scotland

[Vasquez Rich]

Looking forward to it... lost my mum to lung cancer... can't come quick enough.

[Johngh]

I can't wait for the ban to come into effect in England. I don't mind people smoking at all, as long as they try to keep it to themselves. But I'm tired of playing every weekend and coming home and having me and all my gear stink of fags, including my speaker cabs and even the bloody guitar strap. Plus our vocalist even puffs on cigars during set up and sound check, which is even worse !

[3V17C]

Personally - I am against the smoking ban....i feel there should be choice...a smoking area and a non smoking area rather than a compusory law from a nanny state.

and......(opening a large can of nicotine flavoured worms)... alot of the 'facts' about smoking are unproven and based on either very old research of statistics that the government wants you to hear. yes, i'm a conspiracy theorist but check this link:

[url="http://www.joejackson.com/pdf/5smokingpdf_smokingissue.pdf"]Interesting reading about smoking 'facts'[/url]

and whether you agree or disagree there are some interesting points made..for instance...

[color="#000000"] 'Native Americans have half the rate of lung cancer of white Americans even though they smoke much more. Very few Chinese women smoke and yet they have one of the highest lung cancer rates in the world. Lung cancer rates practically everywhere have been rising since about 1930 and in some cases (e.g. American women) have not peaked yet, despite the fact that smoking rates have gone steadily down.'[/color]


peace

c

[Vasquez Rich]

[quote name='3V17C' post='5842' date='May 24 2007, 03:06 PM']Very few Chinese women smoke and yet they have one of the highest lung cancer rates in the world.[/quote]

..because they live with chinese men?

[velvetkevorkian]

Not noticed any signficant difference in gig attendance locally. 's all good as far as I'm concerned

[lowhand_mike]

[quote name='3V17C' post='5842' date='May 24 2007, 04:06 PM']Personally - I am against the smoking ban....i feel there should be choice...a smoking area and a non smoking area rather than a compusory law from a nanny state.

and......(opening a large can of nicotine flavoured worms)... alot of the 'facts' about smoking are unproven and based on either very old research of statistics that the government wants you to hear. yes, i'm a conspiracy theorist but check this link:

[url="http://www.joejackson.com/pdf/5smokingpdf_smokingissue.pdf"]Interesting reading about smoking 'facts'[/url]

and whether you agree or disagree there are some interesting points made..for instance...

[color="#000000"] 'Native Americans have half the rate of lung cancer of white Americans even though they smoke much more. Very few Chinese women smoke and yet they have one of the highest lung cancer rates in the world. Lung cancer rates practically everywhere have been rising since about 1930 and in some cases (e.g. American women) have not peaked yet, despite the fact that smoking rates have gone steadily down.'[/color]
peace

c[/quote]


i did say this earlier but then deleted it but i'll reiterate. to be fair there should be a no smoking room and a smoking room otherwise that is basically discrimination on the part of freedom to choose. also it seems a tad hopicritical to whack a huge tax on something and then ban you from being able to do it in public, designated areas would be more sensible and fair considering the tax paid goes towards things that non-smokers use(?)

and that essay makes very interesting reading

Edited May 24, 2007 by lowhand_mike

[chris_b]

[quote name='3V17C' post='5842' date='May 24 2007, 04:06 PM']Personally - I am against the smoking ban....i feel there should be choice...a smoking area and a non smoking area rather than a compusory law from a nanny state.

and......(opening a large can of nicotine flavoured worms)... alot of the 'facts' about smoking are unproven and based on either very old research of statistics that the government wants you to hear. yes, i'm a conspiracy theorist but check this link:[/quote]

Yeah.... and Hitler only went to Poland for his holidays!!! The facts linking smoking and ill health have been proven to the satisfaction of court cases in the UK and US. That is good enough for me and I reckon is nothing to do with the government.

On the other hand, I hope we are not going to loose any more gigs as a result of the smoking ban as enough have gone to the wall in the last few years anyway.

Is everyone signing the petition about the new alcohol and music licence? Now that really does look like another Blair cock-up which could really adversely affect gigging musicians.

[url="http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/licensing/"]http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/licensing/[/url]

There are currently over 76,300 signatures. The closing date is 11 June 2007.

[BigBassBob]

The ban came into Wales recently too. I'm still torn about it, because I smoke myself. I don't mind going outside for a smoke and at one gig, the owner was kind enough to let me smoke in his backroom. The main thing I've found annoying is that some people kind of view the ban as a chance to play holier than thou and give long winded preaches about the ill effects of smoking... 1 person in my memory gave me a speach about smoking before the ban.. since the ban, I've had about 20 people (some i know, some complete strangers) give me a speach about it.

[Waldo]

[quote]i feel there should be choice...a smoking area and a non smoking area rather than a compusory law from a nanny state.[/quote]

Right, so do you think there should be pissing areas in swimming pools too?

[velvetkevorkian]

Heh, I love that analogy.

[neepheid]

Yeah, it's made a difference - I've gone to more gigs.

[Alun]

I haven't found a lot of difference. Speaking to the landlord at one pub I play regularly, he said that business has gone up but he wished he hasn't amde ot quite so comfortable outside as everyone was out there.

When I turned up, I was a bit worried as the terrace was heaving but there were about five or six people inside. Come gigtime though, it was full as everyone filtered in. The only quiet gigs have been ones that were notoriously empty anyway so no real difference from what I've seen.

Cheers
Alun

[chardbass]

[quote name='lowhand_mike' post='5576' date='May 24 2007, 09:36 AM']just the smell of vomit stale beer and sweat pervades the air instead. [/quote]

A friend of mine went to a smoke-free club in Cardiff and said that now the place smelt of farts and BO. Nice.
So not only will passive smoking decrease but maybe STDs too.

[anti-barbie]

[quote name='3V17C' post='5842' date='May 24 2007, 04:06 PM']Personally - I am against the smoking ban....i feel there should be choice...a smoking area and a non smoking area rather than a compusory law from a nanny state.

and......(opening a large can of nicotine flavoured worms)... alot of the 'facts' about smoking are unproven and based on either very old research of statistics that the government wants you to hear. yes, i'm a conspiracy theorist but check this link:

[url="http://www.joejackson.com/pdf/5smokingpdf_smokingissue.pdf"]Interesting reading about smoking 'facts'[/url]

and whether you agree or disagree there are some interesting points made..for instance...

[color="#000000"] 'Native Americans have half the rate of lung cancer of white Americans even though they smoke much more. Very few Chinese women smoke and yet they have one of the highest lung cancer rates in the world. Lung cancer rates practically everywhere have been rising since about 1930 and in some cases (e.g. American women) have not peaked yet, despite the fact that smoking rates have gone steadily down.'[/color]
peace

c[/quote]
It is also thought that there [i]may[/i] be a genetic aspect to cancer. I know of an old bloke who should have asbestos related cancer as he worked in ships' engine rooms years ago, coming out looking like the abominable snowman. He also smoked from the age of 7 till his 30's. He's currently in his 80's. Technically, he should be dead and buried by now

[Vasquez Rich]

[quote name='anti-barbie' post='7153' date='May 26 2007, 02:17 PM']It is also thought that there [i]may[/i] be a genetic aspect to cancer. I know of an old bloke who should have asbestos related cancer as he worked in ships' engine rooms years ago, coming out looking like the abominable snowman. He also smoked from the age of 7 till his 30's. He's currently in his 80's. Technically, he should be dead and buried by now[/quote]

Yeah.. and I bet all his work mates never made retirement age... also depends which asbestos it was... and, if he gave up smoking when he was 30ish, he's been smoke free for over 40 years.. not much of a good example that one. If anything illustrates that if you give up you can repair some of the damage. The problem with examples like this is if he dies when he is 90 everyone will say "ah yes, that just goes to show all that smoking stuff is rubbish" however, if he hadn't smoked he might have lived to 105!

[Linz]

Amen to that!

They ought to be celebrating it not bewailing the loss of fags. Pity Simon and I will be in Egypt that day, I'd hang the flags out!

[stewblack]

There was a time when the Gov was toying with the idea of only banning in places that served food. My venue would have been a license to print money then - we'd be the only smoking venue in town! Can you imagine? It would have been rammed in there. Ah well, I want another job anyway.

[anti-barbie]

The small fact that smokers seem to ignore is that they are [u]not[/u] being banned from smoking, they are only being asked to go outside to do it - real hardship and erosion of civil liberties there.

[stewblack]

[quote name='anti-barbie' post='7573' date='May 27 2007, 12:35 PM']The small fact that smokers seem to ignore is that they are [u]not[/u] being banned from smoking, they are only being asked to go outside to do it - real hardship and erosion of civil liberties there. [/quote]

Which smokers seem to be ignoring this fact? I've not heard any. The libertarian argument (with which I strongly disagree) comes from smokers and non smokers alike.
Anyway we can all debate it until the cows come home - the fact is it's here and no government will ever reverse it so we'd better get used to it.

[DirkThrust]

I never understood why more pubs didn't become non smoking voluntarily. We used to play at a non smoking pub down in Gosport and it had a really great family atmosphere. They served food anywhere in the pub and it always packed with all age groups up to real oldies (and they were the first ones to get up and boogie), no yobbery or binge drinking, and there was a proper smoking area outside so no-one minded going outside for a fag.

Maybe it's wishful thinking but hopefully the smoking ban will change the ambience of pubs for the better, and I speak as a smoker.

Edited May 27, 2007 by PaulMartin

[stewblack]

[quote]I never understood why more pubs didn't become non smoking voluntarily[/quote]
Speaking as a publican it's simply because I would have to alienate an enormous - and I mean overwhelming - percentage of my customers, for the comfort of a tiny minority. The non smokers drink less too. Don't ask me why. Just to avoid any confusion I reiterate I do support the ban (turkeys voting for christmas I know) but am simply pointing out the facts from a business point of view. There simply isn't a huge mass of people waiting to flood the pubs, who currently stay away because of the smoke.

[Steve_K]

I realise this doesn't really relate to the question asked - but I've worked in a "Gastropub" (don't hit me, not my idea) for a fair while now and I tend to be in the bar most of the time. It's great from the POV of non smoking staff, not to get smoke blown in your face for 40-70h a week, and there's been little drop in trade... though the crowd does die down after about midnight, we used to have to wait around till all hours for them to leave (locals, mostly, so no hardship)

[anti-barbie]

[quote name='stewblack' post='7622' date='May 27 2007, 01:57 PM']Which smokers seem to be ignoring this fact? I've not heard any. The libertarian argument (with which I strongly disagree) comes from smokers and non smokers alike.
Anyway we can all debate it until the cows come home - the fact is it's here and no government will ever reverse it so we'd better get used to it.[/quote]
It was one of the arguements forwarded up here and i also had the same argument with a bloke in the pub across the road from me mam's in Cullercoats

[Alun]

[quote name='PaulMartin' post='7713' date='May 27 2007, 05:40 PM']I never understood why more pubs didn't become non smoking voluntarily. We used to play at a non smoking pub down in Gosport and it had a really great family atmosphere. They served food anywhere in the pub and it always packed with all age groups up to real oldies (and they were the first ones to get up and boogie), no yobbery or binge drinking, and there was a proper smoking area outside so no-one minded going outside for a fag.

Maybe it's wishful thinking but hopefully the smoking ban will change the ambience of pubs for the better, and I speak as a smoker.[/quote]

There was a no smoking pub in Swansea a few months before the ban but it closed down fairly quickly. The simple fact that was most groups going out would include a couple of smokers and so the whole group would go somewhere they could smoke.

Cheers
Alun

[DirkThrust]

[quote name='stewblack' post='7728' date='May 27 2007, 06:10 PM']Speaking as a publican it's simply because I would have to alienate an enormous - and I mean overwhelming - percentage of my customers, for the comfort of a tiny minority. The non smokers drink less too. Don't ask me why. Just to avoid any confusion I reiterate I do support the ban (turkeys voting for christmas I know) but am simply pointing out the facts from a business point of view. There simply isn't a huge mass of people waiting to flood the pubs, who currently stay away because of the smoke.[/quote]

I see