I haven't said it here before, but I agree with the calls to repeal the smoking ban. Both my parents are and have always been smokers, the wife is a smoker, most people I know are smokers.
I myself am a reformed man; I gave up the cigarettes about 2 years back, though if I am having a drink I now have a cigar or two. It is enjoyable. I work hard, I pay my taxes, I want to smoke when I have a drink. People have voted with their feet and are abandoning pubs. We are targeting our own heritage and local businesses with cruel draconian laws.
I have something of a proposal. Firstly repeal the ban; secondly, food areas should probably return to being non-smoking areas. Thirdly, should publicans and customers wish, have smoking and non-smoking areas; legislation not required here. Finally, allow publicans should they wish for it the ability to apply for, and pay for a non-smoking licence. Pubs can only apply if there is a pub that allows smoking within 1 mile of it.
Non-smoking licences renewable yearly, money to local council, etc...etc...etc.
Sorted.
4 comments:
Agree, what annoys me is the way that Labour think they can dictate what people can do on private property.
They seem to be confused over the term public house, thinking that as the public can enter a pub that gives them some right to dictate "public interest" on that property.
When in fact a pub is like any other building private property, the landlord/lady can bar anyone they choose for any reason they choose.
Now they have got away with that, they attempt to put their nose into everything else.
Now you're talking, Daniel, I'm all for a return to normality and for adults to be allowed to make their own decisions without Labour interference.
Repeal will never happen.
Labour chose to ignore the fact that restaurants had already become largely non-smoking by consent.
All they needed to do with pubs was to encourage going back to having a Public Bar ( smoking ) and a Saloon ( non-smoking ).
In Spain, any bar that is private property may permit smoking provided it displays a prominant notice >
" Danger Smoking Happens Here."
Which is, of course, effectively an advertisement.
Control freakery is what the UK ban is all about though we have curled up so easily about it that the other sub-agenda of employing armies of enforcement officers has not been possible.
As Dick Puddlecote pointed out, Labour strangely omitted the smoking ban when boasting of their 'successes' at their recent shambles. Miss no opportunity to remind people why it is that auntie Lil no longer goes to bingo or why old George caught his death having a fag in the rain outside his local.
One spike in your three-point plan is that if an establishment wishes to have an all-smoking area, the workers maintaining the area, for whatever purpose, would have to agrre to being subjected to smoke.
If they were non-smokers, that might cause a problem,
I'm all for scrapping the legislation in its entirety and letting the market decide!
If people want to kill themselves slowly via alcohol, cigarettes, cocaine, prestribed drugs - well that should be their choice.
B*gger off Big Brother.
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