Banning smoking in beer gardens

[Stephen230]

Think everybody is getting a bit ahead of themselves. The only thing, that I’ve seen at least, that they’ve actually said so far, is they’re going to be looking into smoking in outdoor environments.

It’s a fair assumption that beer gardens will be one of the things they’re looking at. But a bit pointless getting outraged until they specify exactly what legislation they’re looking to bring in.

 

[Blue Mist]

If there’s a smoking area, which is downwind then that’s fine, but beer gardens are not smoking areas. They are outside spaces where I can enjoy a pint in the glorious British summer, and should be able to do that without getting more than the odd intake of second hand smoke.

What is your view on vapes? I can't stand being covered in a Strawberry Choclate cloud and yet they are not covered.
If we ban smoking because it's dangerous, let's ban hiking and any form of water sports (even that kind) as they put volunteers at risk.
Why not have a motorway speed limit of 50mph. I could go on its a step to far. I love the pub, they will close.

 

[MCFC Wirral]

Surely people will just leave the pub premises to smoke? Most of my locals here don’t have gardens and that’s what they do now.

I have followed smoking friends in to gardens before but not particularly noticed the smell during or after.

I’d strongly encourage smokers to pack the habit in. It’s awful.

 

[M16 citeh]

I think this is taking things a step too far, I smoke (and have done for over 50 years and having paid all the ludicrous tax hikes and rather than being a bloody burden on the NHS I think I've contributed more than enough!) and am aware it's not healthy but where is the freedom of choice? I still maintain that pubs should be able to allow smoking inside the pub never mind the beer gardens. No-one is umaware of the health risks so if a pub chooses to allow smoking and people don't like it then go elsewhere to a pub that doesn't allow it?
Driving is dangerous (for innocent pedestrians as well as drivers), when are we going to ban cars and buses?
It infuriates me that one hand we have shop lifting being given the green light thanks to the police ignoring it and people convicted of knife crime etc getting an automatic 50% off etc etc etc plus billions of pounds to pay benefits to people who've never contributed taxes we have the time and money to try and stop people having a smoke in the open air!!

Is it really a free choice when it's an addictive substance? I'm an ex smoker btw sorry if I seem preachy

 

[.db.]

I think this is taking things a step too far, I smoke (and have done for over 50 years and having paid all the ludicrous tax hikes and rather than being a bloody burden on the NHS I think I've contributed more than enough!) and am aware it's not healthy but where is the freedom of choice? I still maintain that pubs should be able to allow smoking inside the pub never mind the beer gardens. No-one is umaware of the health risks so if a pub chooses to allow smoking and people don't like it then go elsewhere to a pub that doesn't allow it?
Driving is dangerous (for innocent pedestrians as well as drivers), when are we going to ban cars and buses?
It infuriates me that one hand we have shop lifting being given the green light thanks to the police ignoring it and people convicted of knife crime etc getting an automatic 50% off etc etc etc plus billions of pounds to pay benefits to people who've never contributed taxes we have the time and money to try and stop people having a smoke in the open air!!

They’re all very different issues though.

A driver who drives safely, sticking to the laws of he road and never causes harm to anyone else in his car is doing nothing wrong. But if he causes harm to others through his driving will likely be charged with a crime.
Someone with a knife that self harms only harms themselves, but if he started harming others with the knife he’d likely be charged for a crime.

But your smoking inside pubs may have caused a non-smoking barman’s death from lung cancer that he got from passively inhaling your cigarettes for years for all you know, and that doesn’t see you charged with a crime.

The way they got you to stop harming others was by banning smoking inside pubs. For that alone it was absolutely right for the smoking ban to be introduced.

Even as an ex-smoker, and even at the time I smoked, if someone said there was going to be a worldwide ban on cigarettes, I’d have supported it.
If cigs hadn’t been invented yet and someone suggested introducing them for the first time in history tomorrow, they’re that bad for us they’d never be allowed to introduce them.

Cigs are worse for us than many banned drugs are. Cannabis, mushrooms, lsd and many other drugs are actually beneficial to us in many ways. There is nothing at all beneficial to us in a cigarette.

As for the ban in the open air - smokers are burdening the NHS. Dealing with ailments from smoking costs the NHS £2.6bn a year, and there are around 80,000 smoking related deaths (Manchester being the highest in the country) a year. Imagine how much better than NHS would be if cigs didn’t exist.

 

[staffsblue]

There is another way the government could be looking at this. Allow people to do what they like with their bodies, whether that be smoking, drug taking, drinking excessively or eating crap.
However, if you become ill because of your lifestyle choices, you have to pay for your own medical care rather than assume the NHS will look after you.

 

[MCFCTrick]

Vapes are literally the smoking gun at the moment. Hate the thought of my lad vaping (if he is)

I can't see how filling your lungs daily and repeatedly with steam, let alone with added 'flavourings' and feck knows what else, can be anything but bad for you long term?

I hope for the sake of those doing so, especially so many young teens and kids that like tobacco, that down the line its found to have very serious health issues.
Always remember, tobacco was advertised as good for you and endorsed by actual doctors in the 40's/50's. :-(

 

[mac]

When I open my pub there will be a designated area well away from non smokers. I don't smoke myself . It doesn't bother me

 

[Kippax Street 1880]

What does working class hero and regular smoker Angela Rayner have to say on the matter?

 

[hilts]

I think this is taking things a step too far, I smoke (and have done for over 50 years and having paid all the ludicrous tax hikes and rather than being a bloody burden on the NHS I think I've contributed more than enough!) and am aware it's not healthy but where is the freedom of choice? I still maintain that pubs should be able to allow smoking inside the pub never mind the beer gardens. No-one is umaware of the health risks so if a pub chooses to allow smoking and people don't like it then go elsewhere to a pub that doesn't allow it?
Driving is dangerous (for innocent pedestrians as well as drivers), when are we going to ban cars and buses?
It infuriates me that one hand we have shop lifting being given the green light thanks to the police ignoring it and people convicted of knife crime etc getting an automatic 50% off etc etc etc plus billions of pounds to pay benefits to people who've never contributed taxes we have the time and money to try and stop people having a smoke in the open air!!

I was nodding until you said inside then you lost me:-)

 

[Blue Maverick]

There is another way the government could be looking at this. Allow people to do what they like with their bodies, whether that be smoking, drug taking, drinking excessively or eating crap.
However, if you become ill because of your lifestyle choices, you have to pay for your own medical care rather than assume the NHS will look after you.

Good luck getting medical insurance as well if you smoke they will cost a premium

 

[Brightwell’s left peg]

What is your view on vapes? I can't stand being covered in a Strawberry Choclate cloud and yet they are not covered.
If we ban smoking because it's dangerous, let's ban hiking and any form of water sports (even that kind) as they put volunteers at risk.
Why not have a motorway speed limit of 50mph. I could go on its a step to far. I love the pub, they will close.

Hate Vapes, and they should be covered…and do you support them being covered or are you happy to be covered in Strawberry Chocolate cloud just because it’s outside?

The rest are some serious strawman arguments that I’m not even attempting to get into.

 

[Coatigan]

It will kill pubs.
I'm a non smoker but love the pub. I don't want to see them close because a stupid fool decides to save us all.


(a wider issue, if they ban smoking within the Etihad area, if will really hurt us normal.match going fans. From the tram to the main road, the temp club shop to Alan Turing Way will be no smoking.

Why would it kill pubs. People don't got to pubs to smoke. They are talking about licenced beer gardens, not 'outside' as a whole. People can still step beyond that for a smoke just like they step outside the door of the pub.

I get smokers think it is unfair, but I simlarly think it is unfair feeling like I have to avoid being outside, if it is overly smoked up. To some that might not seem unpleasant, to others it is. Lot's of places in europe have smoke free parks, beaches and areas, this would be the same, maybe a smoke free outside zone as someone said. I do think it should be an encouraged choice though, not an enforced rule. To start with at first. Then places would do it based on their popularity and clientele, and punters can choose where to go based on it if they want to.

 

[mr t]

When I was growing up smoking was allowed practically everywhere - church was the only place I can think of where you couldn’t light up. You could smoke on buses, trains, planes and in shops, restaurants and hospitals. It’s hard to believe but it’s true.

Now restrictions are in place which mean it’s illegal to light up in loads of places and I agree with that. The phrase ‘you smoke, I choke’ is true.

Even in outside spaces if you are hit with somebody else’s smoke you know about it.

So I can see the logic in banning it in outside spaces. But why stop at beer gardens? Surely an overall ban on smoking in public is the long term aim.

 

[Coatigan]

Jim, you had a choice (I can't believe you chose Mary D's) you did not have to go into the smoking area, your friends didn't have to smoke.
Pubs, decent pubs not the new flavoured lager ones, will close.

If there are pubs relying on smoking to keep them going, and that's what makes them 'decent', then they Should fucking close. Good riddance.

 

[staffsblue]

Good luck getting medical insurance as well if you smoke they will cost a premium

I can only see 3 choices from the government:

1. Become more "nanny state" and make unhealthy activities less attractive.
2. Raise taxes to pay for increased NHS costs.
3. Exclude free treatments for unhealthy activities.

Apparently only 13% of the population smoke, and I appreciate this demographic pay more tax through tobacco duty. But why should the other 87% of the population subsidise their treatment?

 

[hilts]

Vaping is just as bad - at least with fags you just stink. Going home smelling of strawberry popcorn is obnoxious and unnecessary. At least vapers have the common sense to think it’s good for them!

I'm not sure if this is a pro vaping post or not.

 

[hilts]

I’m a non-smoker but I used to smoke in my early 20s and really liked a cig with a pint. I also liked a cig with a coffee after finishing a big breakfast.

But, I have to say, that going even further and introducing a blanket national/international ban on the selling/buying of cigarettes full stop wouldn’t be a bad thing. They’re horrifically bad for us!

Yes banning stuff works it certainly did with prohibition and now with drugs.

 

[Blue Mist]

Hate Vapes, and they should be covered…and do you support them being covered or are you happy to be covered in Strawberry Chocolate cloud just because it’s outside?

The rest are some serious strawman arguments that I’m not even attempting to get into.

Strawman arguement ! ask the Welsh who have had a 20mph speed limit imposed on them. As a regular visitor I've yet to meet one that agrees with it. Its big brother f=going to far.
Re vapes, little or no research has been done into them. Bearing in mind tobacco companies manufacture vapes I'm very worried abot the harm they do. If they ban cigs they should ban these, but they wont.

 

[hilts]

Think everybody is getting a bit ahead of themselves. The only thing, that I’ve seen at least, that they’ve actually said so far, is they’re going to be looking into smoking in outdoor environments.

It’s a fair assumption that beer gardens will be one of the things they’re looking at. But a bit pointless getting outraged until they specify exactly what legislation they’re looking to bring in.

Yes they are gonna look at it and then say we think smoking in beer gardens is ace.