Banning smoking in beer gardens

[Johnny Mars Bar]

It was 2005, these exact same discussions were being had, almost word for word (minus the vaping sideshow).

Those that resist any kind of change were bleating on about freedom of speech, the right to destroy your own health, nanny states, whataboutery, obesity, alcohol, and how an upcoming smoking ban would destroy the pubs and hospitality as an industry.

Having seen similar bans successful applied to offices, hospitals, flights, trains, etc. With the same discussions each decade.

Pubs thrived, health improved, staff are happier, and there has been a reduction in the percentage of the population smoking. Just like they did with every other ban.

It is 2024. Are people STILL that fucking antiquated? It is smoking ffs, there is no good to it. There never was.

I am all for it. If it is a step closer incrementally getting rid of smoking altogether, fucking amazing. If not, it will make outdoor spaces far more pleasant, safe and desirable in the meantim. Might give some smokers the encouragement they need to quit altogether, might give others something to complain about, eventually they will settle into smoking less by default. The troglodytes will bemoan and pound their chests from the side, but whatever, society has always had those layers of selfishness and always will. If it comes in, it will be great, and in a decade we can add it to the list of smoking bans that people were wrong about.

The only good idea Sunak ever had was the phased smoking ban, and probably the only policy he actually personally believed in, and it was the first thing he fucked off on the campaign trail.

 

[Johnny Mars Bar]

Lol, you're living in cloud cookoo land if you think the smoking ban caused pubs to thrive.

Covid and brexit came along years after the smoking ban, you need to do some research before posting nonsense.

I’m just one person but if pubs were still smelly dirty shitholes I for one wouldn’t be going in them.

If the ban never happened there would be a market for smoke free pubs by now, and said market forces would have basically brought in a defacto smoking ban anyway.

Times change and people don’t want to drink their pint surrounded by clouds of smoke spewed out by some spluttering FOCs anymore.

 

[Churchlawtonblue]

I’m just one person but if pubs were still smelly dirty shitholes I for one wouldn’t be going in them.

If the ban never happened there would be a market for smoke free pubs by now, and said market forces would have basically brought in a defacto smoking ban anyway.

Times change and people don’t want to drink their pint surrounded by clouds of smoke spewed out by some spluttering FOCs anymore.

I agree, did you experience these issues outside or are you referring to inside ?

 

[Coatigan]

Not at all, some people deny it's a thing. Just like the "Nanny state" it's a fair description of what sometimes (Not occasionally mind) happens.

Agree. Don't think it applies here, that's all.

 

[staffsblue]

I’m just one person but if pubs were still smelly dirty shitholes I for one wouldn’t be going in them.

If the ban never happened there would be a market for smoke free pubs by now, and said market forces would have basically brought in a defacto smoking ban anyway.

Times change and people don’t want to drink their pint surrounded by clouds of smoke spewed out by some spluttering FOCs anymore.

Before the pub smoking ban came in, there was a smoke free pub in Shrewsbury called the Three Fishes.
I often went for afternoons out there, not only because it was smoke free, but it also had a fantastic range of beer, and the locals seemed pretty sociable.
It gave a glimpse of what came in a few years later, and I'm really grateful for not having to go home stinking of 2nd hand smoke. Remember having a shower the morning after a night in a smokey pub and that stench coming out of your hair? Absolutely rank!
The only reoccurance of smokey pubs I've experienced in recent years was when I did Dinamo Zagreb away. Smoking was still permitted in pubs in Croatia (not sure if it still is) and it was actually a bit of a culture shock.

 

[Johnny Mars Bar]

Before the pub smoking ban came in, there was a smoke free pub in Shrewsbury called the Three Fishes.
I often went for afternoons out there, not only because it was smoke free, but it also had a fantastic range of beer, and the locals seemed pretty sociable.
It gave a glimpse of what came in a few years later, and I'm really grateful for not having to go home stinking of 2nd hand smoke. Remember having a shower the morning after a night in a smokey pub and that stench coming out of your hair. Absolutely rank!
The only reoccurance of smokey pubs I've experienced in recent years was when I did Dinamo Zagreb away. Smoking was still permitted in pubs in Croatia (not sure if it still is) and it was actually a bit of a culture shock.

Exactly. Thank fuck it’s been firmly binned into the past in this country.

 

[Coatigan]

I happen to think the indoors smoking ban was a very good thing, but to say it caused pubs to thrive is ignorance of the highest order.

The outdoor ban is utter nanny state nonsense. As a non smoker I can't recall the last time if ever I was upset by someone smoking outside.

For clarity, I didn't say it 'caused' pubs to thrive. But that they did, despite the scaremongering.

Which is true. Some suffered, but for all sorts of reasons. Others thrived, and some shifted focus and then thrived.

As I said earlier in the thread, any pubs that relied on being a place to smoke to be successful, good riddance.

 

[staffsblue]

For clarity, I didn't say it 'caused' pubs to thrive. But that they did, despite the scaremongering.

Which is true. Some suffered, but for all sorts of reasons. Others thrived, and some shifted focus and then thrived.

As I said earlier in the thread, any pubs that relied on being a place to smoke to be successful, good riddance.

For pubs to survive these days, they have to offer something a little bit different.
Sometimes they specialise in a diverse range of real ales or craft beer, some are "gastropubs" and others entice customers by showing sport, have pool or darts, quiz nights or live music.
And then there's the "community pub" phenomenon where they become the hub for local communities doubling up as corner shops / Post Offices etc.
The pubs that don't seem to survive are those that haven't embraced a unique identity and have failed to move with the times.

 

[Coatigan]

I agree, did you experience these issues outside or are you referring to inside ?

I have. Genuinely, I am not just saying it to back something I don't believe in. I have said it earlier in the thread, there are pubs I like, that I actively avoid being outside. I have mates that smoke as well. The there are other pubs that are fine, depending on their size and percentage of people that smoke. There are a couple that have already split their beer gardens into smoking and not smoking zones, and they work well. If out with smoking mates, they juat go over to the other part, and then come back, and everyone is happy.

I have also said before, I would be up for that as well, if pubs can implement both. If they can't, then I would welcome the ban instead.

Just because something doesn't bother you, does not a nanny state make. There are other people, adults families and children in the world.

 

[ballbag]

Where are all these thriving pubs? The only pub thriving round here is Wetherspoons. There is fuck all else left. Whether that's the smoking ban or not? Who knows, but the town was in the Guniess Book of Records for number of pubs per head of the town population a couple of decades ago.