The Smoking Ban: Will It Work?
A smoking ban is coming into effect in all enclosed public spaces in Wales on 2nd April and England will follow suit in July, but I wonder will it make a difference.
The ban only applies to enclosed public spaces, which mean lighting up in pubs, clubs, cafés and restaurants will be outlawed, but you will still be able to smoke outside and in the privacy of your own home. Now I understand why the government want to ban smoking because of the effects of second hand smoke on non-smokers, but, do they really have a right to tell people how they should be running their businesses.
Surely making decision of whether a pub or café is smoking or non-smoking should be solely up to the person that runs that business, and if they choose to allow smoking on their premises then they should be allowed to do so. Non-smokers are not forced to go into a smoke filled pub, they choose to under their own free will, and if they don’t want to be in a pub filled with smoke then they should go somewhere else.
It seems that whenever the government takes actions to protect us these days they are incapable of doing so unless they infringe on some of our civil liberties, like their excessive use of CCTV cameras, the billions of pounds they are spending on ID cards that you have to take with you everywhere otherwise you‘ll be sent to Guantanamo Bay, and they want to stick tracking devices in our cars so that they can keep tabs on how responsible each one of us is for polluting the earth, and then of course taxing us on the greenhouse gas emissions that our cars produce. Wouldn’t that money be better spent on improving the NHS?
I can understand the smoking ban, the government wants to improve public health, and maybe by doing so they can lift some of the strain on the NHS in the form of cutting down on smoking related illnesses, but what about obesity? That causes just as many if not more health problems than smoking, however I don’t see the government banning McDonalds, or fining us when we’re caught with a bag of chips.
Maybe the government is beyond fixing, maybe the problems run too deep making it impossible for anyone to repair them in the space of the four years that they are at number 10 before for they get voted out because they haven’t fixed any of the problems.
Such is the price of democracy.
The ban only applies to enclosed public spaces, which mean lighting up in pubs, clubs, cafés and restaurants will be outlawed, but you will still be able to smoke outside and in the privacy of your own home. Now I understand why the government want to ban smoking because of the effects of second hand smoke on non-smokers, but, do they really have a right to tell people how they should be running their businesses.
Surely making decision of whether a pub or café is smoking or non-smoking should be solely up to the person that runs that business, and if they choose to allow smoking on their premises then they should be allowed to do so. Non-smokers are not forced to go into a smoke filled pub, they choose to under their own free will, and if they don’t want to be in a pub filled with smoke then they should go somewhere else.
It seems that whenever the government takes actions to protect us these days they are incapable of doing so unless they infringe on some of our civil liberties, like their excessive use of CCTV cameras, the billions of pounds they are spending on ID cards that you have to take with you everywhere otherwise you‘ll be sent to Guantanamo Bay, and they want to stick tracking devices in our cars so that they can keep tabs on how responsible each one of us is for polluting the earth, and then of course taxing us on the greenhouse gas emissions that our cars produce. Wouldn’t that money be better spent on improving the NHS?
I can understand the smoking ban, the government wants to improve public health, and maybe by doing so they can lift some of the strain on the NHS in the form of cutting down on smoking related illnesses, but what about obesity? That causes just as many if not more health problems than smoking, however I don’t see the government banning McDonalds, or fining us when we’re caught with a bag of chips.
Maybe the government is beyond fixing, maybe the problems run too deep making it impossible for anyone to repair them in the space of the four years that they are at number 10 before for they get voted out because they haven’t fixed any of the problems.
Such is the price of democracy.
3 comments:
We've had a smoking ban in British Columbia, Canada for a few years now and it is a breath of fresh air.
I am a former smoker that used to love to light up in the restaurants after dinner. I find that rude now. I realize how sickening it was to those around me that didn't smoke.
Now, I come home from a bar, sports event, party without the stench of cigarettes on me and I love it. Smoking is almost unheard of now at private parties also. There's been a great shift in attitude and the smokers now understand that it is unfair to the non-smokers and that it is an unattractive habit. I mean really, what if bilemics wanted troughs installed in restaurants...wouldn't you object?
One choses to walk into an establisment to eat or drink so you're right, it could be a choice. Unfortunately the people who work there and are exposed to smoke their entire shifts don't have a choice. During the course of a day they are not inhaling second hand smoke from one person for a brief period, they inhale the smoke from every smoker all day long. This was the main reason it was banned in B.C.
Sorry for the rant but just give it a chance. We've had to change our habits and attitudes and it was actually pretty easy. Believe me, I was objecting at first also.
I've been waxing nostalgic about my former smoking days lately in my blog. I quit 18 years ago (in the U.S.). I'm glad I did it before all the anti-smoking laws, or else I'm not sure I would have. Laws are made to be broken and sometimes motivate you to do so.
I am very pleased the smoking ban is coming in next week. Reading the legislation the only thing that seems perverse to me is that businesses can be fined £200 for simply not displaying the approved signs. The business could be running completely smoke free but get fined for non-display. A smoke free environment is great for everybody but signs do not really help what should soon become the norm - signs only add to clutter.
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