should we smoke in liverpool?

I think its a freedom or a nice pastime

Thanks
Liam
:weirdo:

Yes, its a 'nice' pastime that costs the NHS £2billion per year and kills 1600 people every week.

Yes, its a 'nice' pastime that costs the NHS £2billion per year and kills 1600 people every week.

boo hoo.

I don't think local government has the power to stop people smoking apart from in public places.

I have mixed views on this. I'd like to see some sort of ban, but not a total ban on smoking in public places. I think pub / restaurant / bar owners etc should have the choice to 'opt out' of any ban if they wish to.

If there was a total ban then my social life would be seriously affected as roughly half of my friends smoke (and several more do when they have a drink), so i'd end up going out drinking on my own, which wouldn't be good. :cheers:

You should be allowed to smoke responsibly. On the other hand, I'm fed up of going into pubs and breathing in other people's fumes. Therefore, smoking like anything else should be tolerated if it doesn't affect others in the vicinity.

I have mixed views on this. I'd like to see some sort of ban, but not a total ban on smoking in public places. I think pub / restaurant / bar owners etc should have the choice to 'opt out' of any ban if they wish to.

If there was a total ban then my social life would be seriously affected as roughly half of my friends smoke (and several more do when they have a drink), so i'd end up going out drinking on my own, which wouldn't be good. :cheers:
I think they should allow pubs which dont serve food to opt out should they wish. However, restaurants should be more strict because they serve food. Pubs that serve food should have specific smoking areas (preferably a separate room or snug which allows good access to the bar) so that people can eat food without inhaling smoke.

There is no denying it. Smoking and Drinking go hand in hand.

BTW, congrats on your 5000th post Pobbie :)

I don't want my beer to taste of smoke just as much as I don't want my food to taste of it. Stupid argument that. It's like saying you can only passively smoke whilst stuffing your face. I'd like to enter any pub I feel like without having to consider what it would do to my lungs. If I wanted to inhale smoke I'd buy cigs myself. By all means have smoking areas if the somke can be contained. The rule for drink should be the same as cigs IMO. Not in public places, but on licensed premises. Open smoking rooms. I think it is hypocritical that you can walk down a street and have smoke blown in your face, but you'd get a £500 fine if you had an open can of lager. The lager won't kill anyone but yourself, so why are the penalties so fucked up? :?

Ban smoking in all public places, pubs and resteraunts etc should also ban smoking, as it will affect their employees who have no choice in were to work, but smokers do have a choice of where and when to smoke. This may promote more outdoor spaces, seating areas etc for everyone.

A total ban is the only easy way, otherwise certain places will stop serving food or whatever the rule happens to be at the time, in order to get around it, and in effect the non smokers will still have no choice.

I have heared the pro-smoking side mention loss of their freedom to smoke, but what about non-smokers freedom not to smoke, or is that unfair, and the non-smoker should go elsewhere.

Set up smokers colonies in the deserts and ship them all off to there. Ship all the drinkers such as myself off to Prague while your at it. :cheers:

Ooh tough one. I think a blanket ban is a bad idea- a bit oppressive I think. In York there is a pub I go to called the First Hussah. It has self contained room where no smoking is allowed. Usually it is completely empty. I think this is the most rational way forward. That way, smoking and non-smoking friends can drink together- the smokers can always step outside into the smoking section for a puff.

At the end of the day, if there is a non-smoking section then non-smokers can hardly complain. Trouble is, a lot of pubs are too small and rickety for this option.

I think it should be up to the land lords- it is their private property and business. If you don't like what they serve then it's hard cheese.

I think it is hypocritical that you can walk down a street and have smoke blown in your face, but you'd get a £500 fine if you had an open can of lager. The lager won't kill anyone but yourself, so why are the penalties so fucked up? :?

At the end of the day, only an arse hole would actually blow smoke in somebody's face on purpose- outside the smoke usually drifts away. Besides, somebody smoking in the street won't be mischievous because of their smoking. There is some liklihood however that people drinking in the streets are more likely to be a nuisance to other people and to make a mess. Has anybody seen the state of St George's Hall at the St. John's face? The last time I walked up to the door there was filth all around the floor- like some dunkards had been pissing and vomiting there- and smashing their bottles. Absolute travesty on one of the world's finest buildings.
:soapbox:

They have to drink there because they'd get clobbered if they did so elsewhere. More likely to be underage drinkers. Fags, gum and ale should be banned from the streets and should only be consumed in the home, licensed premises or open space where the effects will no be to the detriment of others.

I'm surprised that nowaday's what with everyone knowing smoking is bad for you, wether you smoke 1 a day of 20 a day, that it is not slowly reducing in popularity. Probably to do with it being a fashion/style thing.

Also the cost of ciggies.

Although if it were finaly banned/out of fashion/etc, the government would have to tax something else to make up for the lost revenue.

I'm surprised that nowaday's what with everyone knowing smoking is bad for you, wether you smoke 1 a day of 20 a day, that it is not slowly reducing in popularity. Probably to do with it being a fashion/style thing.

Also the cost of ciggies.

Although if it were finaly banned/out of fashion/etc, the government would have to tax something else to make up for the lost revenue.

That's why when you get an increase in the budget it's only a small percentage rise.
If the Govt wanted to stop people smoking they'd increase the tax by double or treble the amount.
But then they'd lose a huge amount of revenue so they increase it by small amounts each time.

Hypocritical shower of shits. :cheers:

A law such as banning smoking is worse than useless if it's not enforced, you're not allowed to smoke on buses (for years now) and still (selfish stupid) people still do.

Ban it i say im sick of breathing in other peoples smoke oh and i got my jeans burnt last week some women with a fag.

i got my jeans burnt last week some women with a fag.
That'll teach you to drink in Liverpool's Gay Quarter! :) :runaway:

That'll teach you to drink in Liverpool's Gay Quarter! :) :runaway:

How rude - no etiquite.