On today's GFL we will be talking about whether smoking should be banned in restaurants. What are your views? Do write in with your thoughts. Many thanks.

Of course it should be banned, and in pubs. I was in Ireland recently and the smoke free pubs were a pleasure. None of the atmosphere had been lost, and business did not seem to have been affected.
I feel sorry for smokers, but for too long us non-smokers have had to put up with thier stink!

Three cheers for banning smoking in restaurants. In a Chinese restaurant recently we asked for a "no smoking area" but seems they didn't have one. As no-one seemed to be smoking we decided to stay. Half way through the meal a chap at the next table started smoking a cigar and his partner lit up a cigarette, they had enjoyed their meal but were now exercising their dubious right to spoil ours. They didn't care either that a family party with young children were at a table close by.

You cannot smoke within 5 metres of a bar in New South Wales. The result has been that people no longer stand at bar but sit at the tables. The policy is enforced with fines of $1000 for pubs that permit their customers to smoke at bar. Strangely, although opposition before implementation, increased support for it after. Situation in restaurents very similar. I do not see why I have to endure the smoke of other people. It only takes one smokers to degrade the whole room. All the people that I knew that smoked when young and did not stop are dead. A sobering thought.

Smoking should be banned in restaurants, I too have had a good meal ruined by smokers on other tables. If I have the choice I will not eat in restaurants that allow smoking.

People who smoke now manage to travel many hours by plane or go to the cinema and watch a two hour film, etc., without a cigarette - why not a meal?

I am totally in favour of banning smoking in public places, It is disgusting to follow a smoking person into a shopping centre or walk through the smokers barracade at work let alone have to see it and smell it wafting over one's food in a resturant. I also have to say that in many instances smokers are very unaware of their smoke and do not seem at all worried about it or its effects on either the health or simple comfort of people who are breathing near them. Ban it and Ban it now, then I might go into pubs for a social drink much more often.

Hear, hear, a big ditto to everything. Looks like we in Scotland are going to get our ban, and not a moment too soon.

Iam totally opposed to smoking in restaurants ,it's no good having a seperate area as the fumes just drift across

Hear hear. Hate eating in a room full of smoke - it ruins the whole evening. Don't mind it in pubs, but restaurants - no way!

As a smoker (working yet again to being an ex-one) I fully support the ban. I dont smoke, and never have, smoked in the house, since the children.(More than 15yrs)
It is an awful habit. And addiction.
I also dont smoke in the car (Nothing worse)
Get the ban in place. And that is from a smoker

I have been living in Spain for the past year and find that almost everyone smokes. We gave up over 25 years ago and my husband has been told by many doctors that if he hadn´t he would have been dead years ago because of a heart condition. I´m trying to convince my Spanish boss who lives on strong coffee and cigarettes!

I gave up smoking nine months ago and get along fine until I'm having a social evening and someone lights up. I haven't given in but often crave and wonder if others feel the same and stupidly give in. If there was a ban then perhaps more trying to keep clean would be successful as its not easy.

Can I be controversial and say there is nothing nicer after a good meal and wine to have a fag lol

Hey bubbles...I can think of something nicer than that
Definitely, definitely ban smoking.. Other half and I were out shopping yesterday at an Outlet Mall place and decided to have a coffee at Costa Coffee. I found a table husband got the doffee quite expensive and a treat, then the three young girls sat at the next table lit up and ruined the whole atmosphere.. So we moved but it was'nt the same, and we could still smell the smoke at the other end of the room..

I just think that as long as the smoking/non smoking areas are segregated then us dragons should be allowed to enjoy our vice plus Jennifer as for the other, tis highly overrated lol

Can I say,as a non-smoker,that I find it very oppressive that people are having their rights infringed upon. I wouldn't dream of telling anybody what they can or can't do whether it be smoking or anything else. Fair enough,to ban it in restaraunts and other public places because this infringes other peoples rights to have a smoke free atmosphere.What I don't agree with is insulting people who do smoke,or do have one drink too many etc.just because it is perceived as unacceptable behaviour in society.
They are not 'bad' people,they are people who have made their own choices in life.

It totally is an infrigement on rights, what next, stop alcohol in pubs??

Oh also forgot to add, that alcohol causes many more social probs than nicotine too.

The thing is that the non smoking areas aren't really are they? As soon as those girls lit their cigarettes you could smell it all over the coffee shop.If people want to smoke and ruin their lungs then that's o.k. but do it in your own home.

I just think that the government should be more interested in tackling the problems that occur through binge drinking and the use of narcotics in public hospitality places.

That maybe true Bubbles..and I don't mind smoking in pubs too much (even though I hate smoking) as I choose to go there and know there will be smokers...but when I eat and have a glass of wine, I don't normally throw my wine over the customers plate of food next door...and that is what I feel smokers are doing when they smoke over my food. I just can't eat it after that. Plus my TOH gets really bad asthma and has to leave the room if there is too much smoke..he doesn't complain, and never stops anyone smoking around him, but he doesn't half cop it the next day. :(

Sorry.

Soz to hear that Brie, but surely if you are going into an atmosphere where you know they allow smoking, you know what you are letting yourself in for?

Sorry Ditto

I don't really want to get into a debate on it all...I agree with you, I even said, it is our choice to go in a smokey place, and TOH likes to go out and see his mates, and as I also said, he never complains when they smoke around him in the pub. Either that or he doesn't go out after his footie matches and have his male bonding team thing, and he hates that.

But not sure why I should have to say the same about a restauraunt....as I said, I don't throw my wine over a smokers plate of food, so why should I not go to a restauraunt cos smoke would ruin my meal.

To be honest..I don't anyway. if there is no non smoking bit in a restauraunt we don't go in.

But I hate getting involved in debates...people often end up falling out as we cannot all agree all of the time, and it worries me far too much...so I will shut up now!

A healthy debate is OK though lol although maybe I can't do the healthy debate, being full of tar etc lol (joking) I live in a smallish town with only 2 great restaurants and the smoking/non smoking are segregated by upstairs and downstairs

I too agree with bestmum I am now a non smoker after many years on ond off of it. I can't stand the smell of it now and the only time I think of it is when I have had a couple too many of wine and then I feel the need to puff. I know it is sad but it is a reaction that comes with the taking of drink it stimulates something in the brain that is still associated with drinking. I never smoked in the house or anywhere where I knew it to offend. Pubs make you smell like a large cigarette. YUK!