Should we ban smoking in bars?

Should there be a difference between bars and restaurants?

Are you a smoker, do you feel like an outcast?

If you're a non-smoker but your partners a smoker does it affect your social life?

If you work is a bar or restaurant, how does smoking affect you?

We'd love to hear your views.

I smoke but think there should be a total ban in pubs , restaurants etc. It's worked in other countries and it does make you feel like an outcast when you have to go out in the xxxxing down rain to have that precious cig. I'm stopping on Thursday by the way' filthy habit.

Good luck normskii - I'm also a smoker but take great care where and when I have one. I would welcome a ban on smoking in pubs and restaurants without hesitation. Contrary to what most non smokers believe, in the most part, we smokers object to having other people's smoke in our faces too. Horrible.

At present I smoke and I hate it, the damage I am doing to my own health and also I feel guilty about what my smoke is doing to others health. However when I do light up i try not to in public and usually keep it to my own back garden, I do think it should be banned in bars and restaurants purely because of the health risks full stop, I am not a full term smoker and when I didnt smoke it really is disgusting having to smell it when eating or trying to enjoy a casual drink and it is not fair on children, and the people who work in these places who dont smoke. Think of the amount of lives this could save and the quality of the health of our nation and also the money saved from tying up health professionals dealing with smoking related diseases could be put to use elsewhere. A lot of people are less likely to smoke a lot more if they have to go outside to light up so I think the idea has its good points, however people do have a choice and it is up to them.

i think smoking should be banned in pubs and restaurants. i do not wish to die because of second hand smoke and i dont want my clothes to smell of smoke either. the smell also puts me off my food so it would be in the best interest of places that sell food to ban smoking completely.

As a publican ( and a smoker) I stongly feel that it is up to the individual. I think the government should allow the publican himself to decide if his pub is going to be smoke free or not, and then ( by law) have a sign outside saying that this is a smoking (or not) pub. The customer can then make his or her mind up if he or she wishes to use the establishment or not.

The next thing they are going to ban is the smoke generated by grills and BBQs!!!!!!!!!!!

At the moment only the smoker has a choice in a restaurant........he can either light up or not. A non-smoker has no choice. He has to suffer a smokers tobacco whether he wants it or not. Why should I have my meal (and hair and clothes) ruined because the person next to me decides to smoke a cigarette? If the smoker wants to ruin his health so be it but don't impose the same fate on me please. The sooner smoking is banned in all public places the better!!!

what's wrong with choice? 50%smoking pubs,50%non smoking pubs. I went to New York recently;looking forward to being entertained in a famous Jazz club.It was like the moon! No atmosphere. Jazz in a clinic!

How many of you nambi-pambi, pro- banning smoking types drive cars? You can wash your hair and clothes;you can't wash the Planet! If we ban smoking,then we should ban driving.I don't have a car,I cycle to work.It would be interesting to compare the rubbish pumped into the atmosphere by a pack of fags and a tank of petrol.So stick that in your pipe and smoke it!

We eat in restaurants which impose a total smoking ban, I feel that non-smoking areas still get filled with smoke, if smoking is allowed then we just don't eat there. My daughter has cystic fibrosis and I feel we shouldn't be made to feel the 'aliens' because we have to find somewhere to eat where there are no 'smoking idiots' Strong comment?? Ask my 4yr old who's lungs are detoriating at a high rate and not due to being self inflicted.

I for one can't wait until a ban is imposed. I'll tell you whats wrong with choice!! My daughter didn't have the choice of choosing defective lungs!! You were all born with perfect ones and chose to abuse them and other peoples too!! Surely can you not wait until you have finished dinner to have a cigarette??

And as for no atmosphere in areas with no smoking? get a life! I am yet to read a reasonable argument on this message board from a smoker.

MoO

I think they should definately ban smoking in pubs and restaurants, why should we try to enjoy a meal or a drink and have somebody else's smoke interferring with our taste. There is nothing worse than going home and smelling of rotten cigarettes!! I used to be a smoker myself and the main reason I gave up was because I was embarassed of how awful it was. I was also ashamed that I was inflicting my bad habit on other people's health which wasn't fair at all. I think it would encourage a lot of people to give up, and also prevent many people from starting in the first place.

As for the car comment... again I agree, I walk as much as I can but when I need to travel far I have to take the car. Unfortunately you can't buy unleaded cigarettes.

Carol

The comment about only the smoker having the choice at the moment isn't really accurate - if you do not want to breathe in other people's smoke then don't go to a resturant or pub which allows smoking. Leaving the choice up to the individual pub/resturant owner is much more practical as it allows them to think about their customers needs. No-one is forcing anyone to go to a resturant where smoking is permitted. As a non-smoker, I personally find it much worse to have to walk through a wall of smoke as I enter a building - and this is invariably what happens when somewhere does put in a no smoking policy.

I agree that people should have a choice but what about the barstaff, waiters etc they have little or no choice but to breathe other people's smoke. Jobs arn't that easy to get so they may just have to put up with it.

You say don't go to the pub or bar that allows smoking purple buttercup? Im sorry but all the good places allow smoking, please could you inform me of any busy non-smoking bar or club in Guildford? Theres a tiny space in Witherspoons bar but thats about it, Still the smoke manages to creep over. Is that all us non-smokers deserve? Clearly smokers have the advantage here? Everynight I go out I come home with sore eyes, a cough in the morning, stinking hair and stinking clothes. Honestly, I feel like an ashtray. It really shouldn't be this way. I went to Ireland for a few days, and sampled the smoke-free night-life. It is pure bliss to enjoy myself without having to worry about passive smoking. If only Tony blair would get his backside into gear and ban smoking in all public places. One person is simply not enough, all our voices should be heard. I just wish there was some way to make this particular subject more urgent to politicians. Im really sorry if I have offended anyone but this is clearly something I feel strongly about.

They should ban kids in pubs (unless they are the family type pubs, which I would choose not to go to) before they ban smoking, if the landlord doesnt want smoking then fine but he (or she, sorry) should not be forced to ban smoking. I agree that I dont like people smioking when Im eating and I would never do so if I was with someone eating but to make it law is ridiculous. Another idea from the land of the free!!!

I've got an idea... if they did ban smoking in bars and restaurant and more people gave up smoking, with all the money they would save on treating lung cancer they could buy smoke machines for the jazz clubs in NYC, and even a super huge one for the moon too. How atmospheric that would be!

To say don't go to a restaurant that allows smoking is ridiculous, why shouldn't we visit a place because of other people's bad habits. Would you allow swearing in a restaurant in front of your children? Would you want somebody smoking around your trolley in the supermarket? Then the same should apply to smoking in restaurants!

It is inevitable that smoking will be banned in public, so time would be much better spent working out how we will cope with this, rather than abusing smokers/non smokers.

As a smoking cessation specialist, I am very much aware of the addictive nature of cigarette smoking, and have great respect for those wishing to quit. However, I also understand that those not wishing to quit, have every right to - after all it is their choice.

The fact is that smoking is the greatest cause of preventable illness in the world, and anything that the government can do to improve quality of life I support.

Smoking should be banned not only from bars and restaurants but all public places.
Just having a non-smoking area doesnot help!You still end up with hair,clothes and pillowcases stinking of stale tobacco.

Though I fully understand that many people have stated their dislike for the effects of "second hand" smoke in bars and restaurants I have still not seen a sensible reply to my post that pubs (and restaurants) should be given the choice based on their customers, if the majority of regulars wish to have the pub as non smoking then so be it. BUT if the vote goes the other way, then non smokers should go somewhere else.

I find smoking offensive. Why should I have to put up with it?
It is anti social. If someone had poor bodily hygeine smokers wouldn't like it either. B O only smells ,smoking kills.Licensee's should not have a choice. Ban it from restaurants now!!!!!

i agree with the majority of views on here. smoking is evil; In fact if/when smoking does get banned i would acutally go out to bars/restaurants more. as it stands at the moment i tend to only go to places where i know there is a decent sized NO smoking area (or are completely smoke FREE!).
BRING ON THE BAN - THATS WHAT I SAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

opened up a can of worms there juliet gfl eh, i do,wish i didn't.keep tryin to give up its hard to tho cos IT IS AN ADDICTION, COSTLY ONE TOO,IF THERE HAD BEEN MORE INFO AROUND WHEN I WAS YOUNGER IT MAY HAVE HELPED ME THINK DIFFERENT IN MY ATTITUDE.DON,T HEAR ANYONE MENTION ABOUT THE REVENUE WE PAY TO THE GOVM'T,WHICH HELPS TO SUBSIDISE A LOT OF TOWARDS YOU LOT THAT DON'T SMOKE!!SO GET OFF UR MORAL HIGH HORSES & LET FOLKS HAVE THEIR FREEDOM OF CHOICE.THERE ARE PLENTY OF NON-SMOKING ESTABLISHMENTS OUT THERE WHICH FAR OUTWEIGH THE FEW LEFT FOR SMOKERS

Spangled dont give me that revenue guff. Smokers treated on the NHS cost more than they contribute plus they are endangering innocent people. What gives smokers the right to poison others.

Both my husband and myself are ex-smokers, but I still would not expect or want a ban in bars and restaurants. We regularly go to restaurants with our 10 months old baby and we never have a problem as most restaurants nowadays have appropriate smoking and non-smoking sections. It should be up to the restaurant/bar owner to make this decision, and it would then be our decision as customers to knowingly go to smoking/non-smoking places.

Would mhoyle consider this as a 'sensible' reply to this comments?
A Government has to legislate to protect citizens from various dangers. Recent examples would include banning drink driving; seat belt laws; addictive drugs like Heroin, cocaine etc.; And considering that niccotine is one of the most addictive drugs available, can he (or she) give me any reasons why it SHOULDN'T be banned? Perhaps because some people enjoy it and we wouldn't want to step on their human rights? But as a publician, I hope that you are aware that the majority of people in this country are non smokers and that in a democracy, the majority usually wins.