Smoking...

This contentious subject rears itself again as the Department of Health prepares to introduce a partial ban on smoking in public places including all workplaces, restaurants and the 90% of pubs that prepare and serve food.

If the ban in pubs is successful, then gone forever will be the unique british pub.

Ok, the traditional picture of a british pub is somewhere to have a drink, play pub games such as pool and darts, smoke, sometimes entertainment, and, more recently have a meal.
People's views on smoking fall into 3 main categories:-

Smokers - obviously they still do it so would be the people most inconvenienced by a total ban, although, even I see the need for restrictions as it can affect others. The policy of segregating smokers from non-smokers in pubs and restaurants has worked very well and all you need for this to be effective is good ventilation.

Non-smokers who don't mind it - loads of non-smokers I've chatted to have always accepted that smoking is part of an evening out and that pubs/bars and even restaurants won't be the same without it.

Then you get the 3rd category, which comprises mostly of reformed smokers! A good proportion of these people have given up heavy smoking habits and are now vehemently against smoking of any kind in any place. They forget that they themselves did it for years without any consideration to anyone else and it's only the fact that they have given up that has made them so against it. I wonder if this is because they found it so hard to give up? Who knows...

All told though, I'm pretty sure that the businesses such as pubs and restaurants that have to implement this ban will be hard hit due to people simply not wanting to visit an establishment which traditionally, would have accomadated thier habit.

If you ask any smoker when they most enjoy a cigarette, the answers will be after food, with a drink and after sex...lol...And 2 of those things you do when you visit a pub or restaurant ;)

We will get used to it in time, as has happened in America, but until then those businesses will suffer the consequenses.

I'm a heavy smoker and will find it quite annoying to adjust to it but I've visited America frequently during recent years when they've been implementing the partial and then blanket bans on smoking in public places so am a little used to being restricted.