So from the summer of 2007 there will be absolutely no smoking in any establishment in England. Personally I don't agree with people no longer having the option to go to a pub or club where they can smoke. Is it really too hard to have some pubs that are for smokers and others that are non smoking? If it is a case of "the bar staff are at risk", then the ones employed in the smoking bars and clubs will obviously choose to work there at their own risk. Perhaps there would even be an increased wages due to this.BBC wrote:Health campaigners have welcomed a vote paving the way for a ban on smoking in all pubs, clubs and restaurants in England from the summer of 2007.
Deborah Arnott, of anti-smoking group Ash, said she was "amazed" and "very delighted" by the Commons decision.
MPs voted on Tuesday by a margin of 200 votes to impose a ban on smoking in all enclosed spaces, despite months of wrangling over the issue.
Opponents say the ban is an infringement of civil liberties.
I don't think any smoker is under the impression that they aren't damaging themselves one way or another, having made an informed decision to smoke. Equally I don't think that anyone that chooses to be in an environment where there is smoke is unaware of the potential damage to be caused from second hand smoke. Smokers are having the choice to smoke socially taken away from them.
Surely if people were that eager to be in a smoke free environment there would be huge chains of pubs that advertise primarily their anti-smoking atmosphere and these places would be packed to the brim with the supposed 74% of people that don't want to be in a smokey environment. Or then again, perhaps a bulk of people that are against smoking in establishments are the people that don't go out anyway, and are sitting at home enforcing their choice not to smoke on to other people.
Rant over, but it really does annoy me. It seems there has to be a taboo for fags somewhere. (erk)
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R.I.P.What do you think?
