Recession exacerbated by sSmoking Ban in public

Rochdale_Pioneers

The big problem with the "smoking ban causes pub closures" story is that the rate of pub closures had been quite high before anyone thought of banning fags in them. Its very easy now for every single pub closure to be blamed on the ban whereas the reality is that the societal changes which has us out drinking less were already having a devastating impact on the local boozer.

bikeulike

Long time lurker here, but I felt I had to reply. I and my wife have not been into a pub since the smoking ban, We now don't go on holiday anywhere there is a smoking ban (We now go to Morroco or Tunisa). we used to go away for weekends in the U,K. but we no longer bother now. The way I see it, They still want my money but expect me to stand out in the rain to smoke. You want smoke free pubs, GREAT but don't expect me to pay for it. One more thing, if all the people are going to live longer who is going to pay for it!

whathavewedone

Non smokers don't want to accept this but a lot of people still smoke and a lot of them don't want to pay money to go and stand outside in the freezing cold. I totally understand the need for non smoking restaurants and pubs but a lot of pubs could have remained smoking pubs. As a non smoker you then have a choice. If it bothers you that much then you wouldn't go in a smoking pub would you, however many of your friends smoke. If you have kids you wouldn't take them in a smoking pub to meet smoking friends for lunch so why would you be so feeble minded that you would do it to yourself?

The Wig and Pen in London closed down purely because of the smoking ban. It was a lovely old pub but it had no outside space and there was no way High Court judges etc were going to stand outside on the street smoking.

I don't agree with people not going for jobs because they're not allowed to smoke though - if they're more interested in smoking than working then they don't deserve a job.

Work is work, it's not meant to be fun. Going to a pub is meant to be fun and it also costs money. Why would you pay money to freeze when you could go to the supermarket and smoke in the comfort of your own home?

uzubairu

bikeulike wrote: »

Long time lurker here, but I felt I had to reply. I and my wife have not been into a pub since the smoking ban, We now don't go on holiday anywhere there is a smoking ban (We now go to Morroco or Tunisa). we used to go away for weekends in the U,K. but we no longer bother now. The way I see it, They still want my money but expect me to stand out in the rain to smoke. You want smoke free pubs, GREAT but don't expect me to pay for it. One more thing, if all the people are going to live longer who is going to pay for it!

So you think smoking is a form of population control?

Well the smoking ban has enabled me to go to pubs with my smoker friends.

I rarely went before because I couldn't stand the smell, but now it is a lot better.

It is a shame that you have to restrict you recreation so much because of your love of smoking, but if that's what suit you, then so be it.

The one thing I have noticed is that my smoker friends smoke less at work because they have to stand outside in all weathers to feed their habit.

jillie1974

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

funniest thread i've seen in a long, long time!!!

nothing to do with the banks fcuking up then!!!

Dithering_Dad

I think it's great to be able to go to a club or pub and not come home stinking and have to put a shirt that you might only have had on for a couple of hours into the wash because it smells so appalling. Do smokers just not realise how bad their clothes and breath smells?

Next on the list should be companies banning their employees from loafing about outside the front of buildings, littering the gutters and pathways with fag ends and making the company look a little seedy. You almost get lung cancer trying to force your way into reception through the massed ranks of stinking and coughing smokers huddled around the doorways.

The reason the government had to ban smokers was because of the dangers of second hand smoke on the employees who work behind the bar. While smokers may be determined to commit slow suicide and turn their lungs black, the bar staff didn't have a choice. Roy Castle is a classic example of someone dying because of the selfish habbit of smokers - he had a type of lung cancer that is only found in smokers, yet he never smoked. What he did do however was to perform in working men's clubs that were full of smokers.

I think the smoking ban is absolutely brilliant and in a few years people will be wondering what all the fuss was about. It's great not to have to work in a smoky environment, it's great not to have a meal ruined by smoke wafting around you and it's great to go into a pub and not have your lungs ruined by selfish people.

beingjdc

matbe wrote: »

The same with drinking i dont have to be drunk for some p!sshead to decide i looked at him funny and smash my face in on a saturday night.

Yeah, but fighting's banned, isn't it? We don't say "oh, some people want to fight, let's have fighting pubs and non-fighting pubs"

pickles110564

dervish wrote: »

The Smoking Ban of smoking in public has certainly not helped the gernal ecnonomy or the recession.

1) Lots of people are not applying for jobs becuase nowadays they are not allowed to smoke on the premises - mechanics, factory workers, office workers etc - this has driven the figures up.

2) Pubs / restuarants / cafes / liesure centres etc have seen a pllummet in customers becuase now trhey cant smoke in peace.

3) The Wills factory (woodbines) in Newcastle upon Tyne has closed and had its factory turned into flats becuase the company went bust.

4) People are feeling more depressed now and thereofre wanting to smoke now which is not allowed now so it reinforces the whole vicios circle again.


When the ban came in to force last year people said it wouldnt harm any businesses or close pubs etc. It is obvious that thousands of people are now suffering / losing jobs or not applying for them becasue of it.

Bonkers! :rotfl:

lostinrates

Dithering_Dad wrote: »

I think it's great to be able to go to a club or pub and not come home stinking and have to put a shirt that you might only have had on for a couple of hours into the wash because it smells so appalling. Do smokers just not realise how bad their clothes and breath smells?
.......
I think the smoking ban is absolutely brilliant and in a few years people will be wondering what all the fuss was about. It's great not to have to work in a smoky environment, it's great not to have a meal ruined by smoke wafting around you and it's great to go into a pub and not have your lungs ruined by selfish people.

I absolutely agree with you. There was a time when I smoked but tbh, even I could smell it. After I gave up the smell litterally turned my stomach. I tried not to be a rabid anti smoke person...lots of our friends smoke, but my body made it very hard. I was really excited at the prospect of the ban....the only thing is that now I smell what the layer of icky smoke was concealing. Our village pub is almost no go for me now. I can smell the old smoke (so much worse) in the carpets, and the stale beer, but worst of all I can smell the farmers

Dithering_Dad

lostinrates wrote: »

I absolutely agree with you. There was a time when I smoked but tbh, even I could smell it. After I gave up the smell litterally turned my stomach. I tried not to be a rabid anti smoke person...lots of our friends smoke, but my body made it very hard. I was really excited at the prospect of the ban....the only thing is that now I smell what the layer of icky smoke was concealing. Our village pub is almost no go for me now. I can smell the old smoke (so much worse) in the carpets, and the stale beer, but worst of all I can smell the farmers

lol, there's not much you can do about the Farmer smell, but eventually all the pubs will be redecorated and so won't smell or look as bad. In some respects you can argue that pubs will be refitted to a better standard because it's now worth putting in the effort because the ceiling and walls won't turn yellow and the carpets won't be covered with fag burns.

They used to allow people to smoke opium in the old days, but as it became socially unacceptable, the practice was forced underground to opium dens in rough parts of the cities, until finally it was outlawed completely. Hopefully the public smoking ban will be the first step on the road to a complete ban.

In a couple of generations people will look back with as much incredulity on tobacco smoking as they do now with opium smoking. "What's that Grandpa Dither", my Great Grand kids will say "people used to smoke a drug that filled their lungs with poison, made them smell, turned their skin brown like leather and made them much older looking and it killed them in various painful and disturbing ways, and yet they chose to do this??". "Yes Chipmonks", I'd reply, "but people are much smarter now".