Smoking ban

[lnr]

Lots of people are talking about the UK plan to totally ban smoking in enclosed public places which was voted through yesterday evening. Most of my friends list who have commented seem keen, though some have reservations. I'm curious as to what those who've not said anything yet feel. Do propogate this as widely as you like. Personally I think it's a good move, though I would have been as happy with the amendment which allowed smoking in private clubs. I do think a total ban in pubs is an excellent step. And no, I don't smoke, though I have in the past been in the "Well... a bit " category. - oh yeah and just to add I am still occasionally tempted if I'm out with one of the few friends who smoke. [Poll #673518]

Comments

[claroscuro.livejournal.com]

I'm an ex-smoker - a year and a half now, and heading on for two years, it's been. I've seldom had the desire to have a cigarette since I quit.

My mixed feelings? Well, I guess it'll be nice not to have to breathe other people's smoke in the pub, but at the same time, I'm really wary about banning smoking on other-people's-health grounds, or unpleasant-for-non-smokers. I'm terrified of dogs - largely because I've been bitten, the dog concerned being on a lead and apparently well behaved before that - so can I have a 'you should not be allowed to walk your dogs in public places because they may damage my health' campaign? - why should I suffer because you want to have a large and dangerous predator in your life? Why should you be able to make my bus reek of wet dog?

But if we ban everything that might impact on someone else, pretty soon, we'll be locked in little coffins, because that's the only way to be completely 'safe'. Hmm.

I'm incoherent, but that's kind of it...

[pippaalice.livejournal.com]

the smoke that fags pump out = dangerous to health of others. smell of wet dog = not dangerous.

I also imagine that more ppl die of passive smoking than dog related iccidents.

[beckyc.livejournal.com]

Smell of wet dog, or dry dog for that matter, is plenty dangerous to some people with breathing problems, just as cigarette smoke is :-(.

[pippaalice.livejournal.com]

This is true. But in general you are less likely to be in a place with little ventlation (as far as I am aware, people with breathing problems don't tend to have much problem in say, a park that has a dog in.) with a dog than you are with someone smoking. In fact the only places now are public transport and a few pubs.

[beckyc.livejournal.com]

Yes, I imagine that the statistics for dog related breathing trouble are much lower than those for cigarette related trouble, because fewer people will have dog trouble than cigarette trouble and there are generally more smokers than dogs in a pub!

I can't speak for others but, as a rule of thumb, if I can't smell something, it's probably not going to trigger my asthma (so dog in a park, or cigarette in a park = not big deal). But if I can smell things (strong perfume, smelly animals, cigarettes), there's a jolly good chance it will make me ill.

[catyak]

Dogs are already banned from many pubs.

D

[aldabra]

And we already ban dogs which have no reason for existence other than killing things...