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

Re: Other:

[ex-lark-asc.livejournal.com]

Forget for a moment that foxhunting is "ripping poor innocent fluffy animals to pieces" and think about whether you agree with the fact that this is a law that was passed not for pragmatic but for political reasons. It was passed in spite of the fact that it makes no significant positive change to the everyday life of the vast majority of its country's people; in fact it has a negative impact on some small rural communities; it's enormously unpopular with a very respectable sector of the public; in short, its major benefit is essentially to make the Labour party look morally better than its opponents.

To me that's not lawmaking for sane reasons, that's politics gone mad. This government has an extremely disturbing nanny-state attitude in any case: it seems to believe that governments are unbiased and entirely fair-minded institutions which should (can!) be blindly trusted with telling the public the difference between naughty and nice, and the hunting ban is a case in point. I disagree with the hunting ban because I think it's a vile little piece of covert class warfare, disguised as morality by manipulative rhetoric; and it disturbs me, frankly, that our country is currently in a state where that kind of thing gets precedence over genuinely important stuff like sorting out the appalling state our education system and health services are in.

Re: Other:

[burkesworks.livejournal.com]

*applause*