Has the Smoking Ban Failed ?
According to new statistics it would appear that the government ban on smoking in public places in the UK has failed !
Firstly let me declare a vested interest I am a smoker
The government introduced draconian smoking laws in the interests of public health so in light of that the only test as to their effectiveness is a reduction in smoking and those who smoke.
Somewhat bizarrely there has been no reduction in the number of smokers according to latest statistics.
What’s more the number of men aged 16-34 who smoke has actually risen 1% - the first recorded increase in years. Women smokers stayed at 21% of the population.
As well as getting people to stop smoking the idea, and a fairly obvious one, was that banning smoking in the workplace, public buildings, restaurants, bars and pubs would lead to a reduction in the number of cigarettes actually smoked.
Incredibly it has not, in fact in some groups it has actually increased !
It would seem then that the only thing that has really happened is that a lot of pubs have closed, people have lost their livelihoods and small communities lost their only pub or place of entertainment.
I was always against the outlawing of a legal pastime though I firmly believe that those not wishing to be subjected to passive smoking should have the choice.
I believe that pubs and restaurants should have the choice as to whether they are non-smoking or smoking.
If they opt for the latter then proper ventilation means that no harm need come to staff and customers can take the decision themselves as to whether or not they go to an establishment that allows smoking.
Given that this is a public health issue and much of the legislation is geared to protect non-smokers it does raise the question in my mind:
Where are all these people who once smoked in the pub now smoking ?
Many will be doing it at home in the presence of their children no doubt !
From what I see there has been no benefit that could not have been derived from a partial ban, i.e. in workplaces etc, and that designated smoking areas be they in places of work or separate bars in public houses would have achieved the same health benefits and levels of comfort for non-smokers.
We would also not be in the situation of seeing 100s of pubs which have survived for years, many a few hundred years, closing down and being lost forever.
We would also not be stopping law abiding tax-payers from enjoying a drink and a smoke should they choose to do so !
Time for a drink and a smoke (not in my local pub which is empty but in my own home)
Regards
Rod
Realted post July 2007
Witches of Eastwick said,
December 17, 2008 @ 10:37 am
Rod,
Is there nothing that would induce you to stop smoking?
Churches and pubs were once the only means of gathering together in a community… neither seem to be attracting large numbers now. Although there are exceptions and the pubs around us look as popular as ever…. we will investigate and report back. While on this topic, it occurs to us that we’ve always been intrigued by groups of men who only ever meet up at their local bar, have the same conversations and down several beers. Men, more than women, find it hard to socialise in one another’s homes or elsewhere so the pub was the obvious answer. Women on the other hand get together where ever they like, sometimes pubs where they foolishly think they might meet a man. If people aren’t going to the ‘local’ to socialise then do they go out at all? If a pub doesn’t serve good food will it survive?
Looking at a cross section of our local population it seems that young and middle aged folk are involved in things like music…. lots of bands around here that get together to practise on a regular basis and gyms where people seem to go more than once a week. We know quite a few people who have centered their lives around these hobbies, met others who do likewise and subsequently become friends….. has this sort of activity replaced the weekly trip to the pub? Does anybody know if the city pubs are still attracting large numbers of students and the young in general and whether lack of money is the real culprit here not just the smoking ban.
WoE
Rod said,
December 17, 2008 @ 11:05 am
WoE
I think the damage done to pubs shows most in villages. Life was difficult enough for those landlords anyway one would assume - the smoking ban lost many enough trade to make them no longer commercially viable.
That is the focal point (unless you’re religious) of the village gone, drink driving and the cost of taxis means an end to an eveing in the pub for many people in smaller viallges or rural settings.
I understand working mens clubs are also closing at an alarming rate
There’s clear evidence to suggest there is more alcohol being drunk at home though I suspect much of that is based on the ever widening price gap between cheap supermarket beer and a pint in the pub.
I doubt there is any let up in student drinking, they borrow money in the form of student loans to do it - so no let up there I suppose.
Best
Rod
Chris said,
March 7, 2009 @ 12:20 am
Let me first state my vested interest - I am a non-smoker.
You say you support non-smokers’ right to choose not to be subjected to passive smoking. However, before the smoking ban, often there was no choice for non-smokers, especially in small villages etc where there was one pub, and non-smokers who wanted a drink or something to eat were forced to put up with it or go home and eat/drink there. Equally, when travelling I often used to spend an hour or more traipsing around a town looking for a decent non-smoking place to eat, before finally ending up having to eat McDonald’s because they were the only non-smoking place I could find. Choice of non-smoking places in the absence of a blanket smoking ban? Do me a f****** favour!
Also, you say a smoking ban might be OK in workplaces but not in pubs. For some people a pub is a workplace. Dedicated smoking rooms don’t work, the door to that room has to be opened sometimes and nobody wants to sit anywhere near the smoking room. Even outdoor smoking areas can be poorly placed with smoke blowing into the building in the summer when windows are open.
I think smoking should be banned in outdoor public places too. This would avoid the very unpleasant experience of walking along the street behind someone who suddenly decides to light up and blow a load of smoke into my face, and who then looks daggers at me because I dared to cough. The ‘considerate smoker’ is truly a myth in my experience.
I think pubs will start to fill up again after non-smokers get out of the habit of avoiding them - after spending my entire adult life almost never going into a pub because they were always full of smoke, it’s certainly taking time for me to remember the pub is an option when I want to eat. particularly.
Rod said,
March 7, 2009 @ 9:04 am
Hi Chris,
thanks for the excellent comment, welcome to the site and I hope you’ll return.
Whilst I agree with much you say I think there is a happy medium.
I see the blanket ban as too much, there is no reason why and inbetween solution cannot be found.
Technically it’s easy enough.
As to pubs Chris
it’s certainly taking time for me to remember the pub is an option when I want to eat
Be quick, they’re closing at a rate of 6 a day !
Thanks again for putting the flip-side so well Chris
All the best
Rod