[News] #SmokeFreeGB

[Pint of Ale and a Burger]

As someone heavily involved in the pub and bar game I do think we need to be slightly careful in blanket banning outdoor smoking. There seems to be this attitude that ultimately banning smoking is the right thing to do for the greater good and that's hard to deny. But there's so many things that should be banned.
There is nothing to stop a pub not allowing smoking- it's their property and they can do what they want. And clearly many would appreciate a completely smoke free outside space.
It is also the case that many, especially younger folk, love a few ciggies with their pints. I'm now 40 and the majority of people I know have smoked or would class themselves as social smokers. These people will just stay at home or go to the park. So why not leave it to us landlords? Ultimately we make decisions based on what are customers want- if they stop coming because we have smoking outside and that outweighs the benefits of allowing a few kids to harm themselves then we'd obviously think seriously hard about banning it. But banning it full stop? If you genuinely find it offensive go to a pub that has banned it, or speak to your local landlord.
I find it pretty rich that people get so riled about this whilst there's chemical factories, yuppies using logburners all year round, families with more cars than people in their household etc etc.

Edit. Or actually just ban smoking full stop.

Yes I agree with this.
I thought the original ban was far too Draconian too.
I would have like to have seen options for smoking pubs or for larger pubs to divide it into smoking and non smoking areas.
A blanket ban for inside smoking had a bad effect on pubs back then so another blanket ban for outside should be very carefully considered.

 

[Weststander]

I gave up smoking years ago but I must admit I still like the smell of tobacco smoke so if other people want to smoke it's fine by me.
Banning it seems a bit strong.

I must add I don't like the smell of vape and the ridiculous, huge sized"look at me everyone I'm vaping" cloud of vape mist that some people blow everywhere.

I’ve never smoked, but strangely like the rich smell from proper cigars. Don’t know why.

 

[NooBHA]

I quite like the fact there are smokers and non smokers. Drinkers and non drinkers. Users of drugs and non users of drugs.

All of them are harmful in some way but apparently so is red meat and other things we subject our bodies to.

I love red and white grapes and thought well despite all the unhealthy things I eat
I thought well all the fruit I eat will balance it out but apparently grapes can cause cancer.

So I digress but I think all these Differences in us all are great and should be embraced so anyone who wants to o do these things is absolutely fine by me.

 

[The Fits]

Yes I agree with this.
I thought the original ban was far too Draconian too.
I would have like to have seen options for smoking pubs or for larger pubs to divide it into smoking and non smoking areas.
A blanket ban for inside smoking had a bad effect on pubs back then so another blanket ban for outside should be very carefully considered.

Especially now. It's the worst timing.
One of my pubs hasn't ever had a decent outside space and smoking was grim. People had to walk past. It wasn't pleasant.
We've been given a huge bit of something (not pavement, not road, just dead space) to the side of the pub. No members of the public have to walk through it and it's extremely spacious and ventilated. That space and the sun has been a life safer. I actually don't think we'd have made it without it. But the reality is most of our customers smoke- it's city centre, student, festivally type vibes. They all smoke. Most are social smokers, most of the rest will give up before their 25. It's their choice.
They will find other places to go. We will lose a generation of pub goers.
Yes, in the long run the culture will change and they'll be back, but will the pub still be open. Unlikely.

 

[The Fits]

P.S. I haven't been to a pub for the best part of eighteen months now - but when I do, even as a non-smoker, I'll still head for the smoking area outside - by far the friendliest and most sociable part of any pub.

This is really important. This might sound like fantasy to some, but a good smoking area often makes a pub (especially town centre). People are naturally friendlier because they are united by those horrid little white sticks. They share papers, lend lighters, roll together. Stop, talk, laugh.
After Covid the pub experience is dry enough as it is. Let's not completely ruin all the fun.

 

[Seasidesage]

Never smoked, can't stand it, filthy habit, but if someone else wants to smoke in a manner that doesn't adversely effect me or others who am I to tell them they can't? Far too many people want to impose their lifestyle choices onto others....

 

[Justice]

Especially now. It's the worst timing.
One of my pubs hasn't ever had a decent outside space and smoking was grim. People had to walk past. It wasn't pleasant.
We've been given a huge bit of something (not pavement, not road, just dead space) to the side of the pub. No members of the public have to walk through it and it's extremely spacious and ventilated. That space and the sun has been a life safer. I actually don't think we'd have made it without it. But the reality is most of our customers smoke- it's city centre, student, festivally type vibes. They all smoke. Most are social smokers, most of the rest will give up before their 25. It's their choice.
They will find other places to go. We will lose a generation of pub goers.
Yes, in the long run the culture will change and they'll be back, but will the pub still be open. Unlikely.

Living in London a large percentage of pub goers smoke and no one bats an eyelid. Who are Oxfordshire pandering to? I would be interested to know.

 

[Sussexscots]

Thought I'd be smoking as long as I had a hole in my face. Health scare made me pack it in overnight 16 years ago at 41. Best thing I've ever done, however, sitting outside a pub, I couldn't give a stuff if people are having a smoke.

Everyone knows the risks, it's your life and smokers are likely to save an increasingly parsimonious government a fortune in pension benefits.

 

[The Fits]

Living in London a large percentage of pub goers smoke and no one bats an eyelid. Who are Oxfordshire pandering to? I would be interested to know.

Manchester and Newcastle are also doing it. Banning smoking on all the granted pavement licenses. I don't get that. You can smoke on the pavement but not next to a pub on the pavement.
Whole thing seems daft.

 

[Pint of Ale and a Burger]

Especially now. It's the worst timing.
One of my pubs hasn't ever had a decent outside space and smoking was grim. People had to walk past. It wasn't pleasant.
We've been given a huge bit of something (not pavement, not road, just dead space) to the side of the pub. No members of the public have to walk through it and it's extremely spacious and ventilated. That space and the sun has been a life safer. I actually don't think we'd have made it without it. But the reality is most of our customers smoke- it's city centre, student, festivally type vibes. They all smoke. Most are social smokers, most of the rest will give up before their 25. It's their choice.
They will find other places to go. We will lose a generation of pub goers.
Yes, in the long run the culture will change and they'll be back, but will the pub still be open. Unlikely.

Yes,the pubs got hit with a double whammy of cheap supermarket booze and a smoking ban which caused many good boozers to disappear back in those days.
I think banning it outside is a step too far Myself
but hopefully good sense will prevail and the Oxfordshire experiment won't spread.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

One day we'll look back on how people used to suck tar into their lungs and just wonder why they were so stupid as to do it.

One day? Surely everyone already thinks like that?

Sympathy for people who got hooked years back when the consequences were not fully understood or widely publicised.

Anyone who has started smoking in the last 20 years though? That’s just ****ing mental.

 

[beorhthelm]

Living in London a large percentage of pub goers smoke and no one bats an eyelid. Who are Oxfordshire pandering to? I would be interested to know.

the health puritans, most people dont really care if someone is smoking outside.

 

[Randy McNob]

I loved the smoking ban cos I used to have a few cheeky pints after work but always came home stinking of smoke, and the missus gave me grief, not anymore

 

[Pint of Ale and a Burger]

I’ve never smoked, but strangely like the rich smell from proper cigars. Don’t know why.

Yes,cigar smoke is absolutely lovely.
But I've given up smoking for over ten years now and I have no inclination to smoke but I really like the smell, especially cigars.
I think I actually enjoy the smell of other people smoking now,more than actually smoking them myself back in the day.

 

[GT49er]

Yes,cigar smoke is absolutely lovely.
But I've given up smoking for over ten years now and I have no inclination to smoke but I really like the smell, especially cigars.
I think I actually enjoy the smell of other people smoking now,more than actually smoking them myself back in the day.

Yes, I love the smell of other people smoking too - but oh what a bitter-sweet pleasure!

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

A lot of media coverage on this today with yesterday's announcement that Oxfordshire wishes to go smoke free. I can appreciate many will feel this is a massive infringement on their rights but I can't help but think it's a massive infringement on mine when I'm sat outside a pub or restaurant and inhaling smoke. Without doubt the overall aim is to stop all smoking in the UK at some point in the very distant future, but at the moment they're saying not within seated areas outside. I find it hard to see a problem with this, as a non-smoker, but was always thought I was considerate when I did smoke 26 years ago ..... on the tube, buses, restaurants and pubs.

So smokers are moved from inside to outside and now they are, at the moment, not allowed to smoke in outside seated areas even though you are now allowed back inside and you are still moaning about smoke when you are sitting outside.
Nothing worse than ex smoker for moaning about smokers.
I always agreed that smokers should not be allowed to do so indoors, having a smoke in the back 5 rows of an airplane seems like a lifetime ago.

 

[GT49er]

It is good to find the majority of the non- or ex-smokers on here are reasonable human beings, not fanatical kill-joy do-gooding grizzlers.(yes, such people do exist). I would (in my smoking days) happily remove myself to an appropriate place, but that was never enough for the lunatic extremists.

"Would smokers please not smoke outside the building, but go across the road (a four lane major urban road) to smoke there. Your smoke is drifting in through our third floor windows" - that is a text actually circulated round my office in the naughties, and demonstrates the sort of hysteria often found around smoking. The poor lambs - it must have spoilt their enjoyment of the diesel fumes.

 

[Tim Over Whelmed]

So smokers are moved from inside to outside and now they are, at the moment, not allowed to smoke in outside seated areas even though you are now allowed back inside and you are still moaning about smoke when you are sitting outside.
Nothing worse than ex smoker for moaning about smokers.
I always agreed that smokers should not be allowed to do so indoors, having a smoke in the back 5 rows of an airplane seems like a lifetime ago.

Times do change, as you say, and yes, I do find it hard to see why people smoke in an area where people are eating and drinking, but that's just my view. It's not law and I'm not trying to create a mass movement, merely offering my opinion to what seemed on the media to be a very broad debate. I don't like smoking and I don't want to sit inside on a Sunny day to avoid it, however, if it's permissible then that's for me to make my choice, that's all.

 

[zefarelly]

weather vanes in pub gardens, thats the answer . . . smokers up wind so they don't have to listen to ****ing whingers.

 

[Rinkmaster]

I am an ex smoker and I am now paying for my years of smoking. That was my choice. I always thought, perhaps misguidedly that this was a free country. Well it obviously is not anymore. Provided no harm is done to other peoples health or comfort let people smoke outside. I am waiting to read about the first fixed penalty notice issued for someone lighting up at beachy head.