Smoking Ban

[Guest sophia]

I hear with great delight that our collective health is taking a turn for the better.

My thanks to Wee Jack and the Lib / Lab Executive who were big enough to bring the smoking ban forward.

It seems, post the smoking ban, that there has been a 17% decrease in heart attack admissions to hospitals recently.

Amongst other startling benefits, researchers also found a 39% decrease in passive exposure to smoke in 11-year-olds and adult non-smokers, as well as an 86% reduction in second-hand smoke in pubs.

It gets better still, the new Scottish Government is considering:

Banning packets of 10

Removing all cigarette vending machines

Raising the legal age to buy tobacco

Its now time for the remaining smokers to take the hint and kick the habit for good.

[Alex MacLeod]

Of course there's going to be a decrease in the numbers subjected to passive smoke. Its banned in public buildings. As for the heart attack rate......nothing whatsoever to do with the ban. The ban hasn't been in place long enough to be attributed to any health benifits. More likely improved diet and better quality of life due to the downturn in industrial emissions.

Perhaps its time to ban the biggest single cause of death and serious injury in the country.......alcohol.

[Johnboy]

My thanks to Wee Jack and the Lib / Lab Executive who were big enough to bring the smoking ban forward.

Nicola Sturgeon and her SNP colleagues had been calling for the Scottish Executive to introduce a smoking ban...

I don't think wee Jock McFlannel deserves all the credit for its success, although as you rightly say, the present administration are considering further measures to stop young people getting hold of cigarettes.

[Yngwie]

Apparently there's also been a 78% increase in the number of highly questionable statistics published by organisations seeking to get publicity for their views.

[CaleyD]

While I appreciate that their will be doubtless benefits for many it's a bit of a leap to accredit such wild health improvement figures to the success of the ban, especially when their is nothing to show that the smoking ban has in any way accelerated a trend (smoking) that has been on a steady decline since the late 90's.

[Johnboy]

Perhaps standing outside pubs smoking is better for you than sitting inside pubs and smoking....  :023:

[CaleyD]

I always did see it as a strange concept that before the ban you could (in certain pubs etc) go in and sit in a non-smoking area and avoid the smoke, but with the ban then EVERYONE must pass through a cloud of smoke just to get in the door....!!!

[tm4tj]

Steady Alex..........................steady :010:

[CaleyD]

Smokers can live easy knowing they're free to spark up on here whenever they like :icon_ganja:

[Kingsmills]

Leaving aside any helth benifits it'sgreat to be able to spend an evening in the pub without your clothes stinking of stale cirarette smoke in the morning.

[Johnboy]

helth benifits & cirarettes...  :015: :015: :015: :015:

[CaleyD]

That's 24 hour opening for you  :015:

[RichieKass]

Speaking as a reformed smoker (I quit at new year, after starting 2 years earlier) I think the ban is great - and thought so even as a smoker, there is no moral arguement that can contest the ban IMO. Also as a musician 9and a jazz musician at that) it is great not to have to breath in everyone's smoke when you perform, and your gear doesn't begin to stink and get smoke stained (especially important when it cost you an absolute fortune in the first place).  Also as a former barman and having loads of mates who do bar work part time - it nice to go to work without having to breath in everyone else's smoke and have to come home from work stinking of the stuff EVERY night, not just when you go out.

That said - I still think everyone has the right to choose to smoke if they so wish, provided it it isn't physically harming anyone else apart from them and nothing annoys me more than when people shoot nastly looks at people for smoking. I don't think you can judge someone just because they choose to smoke.  especially seen as most that do it are the ones who don't smoke - yet drink to excess every weekend and enjoy killing their livers. And for those who say drink doesn't hurt anyone else - ever been out in any big city on a saturday night and seen how many fights, stabbings, arguements, abuse shouting, etc goes on? For that matter know anyone who works in a+e on a fri/sat night? ask them. Or even better speak to somone who's been attacked without provocations when walking down the street by a drunken ********, I kow people who have been stabbed, bottled and has their teeth punched out simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time - all by people who have had far too much to drink and who have claimed in court to have no history of violence.

Don't get me wrong I go out and have a few drinks quite regularly - but I don't get in such a state I can't stand or that I feel the need to start fights. I often wonder when, if ever that people will get over this 'living for the weekend' idea? Ever wonder how many people are going to have serious liver problems in 30 years? probably the majority of my generation.

[Johnboy]

Great post, Rich.... You should send that off to every newspaper in the land.... :022:

Even here in Sneck I fear for my safety downtown on Friday and Saturday nights...  :crazy07:

[Alex MacLeod]

No smoke in pubs now.............how I wish folk would wash before going out though.

[Johnboy]

Yeah.... I noticed that too, Alex - last time I had a pint in Perth....  :023:

[Guest TinCanFan]

If I could have my way smoking would be absolutely banned like it was in Bhutan.  I think the smoking ban was a great thing and I would even increase so smokers can only smoke on their property.  Can't see it happening though.

[Alex MacLeod]

I wonder how many of those who express comment, or frown, on smoking could be considered as being clinically obese. Latest figures show that obesity is responsible for over 50% of heart disease and 28% of cancers. Dont be blinkered by one bad habit. Look at the big picture before spouting drivel.

[Johnboy]

I wonder how many of those who express comment, or frown, on smoking could be considered as being clinically obese. Latest figures show that obesity is responsible for over 50% of heart disease and 28% of cancers. Dont be blinkered by one bad habit. Look at the big picture before spouting drivel.

Bullsh!t....!!

Every feckin day I see scores of people, many of them in still in their twenties, grotesquely obese, and puffing away merrily on fags at the same time.....  :018: :018:

[Guest eliza]

Richie - I agree totally.....

I did a really good message, long and involved but, somehow it went .................... so....................b......cks..... 

I agree.....as a previous smoker, 20 a day, and still love to get a whiff of someone else's fag, really nice to go home not smelling like...................

sorry to all those standing outside in the rain - glad I'm not with you now.

[CaleyD]

Bullsh!t....!!

Every feckin day I see scores of people, many of them in still in their twenties, grotesquely obese, and puffing away merrily on fags at the same time.....  :018: :018:

I warned you - stop stalking me or I'll get a restraining order  :015:

[Alex MacLeod]

I wonder how many of those who express comment, or frown, on smoking could be considered as being clinically obese. Latest figures show that obesity is responsible for over 50% of heart disease and 28% of cancers. Dont be blinkered by one bad habit. Look at the big picture before spouting drivel.

Bullsh!t....!!

Every feckin day I see scores of people, many of them in still in their twenties, grotesquely obese, and puffing away merrily on fags at the same time.....  :018: :018:

As Churchill once said........there are lies, more lies and statistics.  Oh! and theres Johnboy :blah01:

[Johnboy]

Bullsh!t....!!

Every feckin day I see scores of people, many of them in still in their twenties, grotesquely obese, and puffing away merrily on fags at the same time.....  :018: :018:

I warned you - stop stalking me or I'll get a restraining order  :015:

Just sit on me..... I reckon that would effectively restrain me.....  :jawDrop:

[CaleyD]

First Sophia...now Me....are you giving me the "come on"??? 

[Johnboy]

The lesser of two evils...?

  :crazy07: :crazy07: :crazy07: