Do you think the smoking ban in public places is working?

[Gromit]

The first week of the smoking ban, and frankly I am amazed. I thought it would be widely flouted. I have been out tonight and the pubs were as busy (maybe even busier) than normal and smoke free. Commonsense prevailing? Bowing to the inevitable? or Are we just slavishly law-abiding?

[jno]

I don't know about slavish - I think law-abidingness is generally a mark of the middle classes (though I noticed the reports last week about how they all pay cash and cheat in other minor ways). By and large, I suspect even smokers are happy enough with the laws - not all of them, obviously; but it's a smoky atmosphere that makes them want to light up themselves, and as long as everybody's not smoking, the temptation to do so themselves is lessened.

I don't know if I should be glad they're all still out drinking, though. I'm sure they'd be happier staying at home playing whist.

[Oakleaf51]

The affects of alcohol is much worse on society than the affects of tobacco, and both are harmful to the individual, so the government should only let us have pubs that don't allow smoking, drinking, or loud music, and no sharp crisps.
What a great night out that will be!

[warpig3]

Strange but true - A friend of mine was in a pub in Donegal a few months ago, the pub stayed open way after hours (he left around 3ish) and even though the pub was serving drink illegally everyone still went outside for a smoke! Go figure that one out!

[gina32]

so how come the ex mp was caught smoking on a trian and said he thought it was ok if he smoked at the winow, he got a telling off by the railway police, good eh. one rule.... springs to mind

[warpig3]

Hmmmm, am sure I read somewhere that you can still smoke in the Houses of Parliament, possibly in designated places but as gina says 'one rule for one!'.

[Theland]

There should be a law passed that says any Liberal Democrat M.P. named Charles Kennedy should be allowed to do what they want. Coz C.K. is harmless, wouldn't hurt a fly, and it's worth letting him have his whiskey and fag to keep him public life. He adds colour to the proceedings. There's enough grey men as it is.
Let's leave him alone to brighten up parliament.

[anotheoldgit]

i do believe that it is legal to smoke in the Houses of Parliament, but the two houses put a self agreed ban on smoking in the houses before the national ban came into force.

Was Kennedy technically breaking the law, if he did indeed have his head out of the train's window?

[warpig3]

AOG do you mean that by MP's putting a selfimposed ban on smoking in HP prior to the national ban they were then able to by-pass the (their?) law?

[cardi88]

my friends have been on about how good the ban will be for ages and the other night we went out and i kept popping out for a fag (the atmosphere was actually much better out there, everyone chatting like old friends!) at the end of the evening my friends all agreed they would rather have me with them all night smoking than loosing me all the time!!! i really enjoyed going out to the fresh air for a change of scene!

[tigersam258]

I am surprised that although the ban has come into effect, who is upholding it. I regulary see people smoking on railway station platforms, literally feet away from No Smoking signs yet Railway staff do nothing to enforce it. I think that smoking is so ingrained into the British way of life that it is not possible to eradicate it from communal areas unless sufficient resources are provided to enforce it. Its the same as speeding cameras, they only work in the area directly visible by the camera, as soon as you drive past, those BMW and similar powered car drivers, nail their foot to the floor again. What is the point?

[Figi]

The idea of banning smoking on completely open station platforms is ludicrous and grossly unjust. I fear we're only a step away from not being able to smoke in the street,