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Devin Rasberry
How could some of you all state that smoking in restuarants is okay. How would you feel if your the reason someone has cancer or dead. You are killing other yourself by smoking and taking other people with you, that's selfish.

Matt
I'm all in favour of pubs and restraunts banning smoking IF (and only if) it is a decision that is made by the premises themselves. A mandatory ban is NOT the way to go. Lets face it - if having a no smoking policy if good for business and increases trade then more establishments will move towards non-smoking. I am a smoker, and while I applaud that the bars mentioned by Chris below have adopted a smoke free policy, I personally will not frequent these premises because of that policy. Just as non-smokers are free to boycott any premises that doesn't have a smoke free policy. Once again, the key issue here should be choice.

Chris
Smoking is definitely on the way out. The Cock and Hoop pub is a smoke free bar, so I believe is the Playhouse bar. It's only a matter of time before it's compulsory everywhere and that time can't be soon enough. I hate it when I am out and eating and a table of 4 light up and smoke bellows if my face when eating. Smokers should take their filthy habit outside and pollute their own lungs, and not others. If people want to smoke in their own homes or outside, fine, I don't care. But if I go to the pub for a couple of hours or a restaurant I don't want to breathe in other peoples filty smoke. The sooner it's banned in pubs and restaurants the better. New York trade hasn't suffered.

lisa
people should give up smoking as it is killing them and others

robbie
i think people should be aloud to smoke were ever they want to and not have to stand in the rain or in the cold to get a niciteen fix.i know many people that smoke and they say it is that the new law is punishing their rights

Sarah
Everybody has to try smoking to like it, so I dont see why people don't just TRY giving up... it's basically the same thing

Stef
smokin smells. why do people do it in the first place?

Matt
What must be remembered is that pubs, etc are businesses first and foremost. They are there to make a profit. If the decision on a smoking ban is left up to individual premises then ultimately it will be the consumer who decides. Surely in a "progressive, forward-thinking city", as Nottingham wants to be viewed, this is the only way forward.

Jade
I dont buy cigarettes and the only way I get my fix is through the generous people who give me their second hand smoke. Long live the passive smokers I say

Dave
In reply to Ian who demands an example of death caused by passive smoking - Roy Castle, who never smoked in his life, but died of lung cancer from the palls of smoke in the clubs where he performed.

Mark Mugaseth
I don't smoke so I think that pubs and resturants should all be made smoke free

Paul
The law should state that all public bars and restaurents etc. should provide separate rooms for smoking and non smoking. The smoking rooms could be self service to protect the staff. Smokers save the country money. They do not cost us more by from their early death, they would die eventually anyway and I presume the cost of health care would be the same whenever they die. In addition their early deaths save money on future healthcare, pensions and benefits. The cost argument is a total falicy. I am a smoker and I often cannot get a table in smoking areas in restaurents when non smoking sections are sitting empty.

Faye
Further to Matt's comments saying and i quote "Non-smokers are free to choose whether to visit an establishment that allows smoking. If they choose to do so, they should accept that they will be exposed to second hand smoke." We are exposed to second hand smoke every place we go, if there is a ban on smoking you will have the choice to stop or carry on, you take our choice of smoke free from us each time you light up outdoors & indoors. I had to wait over 20 minutes for a table in a bar the other day as most people chose to eat in non smoking, there were at least 20+ tables in the smoking area does this not prove no smoking is the way to go. I certainly think so.

Marguerite
I'm strongly in favour of banning smoking in public places. In South Africa this has been enforced for a number of years. Whilst you will always get people who break the law, it does reduce the incidence and empowers non-smokers to ask people who break the law to put out their cigs! I would like to see a total ban in public places including open air areas - my pet hate is being sandwiched between two smokers in a bus queue especially when you're fresh for the start of a new day! I'm not against smoking/non-smoking areas in pubs, but the division must be effective, it is pointless having tables in a seperate area when the smoke fills the whole room!!! As for smokers shouting about their rights, it is alright to stand up for your rights as long as it doesn't infringe upon the rights of others!

jason
yes ban it - and who cares whether it'll hit the pubs or not. Would it really hurt the city if there were less pubs and less drunk people starting fights and causing trouble. We could all do with less smoking and alcohol in our lives.

Phil
I have a friend in NY who tells me that the trade in bars has totally fallen. The health facists (who's oppinions seem to be the only ones that count these days) achieved their goal and after a year of smoke free drinking are still not frequenting the bars and pubs because their is no longer any atmosphere in them. The smokers are all outside or drinking at home. The non-smokers are beginning to realise that the smokers weren't quite so bad afterall. The health facists will want to ban alcahol next. Watch this space!

Phil
Smokers are contiually banging on about their rights. What about my right to be able to go drinking in a smoke-free environment? The evidence is there, smoking kills, whether due to active smoking or passive smoking. I don't want to become one of those statistics. I am sure smokers would soon kick the habit if they were made to pay for all the health care they will eventually be needing.

Joe
I feel that smoking should be banned in all enclosed public spaces, and places like children's playparks, bus-stops etc, where non-smokers may be forced to stand, breating in smoke.

Jonathan - University of Nottingham
If smoking only affected the person with the cigarette, then I would agree that they have the right to smoke anywhere throughout the city. But it does not. It infringes on other peoples right to breathe clean air and puts others at the risk of developing serious diseases, some of which are life threatening. Why should the actions of one person affect other people’s health? I believe that there should be an outright ban in the city, I choose to live a healthy life, and I do not appreciate that other people’s selfishness can expose me to health problems. I would like to be able to go for a night out and not come home reeking of smoke and having inhaled the terrible stuff.

LUCY
Definitely ban smoking in pubs. Maybe then I could go home without my whole outfit smelling of smoke!

Lazlo
good idea but not likely to work - can you really see the local chavs obeying a ban?

Laura
Maybe they shouldmake most bulidings smoke free but not pubs one of the best things about going to he pub is sittin in the warm with your drink in one hand and your ciggy in the other.

Ian
A ban on smoking would be just another erosion of civil liberties by the New Labour / EU soft-left. Market forces should be left to dictate whether venues allow smoking or not. PS I am a non-smoker

Samantha
A majority of pubs and social places have designated smoking areas anyway, i think we should leave the situation well alone. Afterall, if everyone quit smoking, wouldnt our taxes go up? wouldnt the cost of living rise all over again?

Tricia
Total no smoking in bars and restaurants

Dale
What is the problem? Why not have some smoking pubs and some non-smoking pubs or an upstairs room for smokers and a downstairs room for non-smokers? Wouldn't that be the most sensible way to go or am I being too logical?

Wendy, Oslo
I live in Norway (Oslo) which has also adopted a smoking ban indoors (surprisingly moved from Jan 1st to June 1st when it’s possible to sit outside pubs and smoke). The ban has hit pubs which have no outdoor seating areas already. As the weather starts to get colder, this will only get worse. Tobacco companies have been giving free outdoor heaters away to pubs in main cities to use outside under their awnings. Since the ban non-smokers who have always gone out anyway are complaining that pubs have no atmosphere. Non-smokers who didn’t go out are complaining because now smokers have to stand on the pavement outside to smoke. A lot more people are opting to have parties at home where they can enjoy smoking and drink with their friends rather than spend money in an environment where they don’t enjoy themselves. The people who are non-smokers apart from on a Friday or Saturday night when they go to the pub are really spitting feathers.

Martin
I dont smoke. I disagree with a smoking ban. If I dont want to watch a programme on tv I change channel. Likewise, If pubs decide to ban it so be it! give people a choice. Making pathetic laws like this only act to deflect the real issues that people actually care about. Fox hunting, smoking bans....all pointless laws for a society that demands more from its politicians

Chantelle
I actually do smoke but I agree with the no smoking in public places unless its open air and especially in restaurants where people are eating, possibly with children. People who smoke in these situations are ignorant, I'm glad i am not one of them.

T.J.
I hate breathing in other people's smoke. Given the amount of money smoking costs the NHS, and given the risks of passive smoking - I am all for a ban in public places - even in open areas. I have two young children and feel very strongly that they shouldn't breath in other people's smoke. I would challenge any smoker who says they can't go for a couple of hours without a cigarette (I'm sure they don't smoke when asleep!)

reg
wE SHOULD BAN ALL SMOKING IN PUBLIC WHY SHOULD ANY ONE HAVE TO STINK LIKE A ASH TRAY AFTER BEING IN SMOKE FILLED ROOM BAR AS SOME ONE BLOWING SMOKE ALL OVER THE PLACE

Jane
surely this debate is not about whether people should smoke but where. The main issue about second hand smoke is that it can lead to chronic and fatal illness. Three quarters of the population do not smoke but have very little choice when it comes to totally smokefree places.

simba
i think every1 has the rite 2 do wot they want...but its unfair on those ppl hu hav no choice wen it cums 2 passive smokin...personally i'd b reassured if in public places there were smokin and non smokin areas!

dave
i think all motor vehicles should be banned from areas where pubs / cafes have outside seating. just because i want to enjoy a pint and a bite to eat in the sunshine why should i be forced to inhale all the pollution that your cars are producing.

Nadine
i believe it should be banned especially in places that sell food

Dr Curtis
In response to Jules ‘What happened to freedom of choice?’ I completely agree with you there. I choose not to smoke, yet I find myself passively smoking every day. I go to work by train and I have to constantly move around the platform to get away from smokers – funny things, train stations, they have small booths for non-smokers to sit in!! If I go out to eat I only choose restaurants with a ‘no smoking’ policy. I can’t go to the pub without passive smoking. ‘What happened to freedom of choice?’ you tell me. Smoke if you wish but think more about the people who do not wish to smoke directly or indirectly.

Stevy
I am a non-smoker and have been since I tried it when i was a kid. My Dad smokes to this day, and it still makes me ill in the same way every single time I'm exposed to it. I have two points. Firstly, that smoking is a pervasive habit which removes the free choice of everyone involved, the smoker and the choker. And secondly, Banning it in public places wont do anything for the kids and family members subjected to it. The results from such a ban could make things go in a variety of ways. The ban may put social pressure on people to quit, giving the message that it is an socially unacceptable habit. I am worried that having a ban instantly makes smoking more the forbidden fruit for kids at school, making them want to rebel and try it even more. I would say that most of the people who smoke tried it at school first, and even further, that it is more likely for a smoker to experiment with other more dangerous drugs.

Jules
What happened to freedom of choice? I am willing to comply with not smoking near the bar in pubs and clubs. However, if they ban smoking from pubs, clubs and restaurants, the businesses will lose a lot of trade! I like to go out and have a drink and a smoke with my mates. Why should I be penalised and made a prisoner in my home just because I smoke? I don't go out very often and so smoking is the one pleasure I get! As to all the critics. My mother died riddled with cancer and she only smoked 3 cigarettes a year! Explain that one! I refuse to pack up smoking because someone tells me I can't have my one pleasure in life. This is getting to the era of Big Brother. They will be telling us what to wear, how to talk, how to behave in future! We are humans, not robots. We are all individuals, and we deserve the respect for that!

Gaz
I am a smoker. I feel that a ban in public places would help me to give up. What does worry me though is if millions of pounds of tax revenue were lost through smoking bans, what comodity would the government increase taxes on to replenish the coffers?

will
I cycle in to work nearly everyday (it is faster than driving). On one occasion when I was cycling in, I was forced to breath huge amounts of car fumes by car drivers, without any consultation. I turned round to one of them and asked if he minded turning off his engine until i had gone past him.You shoud have heard the reply.

Derek
I have never smoked, but my wife has many years ago, and she, like me hates being in the vicinity of smokers. I fully support a ban on smoking in public places, especially restaurants. On one occasion when we were eating in a retaurant a smoker near us lit up without any cosultation to anybody, I turned round to him and asked if he minded if I ate whilst he smoked. You shoud have heard the reply.

Dr Curtis
'Nobody has a right to clean air' what utter rubbish! Just because we pollute the air with our cars, power stations, or whatever, does not mean that we should inflict our dirty smoking habit onto others. The environment in which these pollutions take place directly affects people. Cars are outside, power stations are outside, and smoking should be done outside. The simple fact is outside the pollutant get diluted with the air, inside you have to sit and breathe it in.

David Short
I think that Smoking should be banned in all public places, in order to stop anyone smoke in the public place issue them a heavy fine if they do so. David Short university of nottingham

David
Smoking should be banned in INDOOR public places, outside I don't have a problem with. I hate to sit in a restuarant or pub with sore eyes and throat trying to breathe in a shallow fasion so as to inhale as little exhaled smoke as possible.

Laurie
I am a non-smoker, but i do not feel that smoking should be banned in public places. I think the best solution to the debate is to comprimise. This should be done by public places having areas in which smoking is designated. Thus the smoker does not have to leave and go outside and the people who dislike smoke are still away from it. For example this works in most resurants as if you sit in the non-smokeing area, you tend not to have smoke in the air where you are sitting.

Darren
i don't smoke and i suffer with asthma so i agree that smokeing should be banned in places like pubs ect as people like me can't go out without fear of suffering but as for smokeing outdoors that is a different matter as it is not in an enclosed place

james
itis no good to smokers health and also the passive smokers',itis just an addiction and the body's demand, really difficult to get rid of the habit easily , just be tolerant of the circumstance and ask the government to ban it. don't scold the smokers.

Lorna
Smokers should keep their filth in their own homes. Each person has the right to choose to breathe air that isn't full of smoke.

Byron Harvey
Yes I think smoking should be banned in all public places especially in restaurants and all places were food is served.

MR RED
I think that Smoking should be banned in all public places as being a non smoker I prefer it

Paul
As a smoker trying to quit, I would welcome banning smoking in public - this would spur me on to kick an expensive, dirty, unhealthy and pointless habit.

iona
I am a smoker and i understand its a distusting habit and i am always fully aware of people around whilst im smoking. I think there should be mre choice in the matter, pubs and bars should all have non-smoking and smoking areas. Or maybe even non smoking and smoking pubs and bars. I think a ban on smoking in public places isn't fair as smokers should have as much choice as anyone else.

bob
yes. I'm a former smoker and I think you can guess where my stance is on this. i work in an environment were smoking is allowed and aside from the health issues I hate the smell and the degredation of the air. Plus I can't think of how many burn holes I have in my clothes from people smoking on the dancefloor. how stupid can you get. Give them a small shelter out front and make them go there. They'll be more inclined to stop, saving our lungs and the nhs loads.

Matt
What is it about this country that we feel we should ban everything we disagree with? Should we ban everything that could possibly be harmful to someones health? If so then make way for banning of cars, risky sports, fast foods, even medicine (have you ever read the list of potential side effects on most medications). Of course we shouldn't. We should allow choice. Allow bars, restraunts, etc to set their own policy on smoking, then we as individuals can make our choice as to whether we frequent these establishments. As a smoker - I no longer visit Pizza Hut as they have a no smoking policy throughout - this is my choice. Non-smokers are free to choose whether to visit an establishment that allows smoking. If they choose to do so, they should accept that they will be exposed to second hand smoke. The key argument here is CHOICE.

Daisy
I think smoking should be made illegal in public places all over the country.

r sayers
Ban smoking in all public area. I hate being near smokers & dislike intensly the smell of smoke on my clothes next morning. The tobacco industry should be made to pay the costs of all smoke related diseases. The sight of a beautiful girl smoking saddens me. Incidentaly, I Ran 25 miles over mountains in Scotland to raise £2000 for a cancer ward in Scotland. If I had smoked there no way that I could had done this! You have to be thick to smoke given the evidence readily available.

Chris
As a smoker, I would not object to a ban on smoking in indoor public places. Outside, in the open air, is a different matter. It's a simple matter of choice. If I choose to smoke, then I should be able to go to place where I can do so, and not annoy others. I can always choose ot to visit places that are smoke free.

Cory
I am a non-smoker and feel that smoking should be banned in all public places for the health of every human.

Ian
Jim says in 2 different posts that passive smoking is a proven killer, would he like to give just 1 "proven" example?

Joey
As a smoker I am fed up with being persecuted for all that is wrong in the world. What about those products that have destroyed our ozone layer? As a free country we all have the right to our own choices, and yes, on occasion the smoker could have more consideration for non-smokers - but please don't provoke us by coughing and spluttering to get your point accross! Smokers are decent human beings too and don't deserve to be made a scapegoat - which would you prefer: tax paying smokers or theives stealing for heroin money?

Tony
Why not try a total ban on smoking in public areas and see if all the dire predictions, made by smokers, would actually come to pass.

Craig
ppl should be able to smoke when they want,where they wont... its their choice but they should not smoke around others!

John Foster
Well as far as I am concerned smoking should not be totally banned but there should be an area/room where smokers can practice their habit alone with out affecting others. I for one do not wish to be in a smoke filled room where I am having a meal or drink at the local. The smokers among us should not be selfish and expect the non smokers to suffer the consequences of their habit. As for the monetary cost to society i.e. NHS I accept the direct cost is more than covered by the taxes that are placed on the tobacco products, however the indirect costs of health care through associated problems with smoking, the filth that is generated in the streets with cigarette ends, matches, and cigarette packets, the stained paint work in the places that still permit smoking and the cleaning up after smokers must be enormous. The largest bill is the emotional bill that has to be paid by the friends, parents, partner and children of the smoker. When the selfish smoker is getting their tax money back of the NHS in treatment for a smoke related illness, the people that know and care for them now have to pay again in concern, fear and finally in some cases dispear. I like no doubt many of you that may read this, will not get Cancer though smoking even if you do smoke, both my wife and I both thought that. My wife died of Cancer (smoking related) aged 35 we had two children one 6 years old the other 12 years old. I had the enviable task? of telling our friends, parents and children of her death. Yes I did smoke, No I do not any longer smoke I am a little less selfish than I was I no longer fill the air local to me with the stench of smoke and invade others lungs with my habit. No I do not have Cancer and no doubt you will not, but some will. I would not ban smoking but I would prefer that people around me did not smoke, Think about it, do you care about your friends? Do you care about your parents? Do you care about your partner? Do you care about your children? If you smoke you have agreed you do not. posted 2004/05/13

Matt
Jim, I agree that there is nothing we could do at the moment to prevent car pollution, but that does not mean that it is ok to target smokers because we are the 'easy' option. I am all in favour of non-smoking areas and better ventilation in pubs, restraunts, etc. What I disagree with totally is the blanket persecution of a minority group based on their choice of lifestyle. Now before all the cries of 'Why should we suffer for you choices?' let us remember that practically everyone is affected by something that they choose not to partake in. Chris, I have to agree with your point about the media - it seems that smokers are currently flavour of the month.

Jim
Matt, I have lready mentioned that we have no chance of stopping pollution from cars/transportation at this time. Does this mean that we should carry on allowing people to smoke in public places. What sort of logic is that? We know passive smoking kils and we can stop it without too much fuss. If we could run cars on non-polluting fuels I would support them also, but just because we don't have one we should tolerate the other? Get a grip and give up!

chris
I am smoker and think every one as right to make there own mind up. its time the do gooders kept there niose out of our lives, I know people who have smoked for years and keep going,why is it that over the past year people object, I blame the media

Matt
Jim - the following has been taken from ASH's website, "Tobacco taxation amounts to £10.5 billion per year whereas a figure for NHS spending on tobacco related disease is £1.7 billion." Obviously, it is down to the government to allocate whatever portion of the revenue that they see fit be the pot is there to be spent. Also from ASH's site "The high level of tax on tobacco in Britain has two purposes: to reduce smoking through the price incentive, and to raise taxes from a source that has least impact on the economy. The alternative would be to raise taxes on work, investment or general spending." So when we reach this Utopian society populated solely by non-smokers what happens to tax then? As for 'the right to make people sick' the answer is 'none'. Exactly the same right that motorists have when forcing their fumes down the throats of pedestrians but will we be calling for a ban on cars next? I think not.

Andrew
As an ex-smoker (yes - here we go!), I think that smoking should banned. Full stop.

Jim
Matt comments that smokers pay Taxes that more tha cover the burden that smoking casues to the NHS. Two things here, firts he is wrong, the money does not nearly cover the cost and second, even if the money did cover the cost of treatment to victims of smoking, does this give them the right to make people sick in the first place?

Ron
The old arguments about vehicles polluting are an entirely separate thing. The discussion here is about smoking or preferably the banning of it.

Matt
Tobacco as a 'gateway drug' is one of the most ludicrous things I have ever heard. I personally have smoked for nearly 20 years and have never used any other drugs. (I dislike taking painkillers unless I absolutely have to). As for tobacco companies being drug pushers, take a moment to consider the vast amount of tax revenue raised through the sale of cigarettes, which despite what the anti-smoking brigade would have us believe, far outweighs the cost to the NHS.

big ken
I watched my partner slowly die from lung cancer, cause, most likely from smoking all her life. It was not a good time. Before she died, she told me she was scared of dying this way and if she had not been subjected to smokers around her she would not have started. So I say ban smoking in all public places. If people want to smoke, let them do in a way so as not to contaminate those around them. If they object let them take a walk around a hospital ward full of smoking panting for their breath knowing that there is no cure, but in the knowlege that "if only i had'nt started".

Martin
I'm sick of going for a sociably afternoon or night out to the pub and having to put what were clean smelling cltothes in the wash because of the insufferable lingering smell of smoke. It's the most unsociable habit and people who hate it should not have to suffer it.

Daisy
Ban smoking in all public places, and introduce a lisence for any pub, club or restaraunt that wants to allow smoking.

Jim
I think the points made by Will are fair, but not in this context. Yes, people who drive, people who travel, basically everybody in society uses, directly or indirectly, sources that pollute the environment. The point Will makes would mean that until we find environmentally friendly ways of providing power and fuel for all our requirements, we have no right to ban a proven killer in passive smoking. I would dearly love to see ways to stop pollution from cars, pollution from the production of electricity etc and believe these things will happen over time. What we can do now is stop people being put at extra risk because of other people's addictions.

will
'nobody has a right to clean air' Maybe I should rephrase my point. Anybody who pollutes somebody else's air, has no right to demand clean air for themselves, e.g. anybody who drives a car, as they pollute the air of people who live near roads, children walking to school, school playgrounds, pedestrians, cyclists, people in parks and public spaces in urban areas, and are contributing to the depletion of the ozone layer, which is contributing to more people suffering from skin cancer etc. THis is just one example, but the same case could be put for other examples, e.g. taking excessive flights, consuming consumer durables and goods made of plastic etc.

Jimbag
Smoking to be kept! Dont ruin nottinghams social

Richard
I have to breathe in exhaust fumes when I walk to & from work. Can we ban vehicles from our town centres too?

Fiona
I would like to see all public and work places to be made smoke free. Smokers say that this takes the choice away as to whether people can smoke or not, but if someone is smoking in the same room as you that takes away your right to choose whether or not to inhale noxious fumes. I believe that all smoking in doors should be band to protect the health of workers and no smokers alike.

Jim
"nobody has a right to clean air". What a typical statement from a smoker. It is about time this habit was banned. It is unbelievable that people still believe they have the right to risk the health of other people just for the sake of an addiction. The sooner it is banned and the ban enforced the better. If Will was to open a public bar and wished to allow smoking, would he also want to responsible for the costs of healthcare if any of customers developed related deseases?

Claire
As a smoker I think public buildings should be smoke-free. Although for pubs, have you ever noticed how empty non-smoking areas are?! Maybe a return to pubs with a smoke room is needed. I would not go out for a drink if I was unable to enjoy a cigarette with my pint. Our lungs are polluted from varying sources every time we leave our homes!

Ruth
For the past 2 years I have been a smoker living in Boston, USA, which is a non-smoking city. Don't knock it till you've tried it. The idea of smoke free bars is appaling to smokers - until you've tried it. It's fantastic - not only do you not come home stinking of fags - you get to meet a whole range of people and hear loads of gossip in the street outside.

John Clements
Basically smoking kills more than heroin, cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy together. It is an addictive drug and its participants are little better than junkies. The tobacco companies are corporate drug pushers on mwassive scale. It is thought now that cigarettes are a bigger factor than any other into leading to hard drugs (it is a gateway drug). The sooner it is stamped out in public the better.

Dawn Hartley
I own Mozart's Restaurant, Wollaton Street, Nottingham and we have a total non-smoking policy within the building, we have gained more customers than we have lost - we have had very positive comments from our customers.The policy makes it a nicer place to eat and also a nicer environment for our staff to work in. If you want more information, call us on 0115 9509044

Mark
Smoking should be restricted to outside a public building. My office is smoke free and it makes for a much more pleasant atmosphere

will
Nobody has a right to clean air, as we all produce pollution, or consume goods that are produced by causing pollution elsewhere. Surely it should be up to the owners of the pubs and restuarants as to whether or not they want a ban. If I was to open a pub or bar, I can't see what business it is of anybody else whether or not I want smokers as customers.