Smoking ban

No, it's taking away freedoms. Next thing they will ban sugar & salt, then junk food, it's a slippery slope. I never thought I would agree with any Tory, but I agree with all the ones who abstained or voted against it.

I'm against a smoking ban and I think the current proposals are impractical and unenforceable. I was completely against the previous legislation to restrict smoking in public and felt strongly that it should have been up to individual pubs, restaurants etc to decide whether they wanted to permit smoking on their premises. I recognise that the health of a huge proportion of people has been affected by smoking over the years - my family is no different and I've lost relatives to lung cancer and have other family members affected by smoking related diseases. I was a smoker for many years and gave up almost 30 years ago, but I still feel that people have the right to smoke if they wish to do so in their own homes, outside, or in other areas where the owners permit it.

Every smoker I know supports this ban and it's an idea I've heard discussed among smokers for 30+ years - every time with everyone agreeing they wished it had happened before they started smoking.

Yes, this is the really critical factor for me.

I don't see how we as mature adults can know how very bad something is, how much of a huge negative toll it takes on you, how much those of us who have done it and now cannot stop hugely regret it - and yet still not do all we can to protect our young people from becoming new lifelong victims.

We all know how terrible asbestos is now, but whilst we let it remain in existing buildings where it is sealed away, we wouldn't dream of ensuring that it should remain legal and freely available for use in new buildings, just because we think it very unfair that future generations should not be allowed the 'opportunity' to die horrible and completely avoidable deaths as a direct cause of it.

If ever you've grabbed a toddler's hand to physically deny them the chance to run into fast-moving traffic and discover for themselves how tragically that can end for them, why would you not support the same for a teenager with smoking?

I'm generally very against anti-libertarian laws, but I think what sways me with this one is the clear fact that so many older smokers wish they had never started and counsel younger people never to start.

I think this is a good way of introducing the law. Like it or not, there are loads of people who are already seriously addicted, and you simply can't withdraw their 'grandad rights' from them now, without a whole load of negative effects, especially considering their addiction began completely legally.

Yes, younger people may indeed get older people to buy fags for them; but the idea of this law is that it's for the long-term. If it's brought in, the number of people who can legally smoke (or indeed buy them on behalf of younger ones) will gradually grow smaller and smaller, until eventually there will be nobody alive who can buy them.

True, banning things doesn't completely eradicate them, but it avoids sending mixed messages from a government saying "You really, absolutely must not smoke... but it's totally legal if you do". It does add another step for interested people to have to overcome, and a lot will just not bother, if it's not out there openly available in shops.

I wish they had done it years ago.

Yes, for the next few years some young people might think they want to smoke as it will make them look older, but not of course too old.

Once every legal smoker is heading for 30, it will be something only old people do and even more unappealing.

Every smoker I know supports this ban and it's an idea I've heard discussed among smokers for 30+ years - every time with everyone agreeing they wished it had happened before they started smoking.

Doing so will only push a black market..which pushes the currency into a black hole. More corruption, more exploitation.

I also think people need to educate themselves on how addictions work. It's acceptable to just withdraw fags but not alcohol..... Not going to mention those with eating disorders/medical conditions that cause hospital intervention or lack off because they are deemed unsafe to anesthitise.

Me neither - I don't smoke but I'm not in favour of it at all.

Got to say I smell more cannabis around now than I do cigarettes!

I don’t believe that the government should be able to create a nanny state.

to stop young people starting to smoke they need to crack down on shops selling tobacco to under 18s

The fines are high but the chance of actually getting one is so low it’s not a threat to shopkeepers

I am a former smoker and both my parents died of lung cancer, so I am most definitely against smoking. What bothers me, however, about laws against smoking is this. If we believe that smoking is so dangerous, shouldn't we ban the production? Stop making cigarettes! If it is a poison, why is it being sold?!

In the country I currently live in, government is earning tons of money by taxing cigarettes. To me it looks like they only pretend to make laws and bans around cigarettes for our health and well being. In reality, they only do it so that they can tax it more.

I’m a smoker. Shame isn’t helpful.

Yes I support this ban.

There will be a decade of mess ups but in 10 years time when you have to be 26 to buy it no 18 year old will be able to directly.
It will be interesting. It's addictive but a very boring drug. So if you go and "score" some on the black market it will be a bit of a disappointment.

Teens do stuff. If it's not smoking it'll be something else, maybe much much worse. Either make it all illegal or let adults make their own decisions. Stop infantilising the population.

I don't think anyone should be 'shamed' about any substance addiction.

And let's face it, a lot of people became addicted to smoking well before they realised the damage it was doing to them. Like many things.

But phasing out tobacco and toxic vape products must start somewhere, just as the smoking bans in workplaces and hospitals did.

I remember being able to smoke in university lectures and on planes, fgs. Unthinkable now.

Smoking isn't that appealing to younger generations anyway Unfortunately there have been recent upticks amongst the young.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-58317263

I've found your posts extremely upsetting and offensive.

You said you want to shame smokers, which includes all those who have died as a result of the awful products and practices of the tobacco companies.

It's the ultimate victim blaming.

I think it's great and the only way forward. Lost 3 family members to lung cancer including my dad, who died a horrible, agonising death at the age of 64. Smoking isn't that appealing to younger generations anyway, so I don't think there will be a massive black market. I'd support phasing out vaping too.

Thread was clearly titled. I don't think it warranted a trigger warning.

Okay...

And how would you make it workable?

Person affected says to person b who is a year older - get me some tobacco. Job done.

Honestly how would you enforce this?

It's just bluster. The government makes SO much revenue on tax from tobacco. It's purely lip service.

Of course I'm not the first. Millions and millions of people have lost loved ones to smoking. Which is why I desperately want it banned.
The disgusting thing is cigarette smoke, and the habit itself.

I'm actually finding your posts extremely upsetting and offensive.

Leaving this thread now.

I stand by everything I have said here.

Ban smoking. Totally. Help smokers massively to give up; and yes, leave them in no doubt that their habit is filthy and repulsive till they do. One more smoking-related death is one too many.

Hiding this thread now, as it's too sensitive a subject for me. Sorry.

Bans don't work. Cannabis, cocaine, heroin etc etc have all been illegal for a long time. People still get them, people still use them.
And dealers cut them with all sorts of awful things which compounds the damage.

The same will happen with cigarettes. And they'll be suddenly extra desirable for those young enough to be impacted by this stupid law.

What will be next? Alcohol? Meat? Sugar? Extreme sports?

I don't support the government removing people's right to choose because where does it end?

Everytime there is a restriction, ie sales to u18, advertising bans, increased taxation, ban on smoking indoors the tobacco industry claims that's these restrictions are both ineffective and will increase the black market. All the evidence shows differently, gradually restricting the availability of tobacco has gradually reduced the number of smokers and thus the number of people interested in buying tobacco black market or otherwise. Total instant prohibition would be a disaster but this gradually phrasing out is a great policy ( about the only good one from this government)

😂😬

LOL the Tories can try to distract us as much as they like, they are still not getting MY vote in the next General Election - OR the local ones in 2-3 weeks!

Well, I'm sure it'll be massively successful. After all, no one ever uses cannabis.