From letters to the editor ..

[pirate]

Having a smoking area in a restaurant is like having a pi$$ing area in a swimming pool...

btw, I am a smoker, but I do my best not to impose my habit on anyone else...and I believe I largely succeed.

 

[Spoon]

I'll get a few 'disagree' comments, but smoking is a different matter. Non smokers don't have a choice when a smoker breathes on them.

I'm a smoker... I know of no smokers that go round blowing smoke in peoples faces.... You'd get punched for that.

 

[Spoon]

Having a smoking area in a restaurant is like having a pi$$ing area in a swimming pool...

Aren't all 'smoking areas' outside restaurants... and other buildings.
I've seen quite a few drunk people peeing in the street.

 

[littlespark]

Its a lot better now with the smoking ban, but it could be better.
Extend the area of the ban a good 20ft from the door of any building.
I've followed a few people out of pubs, shopping centres, even gymnasiums and they've stopped right in the doorway to light up a smoke.
"Get out the damn way!"

My comments were from a time gone by, before the ban. In the days there was a smoking room in hospitals at the end of the maternity ward.

I used to ask my boss for a "non-smoking" break as the other guys got to wander off for 10 minutes.

 

[elsparko]

i love smoking, and 9/10 times people ask to be in my cloud of smoke as it smells really nice

 

[telectrix]

i smoke for the \NHS. the tax i pay on smokes pays for the treatment of stress related problems suffered by non-smokers.

 

[Percyprod]

Smoking is legal, alcohol is legal, why not pot, heroin, cocaine etc? They kill far less people

 

[pirate]

That'll be fewer...
However, people who smoke or drink are less likely to cause harm to others, ie some unfortunately addicted drug users will rob, steal, mug or kill to fuel their addiction...but I agree, it does seem to be a question of degree.
I know, i KNOW...passive smoking and damage caused by alcoholism...like I said, it's a question of degree...
Also, we are used to paying tax on alcohol and tobacco as these are historically "acceptable"...but what government will legalise cocaine or heroin unless they can also tax it? which would cause some controversy. methinks.
I am not against some relaxation on cannabis, certainly for medicinal purposes, but once you start...

 

[Pete E]

That'll be fewer...
However, people who smoke or drink are less likely to cause harm to others, ie some unfortunately addicted drug users will rob, steal, mug or kill to fuel their addiction...but I agree, it does seem to be a question of degree.
I know, i KNOW...passive smoking and damage caused by alcoholism...like I said, it's a question of degree...
Also, we are used to paying tax on alcohol and tobacco as these are historically "acceptable"...but what government will legalise cocaine or heroin unless they can also tax it? which would cause some controversy. methinks.
I am not against some relaxation on cannabis, certainly for medicinal purposes, but once you start...

Just a bit of trivia, but heroin and opium used to be legal in this country and was sold over the counter at Chemists. In WW1, it was apparently common for wives/gf's to send heroin as a "tonic" to their loved ones on the front line...

These drugs remained unregulated until around 1930 when the law was changed such they were then only available on prescription from a Dr...It wasn't until the mid 60's they were made illegal....

 

[elsparko]

opium production pre afghan invasion > opium production and purity of heroin in uk post afghan invasion..

britain practically built its empire on tea, spices and opium, why would things change? lol

 

[Pete E]

britain practically built its empire on tea, spices and opium, why would things change? lol

Wasn't a dispute over the Opium trade how we ended up with Hong Kong and a couple of other similar territories?

 

[elsparko]

Wasn't a dispute over the Opium trade how we ended up with Hong Kong and a couple of other similar territories?

was this dispute the opium wars itself?

 

[MDJ]

Smoking is legal, alcohol is legal, why not pot, heroin, cocaine etc? They kill far less people

Brilliant post, well done, this must have made you think