I agree we all do things that annoy someone and if this goes on dividing and ruling and cameras and more and more control there will be no point in remaining an indivual we will have all been assimilated and all be perfectly dull   Its when we all have the same dreams because dreams are too creative its childhood end and 1984 all rolled into one. Sometimes it makes you just want to go and live in the forest (errrrr oh no cant do that either)   Soap box recalled for misuse and then on to recycling                                                                                                                                                                              

  I may be one of the lepers (smoker) but I never have smoked where there are 'no smoking' signs, and didn't smoke in cafes even when it was legal.   I ALWAYS put my fag end in a bin, when I'm outside, (after I have made sure it's not still lit of course) and never on the pavement. I even have a portable ash tray for those times that there isn't a bin to put it in.     I take offence at being called inconsiderate and/or ignorant. I am neither.                                                                                                                                                                                   

Personaly, i welcome the ban. I wish it was extended to the places like the local highstreet. I hate it when you are walking down the street and and there are a bunch of smokers venting infornt of you. O too hate going into a pub and walking out stinking of s**t and having long hair you smell it as you go to bed so you have to have a shower befre you hit the sack.   The smoking ban will allways be in dispute, but who will actually enforce it. the person who is designated to enforce the ban in my place of work is a smoker who refuses to use the smoking area but insists others walk over to the smoking area.                                                                                                                                                                             

kwak - im refering to smokers who think its their "right" to blow smoke in my face in public places like restaraunts or bars etc.   They think god or someone gives them a right so smoke wherever they want no matter who it effects, because "its their right" etc etc.   Its like middle-lane hoggers - they think they have the right to stay there (ive had long talks with someone who refuses to move over when he should - stupid old fool).   And red - I'd welcome the drinking ban in public too!  Sick of not being able to have a peaceful drink with friends because of some short arse thinking he's ten-men by starting on a bigger lad (me).  An alcohol ban would solve a lot of problems, more than the smoking ban.  Bring it in I say - drink at home.                                                                                                                                                                             

I gave up the weed in January as I had my carbonmonoxide levels read...... Very scary!!!! The reading for a non smoker is between 4-6milli whatsits per whatever***depending on whatever the ozone is doing. Mine was 99 miliwhatsits!!! Scared the crap out of me.My work intrduced the smoking ban on 5th February which helped.They also went as far as a ban on all the surrounding pavements and smokers were to find a place out of the public view. Also they were only allowed to smoke in their main lunch break. Hows that for a nanny state. One of my collegues did a Dot Cotton and came in to work with 5 patches on and chewing the gum!!! Passed out as well! OOOh I saaay!!!                                                                                                                                                                             

I think I'm suffering from paranoia lol I was having a fag outside an empty shop, stood underneath an awning (not a place of work or an enclosed public space) and was getting some dark looks from folk walking past me.    I asked another person who was smoking nearby if they had felt the same, that people were looking at her in a disapproving way, her response 'They can look how they like, no one is stopping ME from smoking I'll smoke where I like' Mmm not the attitude I admire in a fellow smoker, we get enough bad press as it is without that kind of selfish attitude.                                                                                                                                                                                   

all i wanted was a smoke, this bloody ban is just a joke, i have stand out in the rain, having a ciggy is such a pain.   wish i could be all warm and dry, it doesn't matter how hard i try, rain soaked fags are a bunch of s**t, im never gonna get one lit.....                                                                                                                                                                             

Smoking IS bad. Passive smoke may well effect others. It IS a smelly dirty habit....but I like it. So like Kwak, I try to be a considerate person about it. Not smoking in anyones presence who might be offended, not littering the place with fag-ends, all the usual.

So the G-man decides that for the benefit of those who suffer at our hands, and there are some (bar workers for example) a ban is required. Ok... but the one they have made is SO loose on detail, SO badly worded, its going to take an awful lot of test cases to decide whats REALLY allowed and whats not.

Many pubs in my town for instance have front doors onto the street. So instead of a muffled noise at midnight coming from inside we now have 20= people stood in and around the doorway, fag in hand, shouting to each other in drunken merriment. How does this improve the way of life of people passing them on the pavement or nearby residents?

And what about the packed nightclubs. You are with a gang of friends, step out for a fag, and then get told you'll have to queue to get back in because they are full up?

I own a minibus taxi and I'm not allowed to sit there at three in the morning in the rain and have a fag because it might effect my passenger who I next pick up. The fact its always at least 5 minutes after I've had a fag that I'll get a job and they cant even tell I've had one, doesnt matter, because its now "a workplace".

We already have an "On Street Booze Ban" that is ignored by all the authorities because its impossible to police (a gang of tracksuit wearing chavs with a can of carling each is too scary for any of our enforcement agencies apparently) so I can see this new law being altered, varied and washed down in just the same way.

Hows THAT for a soapbox post lol

well i think you are right because it could cause more trouble than it is intended to. I go along with all the bad stuff about ciggies we know how bad they are for us etc but also until very recently it was on adverts and drs recommended it to tb patients its not that long ago chemist gave opium balls to small children... well I am trying to stop,  but forcing people into a corner while stealing their money in taxes with the other is shameless and we could all go to the houses of parliment and smoke hundreds one after the other after the other after the other (sounds like a plan )   Its as my daughter says some of us are more equal than others. its utter tripe                                                                                                                                                                             

was gonna say something else but cant be bothered lol its all so controlling and makes me wanna ride my bike into the sea and stay there lol lord of the flies   yippedy doo daa yippedy eh my oh my what a wonder ful day im off to hide in my corner now                                                                                                                                                                             

  Daz,  it's NOT illegal to smoke in your vehicle, it's only illegal to smoke in it if OTHERS drive it too                                                                                                                                                                             

http://www.smokefreeengland.co.uk/what-do-i-do/quick-guide.html                                                                                                                                                                             

or if you carry passengers.                                                                                                                                                                             

kwak! it's a taxi, not a private car and as such it's a work place and as such NO smoking!                                                                                                                                                                               

thank goodness the rock n blues is in a field                                                                                                                                                                               

re: smoking on pavement and passers by.... i think it should be banned on the footpaths then as well, or "any public place" where it will offend others.  No point just shuffling and moving smokers around, whats the point in that?                                                                                                                                                                             

Stops em from getting complacent. They just fall asleep if you let em stand still for too long.                                                                                                                                                                                

Lol at blues.   And blues is right, being a taxi its now classified as a public place.   I have found the answer to the problem of being allowed to smoke when you want tho. Either become an MP so you can smoke at work... or smoke where you want anyway, be given a ban, refuse to pay it and get sent to prison.   Apparantly the law doesnt apply if you MADE it or if you break other laws as well.                                                                                                                                                                               

Yea Daz, I misinterpreted the text. DOH!   (fug it! I think I'll pay the fine, my sciatica was givin me hell tonite when I was stood outside)    As for bluesbiker he's an anti-smoker so I aint listening to him so ner     Matt would like to ban the production of all tobacco products (nasty boy) lol   not long now Matt, be patient,  but don't moan when the govmt create a new TAX and YOU have to contribute to it, due to loss of revenue                                                                                                                                                                              

  Since the ban has anyone noticed the new craze? Empty pubs and full pub gardens/pavements      I wonder if pubs will start selling umbrellas?