...yup, that's the next thing! I sold my car, so it won't affect me anymore, but I wonder if they will include motorbikes in that? (Yes, open face helmet means I have been known to smoke whilst riding lol)....   Light touch paper etc.... are there many smokers left?                                                                                                                                                                              

What a load of cobs-wallop! isn't it bad enough we treated like the leper of society?   I have seen both ends of the stick,having only started smoking recently,how smokers are treated,and to be blunt,its disgusting,   albeit to be fair,its not nice smoking if your travelling with people in the car,but I do it any ways,its a personal choice,and One shouldn't be made to feel like a leper! What happened to freedom of will? truth be be known,society dictates that too!                                                                                                                                                                             

hear hear BB..... social pariahs.... although I have noticed that smoking areas outside of pubs seem to be the most social place to be these days....we all chat to each other, thrown together because we are lepers maybe??   I despair of the direction this country just keeps on going.....                                                                                                                                                                             

I wouldn't panic about it yet. This idea has been brought up long before the ban on smoking in public places was introduced... early 2007 to my knowledge. However, I do think it right to be concerned. After all, this is how lots of new legislation comes about... talk about it first, get the masses to get used to the idea and then put it in place. This should be of concern to non smokers too because it shows the "ban it " mentality we have in this country. Think back to the early seventies and remember the things that we could do then compared to what we can't do now and you will realise just how controlled we are now.... It's scary... If I was younger, I for one would leave this country for good and not look back... It's sh*t.... I feel sorry for our grandchildren because I know the freedom they will never experience                                                                                                                                                                             

Hear Hear VFRPaul................                                                                                                                                                                             

  The proposed ban on smoking in personal vehicles is because children travel with their parents, that's who it is aimed at, according to the news this morning, and breathe in their smoke.   Altho there has never been any scientific proof that passive smoking kills, hence the change to their scare tactics, apparently it does cause discomfort and can trigger asthma attacks.   I see the argument from both sides as I gave up smoking 2 and half years ago.   Smoking isn't a right, it's just something some folk do.    Banning smoking in pubs, and some other public enclosed spaces, was such a bad idea, now the entrance to these stinks absolutely disgusting. Just walking past makes me feel  and just makes smokers feel like second class citizens.                                                                                                                                                                                    

Yeah I got the fact that it's cos kids travel in cars...so should the ban ONLY apply to parents then? Of course not, it will be a blanket ban!   We could of course tackle the obesity in children issue at the same time by banning all kids from cars? Especially all the chelsea tractors that make a five minute drive to the school gates every day!   And Kwak... I have to disagree, smoking is MY right, the same way that riding my bike is MY right, my right to choose, and slowly, all of my rights to make my own choices are being eroded!                                                                                                                                                                              

As an ex smoker who started again and then stopped again cos it makes me ill, I can see both sides.   Everyone should be able to smoke in their car/home/caravan whatever, if they want, but....PLEASE do they have to smoke with children in the car? think about it, its such a small confined space and opening the windows doesn't always clear it. It really isn't fair as they have no choice in the matter.  I used to enjoy smoking and still miss it now and again, but I got Brohchial Pneumonia and consequently Asthma. I didn't think it was too much of a problem, till i started smoking again last summer and had a very bad asthma attack.. Reality check!!  scared the hell outta me.   Being around other smokers doesn't bother me as its my choice to do so, I just think children ..and to a certain extent, other passengers have no choice and its not fair.   There  ya go.. mi 2 penneth for today                                                                                                                                                                                 

Totally agree Karey...which is why I don't smoke in the house or the car/van x                                                                                                                                                                             

and slowly, all of my rights to make my own choices are being eroded!   Oh yeah... and what rights are you on about Cissy....???? If you are a hard working good citizen you dont have any... you dont even have the right to defend yourself these days... You're not supposed to think for yourself, you should just stay in line and do exactly what you're told.. The whole smoking thing is just the very small tip of a very large iceberg.... We are heading for a new world order and if you think you can see some light at the end of the tunnel dont jump for joy... cuz it's probably a train coming the other way...   Altho there has never been any scientific proof that passive smoking kills   Kwak as far as I am aware you are correct with that statement                                                                                                                                                                                 

Smoking should be illegal full-stop for as long as all other addictive drugs are illegal.  Smoking is a filthy, dangerous habbit and causes severe addiction (not to mention the harm and discomfort to those around smokers).

It should at least be banned from all public television and wherever children can see it (thinking it's "cool").

Cissy... is it your right to smoke crack cocaine or inject heroine?  Whats the difference between that at smoking?  Where do you draw the line?  Is it your right to smoke weed?  Again a grey area.  In my opinion - it's your CHOICE to do what you want to do, but don't make people around you suffer, especially kids.

It is however my RIGHT to clean air wherever I go in public places.  It's my children's right to be free from advertising of cigarettes and influence of celebrities smoking (and doing drugs like Pete Doherty).

Here in Holland you can buy cigarettes everywhere, even in a bakery or butchers.  Kids as young as 11 and 12 are casually smoking in the cities and it's just accepted as the "norm".... that's because it's legal.  If it was illegal, people would still smoke but they'd do it somewhere out of sight and less kids would have access to the addictive crap.

I wouldn't be surprised about all of you who say it's your right to smoke cigarettes also say that a crack addict has the right to smoke crack.  Absolutely not.  We have a duty as society to protect each other, hence crack is illegal.  Cigarettes are only legal because tobacco has been smoked for bazillions of years and it's impossible to change it's status now - yet smoking is far more dangerous that most of the illegal drugs.  Alcohol is the same, people have been drinking it for too long.  Newer drugs like heroine, ecstasy, cocaine, LSD etc is all illegal because it's new and science was around when it was developed to prove that them substances are dangerous.  If we knew hundreds of years ago about the dangerous of tobacco, and we had today's governments, it absolutely would not be legal.

And SMOKING DOESN'T HAVE TO KILL THOSE AROUND YOU TO BE DISCOMFORTING!  Why do you have to use DEATH as the argument?  I don't wanna be in a car with smokers, or a pub or nightclub, cos it makes my eyes burn and my clothes/skin stink!  Whether it kills me or not, I have a right to clean, fresh air!

If your local sewers burst and you had the stench of s*&t in your neighbourhood day and night... is it your right to have that smell taken away?  It might not be doing you harm, but it's not pleasent is it?

I grew up with parents and grandparents smoking all around me and in cars, making me feel sick all the time.  I'll never smoke and I'll always press for it to be banned.

"If we knew hundreds of years ago about the dangerous of tobacco, and we had today's governments, it absolutely would not be legal."   True, but if we'd always had todays govt, we wouldn't be allowed out on our own either.   If folk want to kill themselves (and pay billions in taxes that I'd otherwise be paying ) fine, provided it doesn't impinge on anyone else.                                                                                                                                                                             

But Rob, it does impinge on everyone around!   And I've just found some surprising stats about deaths per 1,000 users, quite shocking really...   Drug Users Deaths Per Year Deaths Per 100k Users Tobacco 60 million 390,000 650 alcohol 100 million 150,000 150 Heroin 500,000 400 80 Cocaine 5 million 200 4   In fact, asprin kills more people than marijuana and caffeine kills more people than cocaine!   The following is a list of deaths by substance and the legal status...Tobacco . . . . . . . . . . . . 360,000             [legal]Alcohol . . . . . . . . . . . . 130,000              [legal]Prescribed drugs  . . . . . . .  18,675         [legal]Caffeine  . . . . . . . . . . .   5,800                [legal]Cocaine . . . . . . . . . . . .   2,390               [illegal]Heroin  . . . . . . . . . . . .   2,147                [illegal]Aspirin . . . . . . . . . . . .     986                  [legal]Marijuana . . . . . . . . . . .       0                 [illegal] Ecstasy . . . . . . . . . . .         0                   [illegal]                                                                                                                                                                             

True, but if we'd always had todays govt, we wouldn't be allowed out on our own either.   If folk want to kill themselves (and pay billions in taxes that I'd otherwise be paying ) fine, provided it doesn't impinge on anyone else. Have to agree Rob...  It wont be long before we are all so controlled there will be no freedom of choice whatsoever. We will be all "model citizen clones" ..... going through the motion of life untill the day we die... and whats the fun in that.... might as well chuck the towel in now and be done with it.... Think of something.... anything.... and somewhere someone would like to see it banned.... classic case, Speedway (my favourite sport) It's having such a hard time at themoment because " the bikes are noisy" so there have been calls to ban it in some areas... So why not just ban everything and be done with it... we can all just go to work, pay our taxes, go home, go to bed, get up the next day and do it all again..... And while we are at it... lets ban chocholate and sweets too... they are so bad for your health.... Thats me done on this subject I think....                                                                                                                                                                                 

Interesting article and video, though mainly focusing on alcohol and ecstasy...   bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/programmes/horizon/broadband/tx/drugs/ bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/programmes/horizon/broadband/tx/drugs/watch/                                                                                                                                                                             

chocolates and sweets aren't bad for you - but obesity is (and kills more than smoking and drinking put together!).   Also, chocolate doesn't harm those around you.    Alcohol should also be more controlled in my opinion, and anyone who is shown to turn violent after drinking should be banned from drinking for life.  It shouldn't be allowed to get so drunk that you smash up cars, set bins on fire, fight with everyone you see etc.   I was invited for dinner with a friend's family here in Holland last year.  When I got there I was disgusted to find 6 people smoking the heaviest roll-ups in a small room at the same time, with no windows or doors open, and 2 new-born babies in the same room.  Do them babies make a choice to be sat suffering in that room?  They were literally a few weeks old and the meal was to celebrate their births!!!                                                                                                                                                                             

A less technical answer from me ... Since they got rid of smoking in busy bars / clubs .. All you can smell is smelly armpits lol I prefer the smell of smoke to be honest                                                                                                                                                                              

One final thing I should have added..... I said Think of something.... anything.... and somewhere someone would like to see it banned   Already we are seeing a call to ban (or should I say limit) mororcycles so that we cant have one above 100 bhp.. I know people who would like to see bikes banned altogether because they are dangerous... we dont need bikes.. cars are much safer.. There are people who have been affected by a serious incident involving a bike (directly or indirectly) who would love to see them banned and like you Matt, they too can pull up shocking statistics to back them up... Does that mean that they are right....? Perhaps if you could have your way and ban smoking full stop then it is only fair that they should have thier way too and ban motorcycles... As bike users we accept the risk.. thats our choice... Shouldn't smokers and drinkers have that choice too...??   But I agree on your point reference the babies.... that was totally out of order.....                                                                                                                                                                                   

I think the 'drug' that affects us most is alcohol. A huge proportion of the work the police/ambulance services clear up is down to folk drinking more than they can handle.   Quite how you persuade folk to show restraint, rather than controlling them, I do not know.                                                                                                                                                                             

Good point Rob.  We all like a beer now and then, but some people can't control themselves.  I think a yellow-card system might be in order.  You get one warning (by any emergency service, either hospital or police officer, etc) and then if you're found drunk or fighting again you get a 5 year drinking ban.  From that point the police can check you for alcohol even without you causing trouble.  If found to have been drinking you face a set fine of 1,000 quid, non-variable.   Of course there's a few T's that need crossing and I's that need dotting on my idea. lol