Thursday 23 December 2010

And in by the back door ...

I'm travelling soon so many preparations to make but here in the meantime (reported from Malta) is a story of how smoking rooms are returning. (For some.)
Even as Spain prepares to ring in the New Year with a smoking ban in bars, renegade nightspots in Paris and Berlin are bucking the European trend, opening designer smoking rooms, complete with pianos, pool tables and cigar lockers.
Enjoy.

7 comments:

The witch from Essex said...

Our Government have made the ban so watertight that even a private members smoking room would be illegal.
It's a pity that they didn't make some of their other Laws so specific. There have been many nasty offences that have escaped prosecution due to a 'loophole'.
With the spiteful smoking ban they must have gone through the Act with such diligence that there is not a loohole to be used.

Ivan D said...

The Witch is correct but would the authorities have the stomach for a fight? Ignoring autocrats like Kevin Barron who represent a tiny, mendacious minority, how many of our elected representatives would you think would be happy to be associated with the most repressive, unjustifiable and spiteful anti-tobacco legislation in Europe if faced with any form of sustained challenge? They have demonstrated their spinelessness by allowing policy to be dictated by a strident minority unencumbered by anything approaching qualifications, sound evidence or truth, a minority supported by members of the house who are demonstrable liars. Do you really believe that such a gutless rabble is up for a fight?

Anonymous said...

There are hundreds of pubs in Edinburgh where, if your face is known, the doors are locked after 10PM and the ashtrays appear.

Anonymous said...

There are loopholes. You can smoke while carrying out genuine research. Given the ridiculous claims about the smoke concentration in ventillated bars, we are in dire need of some.
Further to what Ivan says. Were groups of smokers to organise premises for smoking clubs and a large number of people to pay, say £50 each into a fines fund, the law would be changed within weeks. The problem is, who would organise it? I wouldn't risk my job.

Anonymous said...

correction: ventilated.

JJ said...

A very merry Christmas Belinda and a prosperous New Year.

anti snore said...

Given the ridiculous claims about the smoke concentration in ventillated bars, we are in dire need of some.Our Government have made the ban so watertight that even a private members smoking room would be illegal.