Westminster smoking ban petition: Forest appeal; Greek amendment

Over to Simon Clark for this. The petition (currently featured in the side bar of this blog) urges an amendment that would allow licensees to supply separate rooms for smoking in. Not ideal by any means (the implicit admission of secondary smoke as a recognised health hazard doesn't help matters) but even this proposal would knock more holes in the official dogma claiming that bans are really very unpopular with large sections of the population.

The Greek government knows this. They have decided to allow smoking in large clubs and casinos, but only if licensees pay tax of 200 euros per square metre of premises set aside for smoking. The minimum allowable size is 300 square metres, and smoking can occupy up to half. So venues can be expected to pay at least 30,000 euros. That's clearly meant to discourage, but it remains to be seen how it will work in practice since the smoking ban in Greece seems so badly enforced anyway.

Chef's petition

I've added the link to this petition to the side bar of the blog. It's a Westminster petition, but it's clear from the blog stats that the blog gets visits from south of the border (indeed from all over the world). Please sign, share and encourage others to do likewise.

I'm not sold on smoking rooms as a strategy, but if there is opposition to the smoking ban and Forest puts its weight behind a petition, I am happy to add my voice.

If it's good enough for Joe Jackson ...