General Chat

What hypocrites the govt is! Do all the non smokers realise that if EVERYONE gave up smoking, the income tax rate or something else would go sky high!! Where else would the govt get the billions of £s they make from the tax on smokers. Why do you think they make so much fuss over people buying cigs & tobacco o/seas. I do not recall tobacco having been made an illegal substance! yet smokers are now to be treated as criminals At least a person smoking will not get in a car and kill someone, but a person who has been drinking can, why is there no fuss made about booze! which does far more harm

I find myself in a cleft stick here,on one hand i think this is money wasted as many others do,but on the other hand ,both myself suffeering with copd and the wife suffering with advanced emysema through no fault of her own,but by working with chemicals for years in a hospital looking after patients wards and operating theatres.she can not go into a resteraunt ,or pub to enjoy a drink ,or meal because of smoke which brings on an attack leaving her ill for hours. Why can not smokers be a little more considerate and configne their habit to outdoors ,giving ill people a bit more scope to enjoy THEIR selves once in a while. Before anyone starts on me ,yes i was a smoker for years but had the thought and decency to not smoke in a resteraunt or pub ,to leave the air clean for others to enjoy their meal in peace.Fred,[off the soap ,box]

Ridiculous!!

What training do they need? How to sit around in bars & restaurants, how to tell if someone is smoking. What a farce, I hope they don't get paid very much for sitting round drinking all day then filling a form in when they catch someone. Is this what we pay our taxes for? Jackie

Thousands of council staff are being trained to police the smoking ban in bars, restaurants and shops in England. Ministers have given councils £29.5m to pay for staff, who will be able to give on-the-spot £50 fines to individuals and take court action against premises. They will have the power to enter premises undercover, allowing them to sit among drinkers, and will even be able to photograph and film people. Smokers' groups and industry officials said the plans were a 'waste of money'. The smoking ban is due to come into force on 1 July. It covers virtually all enclosed public places including offices, factories, pubs and bars. But neither outdoor space nor private homes will be affected. The idea of getting public officials to snoop on people is distasteful and disproportionate Simon Clark, Forest Business owners also have a duty to ensure their customers comply - they are liable for £200 fines if proper signs are not displayed and, potentially, fines of £2,500 if they refuse to enforce the ban. Local authorities have been given the power to enforce the ban so it does not consume police time. A government-funded course is expected to train 1,200 council officers in the next few months with more expected to follow later. Councils will use these fully-trained officers to brief other staff on how to enforce the law as many towns and cities will have scores of officers patrolling public places.

Would you shop a smoker?? I dont smoke but I think this is Just stupidity,I can think of far better things to spend our money on,the health service for one! What do you think?

I agree Jacky,but to train people for the job:-) its a jokelol

I'm not sure about employing people to do this job as I would have thought it should be up to the proprietor of any bar, restaurant or cafe to enforce the new laws. As someone who gets affected by people's smoke, I welcome the ban and would like to see it enforced in some way but more effeciently than the mobile phone/ driving law! Jacky :-)