Scenario 2

There is no smoking ban. The vast majority of non smokers take to the streets, demanding that the government implement a smoking ban in pubs and clubs. Under mass pressure, the government decides to offer the following options :


1. Some pubs and clubs become smoke free, others continue as they are

2. All pubs and clubs must provide a non smoking area

3. All pubs and clubs over a certain size must provide a non smoking area

4. All pubs and clubs must be smoke free, however they may provide an indoor smoking area

5. All pubs and clubs over a certain size must be smoke free, however they may provide an indoor smoking area

6. All pubs and clubs remain as they are but they must implement extensive ventilation

7. Any possible combination or variation of any of the above


A full blanket smoking ban is not given as an option.


What should be the decision?

A place cannot be called smoke-free if it provides a smoking area (just pointing out an obvious fact). The smoke travels, so please do not say smoke-free if there is a smoking area allowed indoors.

Before the ban I'd like to have seen enough places being totally smoke-free so that I was not so desperate for the ban to come in, so I think my answer would be closest to number 1, if I had to make a choice. I am confused as to how it would be decided which places were to be smoke-free and which were not, as some would complain that they lost business (actually this would work both ways because in some areas it would be the smoking places that lost business to the smoke-free places, I am sure of this).

If some were smoke-free, it would have to be a meaningful proportion to reflect the numbers of non-smokers so at least 2/3 would have to be smoke-free for me to have been satisfied, 1/2 would not in my opinion have been enough.

Lilachamster :

- If there was a system whereby say 1/4 of all pubs and clubs were smoke free, and the majority of pubgoers were happy with this arrangement, would you be ok with that?

- Do you object to a pub having a mix of smoking and non smoking areas (I ask this as you have chosen option 1 as opposed to one of the others)