North Essex: Campaigners challenge ban on smoking (From Gazette)

As a former resident of Colchester which I fondly remember as a vibrant friendly town with a diverse range of entertainment venues I am glad to finally see an initiatve to tackle this travesty of legislation.

The pubs have been the centre of social activity since before Christ and was one of the benefits the Romans brought with them to England so it is fitting the begin in the Colchester area.

It is a sad reflection on society that under 100 people in a charity who unelected have been allowed to dictate an unjust law that is destroying the fabric of our society and the lives of over 100, 000 people not including spouses and children.

The numbers involved must be very close to Martin Dockrell's 450,000! Of course we are accutely aware that Mr Dockerell's job depends on this happening and no doubt has this in mind but what a price for keeping him employed, I note he does not comment on the 64% increase in momey spent on smoking cessation for a return of a 32% drop in the numbers of quitters and the rise in smoking prevelance, or more potential customers for our ailing pubs!

It is Ironic that that pub closures were in single figures before the the smoking ban and have now risen to 36 a week since, and that pubs have weathered both depressions and the low priced supermarket alcohol for years and yet now cannot manage!

So follow the spirit of Boudicea, fight this tyranny give us back our pubs, our clubs, our society, and our freedom.

I would like to ask why these papers always ask ASH for their opinion and NEVER a freedom of choice organisation for theirs? There are plenty out there who can give an unbiased, balanced view with the real facts and figures and answer the questions on the health issues with true facts, not the ones that agree with ASH's policy of eradication of smokers. Please be aware Gazette, you can always contact Freedom2choose, or TICAP or even Forest - that would be real balanced reporting.

Like it or not, this is a real problem for our pubs, clubs, restaurants, cafes and their employees - sensible smoking and non smoking establishments are the answer - but that takes comprimise and ASH, the government and big pharma funded stooge, doesn't understand that word!

Surely a compromise can be found here. The ban has caused devastation in the hospitality industry, thousands of job losses and no marked increase in people stopping smoking despite Martin Dockrell,s claim that 450.000 have stopped. The money getting wasted on this initative would be far better spent in our hospitals. There needs to be a choice for people and i,m sure a lot of non smokers would welcolm a return to the busy thriving pubs.

I have just returned from a conference in Brussels that brought together people from all over the world who were there to protest that the smoking ban is harming many people and affecting businesses. My friends were accused of being backed by the tobacco industry and were thrown out of the EEC building !! We actually consisted of individuals that personally paid our own expenses and were in no way connected to any large organisation.
Martin Dockrell from ASH (Paid out of taxpayers money) is lying when he states that the people of the world overwhelmingly support the smoking ban.
We were at the conference to fight for the right to be able to go into our local pubs and not have to stand outside to have a cigarette. We want the freedom to choose. A freedom where a landlord can decide if they want a smoking or non smoking establishment or have adequate ventilation to be able to satisfy both sides of the debate.
We are being lied to regards the damage of so called 'second hand smoke' and the figures of the public's 'opinions' are totally fabricated.
Have our group of individuals been given any publicity ? No, is the simple answer. The 'powers that be' would like us all to think that the people of this country are quite happy with this spiteful ban that isolates our communities, pits smoker against non-smoker and is crippling the hospitality industries.
We have not had many protests from the publicans (apart from the few that have lost their livelihoods in fighting this ban) The publicans were told that there would be hords of non-smokers going to the pubs once the 'filthy' smoker was eliminated from the inside area of the pubs. The publicans thought that the smoker would be quite happy to stand out in all weathers to smoke, and still buy their drinks.
On both counts the publicans were wrong.
It's now about time the publicans made their voice heard.
They can't leave it too long though, as the smokers just may decide that they prefer to stay at home as they have done since July 1st 2007
I have just returned from a conference in Brussels that brought together people from all over the world who were there to protest that the smoking ban is harming many people and affecting businesses. My friends were accused of being backed by the tobacco industry and were thrown out of the EEC building !! We actually consisted of individuals that personally paid our own expenses and were in no way connected to any large organisation. Martin Dockrell from ASH (Paid out of taxpayers money) is lying when he states that the people of the world overwhelmingly support the smoking ban. We were at the conference to fight for the right to be able to go into our local pubs and not have to stand outside to have a cigarette. We want the freedom to choose. A freedom where a landlord can decide if they want a smoking or non smoking establishment or have adequate ventilation to be able to satisfy both sides of the debate. We are being lied to regards the damage of so called 'second hand smoke' and the figures of the public's 'opinions' are totally fabricated. Have our group of individuals been given any publicity ? No, is the simple answer. The 'powers that be' would like us all to think that the people of this country are quite happy with this spiteful ban that isolates our communities, pits smoker against non-smoker and is crippling the hospitality industries. We have not had many protests from the publicans (apart from the few that have lost their livelihoods in fighting this ban) The publicans were told that there would be hords of non-smokers going to the pubs once the 'filthy' smoker was eliminated from the inside area of the pubs. The publicans thought that the smoker would be quite happy to stand out in all weathers to smoke, and still buy their drinks. On both counts the publicans were wrong. It's now about time the publicans made their voice heard. They can't leave it too long though, as the smokers just may decide that they prefer to stay at home as they have done since July 1st 2007

Typical of anything that comes out of Westminster, the smoking ban just has no middle ground and seems to have been very badly thought out. Nearly everyone down my local smokes but everyone has to crowd on a narrow path outside if they want to have cigarette. Up the road is a posher pub that easily copes with the smoking ban. Why not allow some pubs to be smoking ones? Or at least have seperate rooms where the staff aren't allowed, like in Holland.

Then let the people make a choice.

Now the government want to ban under 15s from drinking anywhere, including at home. What a bunch of t****rs. As if times aren't bad enough, we could do without the government taking away the last pleasures we have.

It is time for those responsible for this outrageous ban to admit that they're wrong and to amend it at once.
It's a complete shambles, and is causing so much misery to many people.

Air purification systems
Seperate smoking rooms,
The freedom to be a smoking establishment or not.

These are common sense solutions to this draconian, heavy handed legislation. This ban has to be ammended, and sooner rather than later. For some it's just too late, but for others it will be a very welcome lifeline and will save businesses and jobs.

Bring it on!

I refer to paragraph in this Gazette article above:
"Martin Dockrell, director of policy and research at Ash, which campaigns to eliminate the harm caused by tobacco, who said people “overwhelmingly” supported the smoking ban."

I am still a smoker (despite the ban) and I do not support the UK blanket smoking ban. I actually smoke more now than I did before the ban. The UK ban has had the opposite psychological effect on myself and many smokers that I know.

Democractic society - then democratic policies. Bring in separate smoking and non-smoking establishments that are clearly marked. Give us a freedom of choice, which is our human right. We are adults and can make our own choices!

Gazette posted article today on this site titled "Britain 'braced for the big freeze' ". Is it ethical to expect smokers to stand outside pubs/clubs/bingo halls etc. in this type of weather?
I think not!

In the past 20 years we have lost over 20 pubs in Colchester. Nothing whatsoever to do with the smoking ban. The current situation with pubs is a sign of the times and the smoking ban is just another symptom of today's 'Nanny State' and the changing way of life that we are experiencing. Sadly, bars have taken over from pubs and binge drinking is the result. I can name the follwing lost pubs in 20 years. Have I missed any?
1988 Waterside
1991 Six Bells
1992 Centurion
1993 Vito's
1994 Royal Standard
1995 Buck's Horns
Traveller's Friend at Mile End
Rising Sun at the Hythe
1996 Brights/Star at Lexden
1997 Royal Oak
1998 Churchills
2001 Millennium/Pico
lo Padre
Flying Fox
2003 Market Tavern
Cups
2004 Globe Hotel
Bugle Horn
Salisbury Hotel
Old King Cole
Grosvenor
2008 Robin Hood
Sun at Lexden

Why would I want to go to a pub and buy a drink, then place it on the bar to go outside for a cigarette ?
My local here in Essex has no drinking outside in the street and you can't smoke in the pub !!!
Should I wait until I have downed my drink before I go out into the street ? Would my drink be tampered with if I left it in the bar ? Will I freeze to death outside ?
I really can't be bothered. I have stayed at home since July 1st 2007 and will continue to do so until the ban is amended. Nobody around here goes out to the pubs any more. Even the non-smokers don't want to visit empty miserable pubs.