Layton on Anything

Fight The Ban

Rob Layton

If you want real news about the smoking ban it takes ages to find anything from an anti ban viewpoint but it is out there..
The good news for libertarians is that there is a growing discontent about this ban even from the anti smoking fraternity..

It seems that this ban is hitting everybody very hard indeed..
Take a look at some of the things I found on the net.
First take a look at what ordinary people think of this ban..

Read This
Its still not to late to have your say on that site give it a go I am..

What do Landlords think
Read This
Its not the wonderful possitive messages for the anti smokers is it ?

Like everything that dictatorships try to force upon you they must first win hearts and minds of the people they are trying to influence, but they have forgooten the old addage..'You can lead a horse to water, but you cant make it drink'
By making bad law it makes new problems that they didnt think about.

Read This

Make money from the smoking ban
Read this

Yes, it has brought up problems that the anti smoking fraternity hadnt thought about and that is just the tip of the iceberg.

Smoking bans in pubs, inns, bars and hotels.
"Banning smoking is proven to increase profits in the hospitality business!"
........ But do they really increase profits?
The following reports are from Ireland following the nationwide smoking
bans in pubs, inns, hotels and public places.
See link further down the page for International stories regarding smoking

bans overseas.

Rural pubs in Ireland shutting down.
RURAL pubs and Inns are closing at a rate of more than one a day as drinkers move their custom to urban bars and off licences, new figures show. Almost 440 fewer pub licences were registered or renewed last year compared to 2005, according to the figures compiled by the Revenue Commissioners. This is the steepest decline ever recorded in the hospitality business.
Resource, Irish Times (23 February 2007)

Sobering times for Ireland's rural pubs and Inns.
AT last count, rural Ireland had lost 800 pub licenses in recent years out of about 10,000 pubs nationwide, although figures vary depending on which licensing categories are counted. Among other problems the pub owners have had to contend with is a smoking ban in workplaces introduced in 2004. The air quality in pubs improved and the atmosphere changed, spurring the pubs to serve cappuccino in the morning and better food. But banishing smokers to small huddles outdoors pushed some from the pubs altogether.
Resource, International Herald Tribune (12 February 2007)

Guinness sales down.
GUINNESS owners, Diageo has revealed that volume sales have fallen by eight per cent in the year ended in June. It said that the Irish hospitality trade had suffered a downturn in customer numbers since the smoking ban in pubs was enforced a few years ago.
Resource, Irish World News (6 September 2006)

Smoking ban hits sale of beer.
IRISH pub goers have drunk 23m fewer pints since the smoking ban was
introduced at the end of March, according to new figures. There were 39m pints of beer sold in pubs from the beginning of April to the end of September, compared with 362m during the same period last year. The fall of 23m represents a 6% decrease, according to the survey by the Irish Brewers'

Association (IBA).
Publicans say the breweries are only now understanding what the hospitality trade had been saying months ago. "We said this from day one although the breweries did contradict us at that stage," said Seamus O'Donoghue, the president of the Vintners' Federation of Ireland. "The smoking ban is a significant player in this because it accelerated a downturn which began last Christmas. At our last meeting trade was down 30% in 'landlocked' pubs, that is those that had no room to put facilities outside for smokers."
O'Donoghue's own bar in Portlaoise is one such premises. "I would have an older age group coming into my pub and they are not coming out until later at night and they are not staying as long when they do. Whereas they wouldn't mind going out the back to smoke during the summer they are not as inclined to go out at this time of year. I have taken 20% to 25% of a hit in turnover."
Resource, Sunday Times (31 October 2004)

Cafe where smoking ban was launched to close.
THE Dublin cafe where the Minister for Health launched the Irish smoking ban is to close by the end of the year. The owners of the famous Bewley's cafes at Grafton Street and Westmorland Street blame major increases in rent, rates and insurance. They say the cafes have also been hit by increasing competition, changes in dietary habits, difficult trading conditions in Dublin city centre and, most importantly, the smoking ban.
Bewley's began a coffee and tea importation business in the early 1800s and opened its first Oriental Cafe at Georges Street 110 years ago. The closure will mean redundancy for 234 staff.

LVA: 2,000 jobs lost.
THE Licensed Vintners Association has claimed the workplace smoking ban has led directly to the loss of 2,000 jobs in Dublin. The association, which represents publicans in Dublin, said pub sales were down by 16% since the ban was introduced on March 29. Donall O'Keefe, the chief executive of the LVA, said he did not accept suggestions that other factors, such as pricing, could have led to the drop in business.
Resource, Ireland Online (9 July 2004)

Pre Scottish smoking ban report.
We're all going on a summer holiday ...
IRISH SMOKERS are seeking refuge overseas and heading abroad, taking
weekend trips to countries where they can light up in peace. According to British tourism advertisement officials, the introduction of a ban on smoking in public in Ireland has triggered a boom in foreign holidays designed around the nicotine habit, with Scotland a favoured destination.
"When people go on holiday they want to drink, eat and in some cases, smoke cigarettes," said Barry Walsh of Joe Walsh Tours, one of the largest travel agents in the country. "Irish people are seeking holidays in hotels that allow them to do that. This will be a bumper year for travel agents."
Since March, when the ban was introduced, 10,000 more people have flown
from Dublin to Prestwick and Edinburgh airports than in the same period last year. The Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA) said publicans were already seeing a rise in the number of Irish visitors.
Paul Waterstone of the SLTA said: "There is no doubt more people are coming from Ireland to Scotland because of the ban. We give smokers a choice."
Resource, Sunday Times Ireland (27 June 2004)

Don't make the same mistake ...
A LETTER in the Glasgow Herald paints an interesting picture of Ireland
following the smoking ban. According to Des Johnston of Ballsbridge, Dublin, "The smoking ban has been in force now for some three months and, as exercises in social engineering go, this one has been an unmitigated disaster ...
"With a decrease in on-sales of 20%, publicans are becoming more inventive as they become more desperate, one pub in leafy Terenure (read Newton Mearns) now has what can only be described as a marquee with two walls missing appended to its entrance, while another in Ballsbridge (read Morningside) has a smoking area in the (open) cellar. Neither of these is technically illegal because neither is a fully enclosed area. All pubs have an ashtray outside where the usual suspects enjoy their evening, al fresco.
"Scotland should learn from these mistakes but will only do so if politicians accept that they cannot simply legislate to change people's behaviour, ban smoking inside pubs and customers will drink at home. I would suggest that there is a middle way in this case, ban smoking in pubs where non smokers have no choice but to breathe second hand smoke but allow for smoking rooms where facilities allow, our classic 'bar and lounge' pubs being the ideal vehicle."
He concludes: "I write this not as an apologist for the tobacco industry but as resident of Dublin who has seen an ideologically driven policy enacted to the detriment of both the city and people. Do not let this happen in Scotland."
Resource, The Herald (25 June 2004)

Having a Wales of a time.
IRISH smokers are said to be crossing the sea to Wales so they can enjoy a drink and a smoke inside the pub. Welsh landlords are reporting a larger than usual number of Irish visitors "because they were fed up with the smoking ban introduced in Ireland on March 29".
According to Holyhead publican Wendy Williams, "They said it's nice to sit down and have a smoke and a drink and not have to go outside for a smoke." Julie Shankland of the Alma Inn in Pembroke Dock said, "They said it's a bit ridiculous if you want to have a smoke with a pint and you have to go outside."
Resource, Cardiff Western Mail (20 April 2004)

Irish Hotel and Pub Rebels.

Waterford pubs to challenge smoking ban.
SEVENTEEN Waterford publicans are to be backed by Europe's leading
constitutional lawyers to mount a constitutional challenge to a blanket
smoking ban in the workplace. A group calling themselves European Smokers Against Discrimination is to lodge documentation in the High Court, within the next two weeks.
In order to fund their campaign, ESAD have designed lighters which are
advertised and available in all of the participating bars at a cost of Euro 1.70
Proceeds from the sale of lighters will go towards legal fees for a top
constitutional barrister in Dublin, who has given his full support to the challenge and is confident the group have a case.
By way of compromise they are proposing that a designated area of the bar is reserved for smokers and that proper ventilation is installed in each bar. They would also be willing to comply, in full, with the recommendations and on the spot checks from a health inspector.
Meanwhile, Smokers Against Discrimination or SAD Ireland, based in Waterford, have also taken up the battle, but smoking is not the main issue for them. They believe that freedom of choice should not be compromised in a democratic country.
Resource, Waterford News and Star (16 July 2004)

Rebel pubs and hotels flout the law.
SIX MONTHS into the Irish smoking ban, the Daily Telegraph reports that as trade in rural pubs plunges many are flouting the law. "In a town in Co Kerry at least half a dozen pubs are operating secret smoking rooms. In one traditional bar packed with locals and several tourists, people who asked where they could go for a cigarette were shown to a back room. Pints of Guinness sat on a wooden table and the room was filled with laughter and clouds of smoke ..."
Resource, Daily Telegraph (9 October 2004)

Not content with controlling your life at work and leisure, the nfamous anti smoking group Ash.org are now calling for total smoking ban in private cars.

Yes, that will include your own, private car too.
The anti smoking busybodies, Ash Ireland, have called for a smoking ban in all private cars. While workplace smoking legislation banned lighting up in public vehicles such as taxis, it did not promote or restrict smoking in private vehicles, these pathetic do-gooders would like to change this.
Resource, Irish Times (21 February 2007)

It doesnt make for the possitive view of the anti smoking ban that they want us to see does it ?
It has made allies for the Tobacco Industry, and alienated the non smokers who once supported sensible views on helping people to quit the habbit.
Many non smokers are chosing to side with smokers in the fight for freedom in the countries that the bans have been foisted on us by nasty little beurocrats.

One brave mans fight is that of a Blackpool Publican who is prepared to go to jail in his fight for
smokers..he himself is a non smoker..

Read This
Yes, Hamish sees this as a hate crime and he is correct in my opinion.

What can you do ?
Only extremist views are being heard at the moment, make your views heard in shops on buses, restaraunts and pubs, anywhere you can be heard, talk out loud and calmly to a friend that you have with you.
Write to your MP, it only has to be a few lines

Dear MP
I wish to say that I am against the smoking ban if you support it you can forget my vote.
Yours Truly

They will get the message

Dont just sit back and expect everyone to fight for YOU thats what they want you to do..
This ban just wont go away it will take YOU to help fight this intollerance, this time its up to YOU.
Print and give out leaflets to people on smoke breaks, stood or sat outside pubs, get petitions going in your area before its to late..
Start internet petitions there are petition sites out there.

Rob Layton

Waste and Smokers rights.

Rob Layton.

Although there seems to be a conspiracy of silence about the effects of the smoking ban, every now and again snippets of news come through about the real devastaion the smoking ban has caused.

I have started counting the number of cars in pub car parks when I am going on long journeys, I know its completely unscientific but a small indication of the amount of patronage there is now, compared to before the ban.
By my calculations I would say that the pubs are on their knees, another once great British institution has been toppled because of some big mouthed, do gooding treehugger with a power complex..

The effects of the ban are not being made known to the public, even Utube has been taken over by anti smoking zelots on this issue, isnt it about time you had your say ?
Did anyone ask you what you thought about a smoking ban ?

The smoking ban will not only effect pubs, soon we will see the effects on the hotel and liesure industy across the board, jobs will certainly go as winter approaches and people start staying at home for the warmth and comfort of their own homes..

Already punters are starting to ask why they have to pay the same amount for their drinks as the elite non smoking stuffshirts inside the pub.

This smoking apartheid is an afront to British fairmindedness.
OK its a smoking ban and you accept it, if you take it lying down whats next ?
Maybe you will expect support when the little vice that you have is banned.
It will happen make no mistake, nothing is sacred to this shower of Nannies.

Why dont the Government take the obvious and most sensible way out of all this and allow smoking and non smoking pubs clubs etc.
That would probably be to much for their one track minds to work out for them wouldnt it ?

They had better heed the signs that people are heartily sick and tired of the nasty, petty little restrictions that make our lives a missery, and elevate some maggot brained uncaring individuals to the the status of overlords such as we see at our local refuse collection points.
These nasty little morons,on never having been made milk monitor take a delight on going through your rubbish when you try to deposit it into the skip.
On several occasions I have have heard these robots bark at people and been barked at for putting my own rubbish into a skip.
A few smelly nappies will take care of that I think..

One winters evening some councillor may see a liitle fat man with a bag over his shoulder making his way towards his house, this wont be Father Christmas it will be me depositing waste that I cant get rid of onto his front lawn..

It would be interesting to hear the truth about the state of pubs and refuse collection in your area.
If you have time write a few lines in the comments lets hear how it really is

Rob Layton.