March 26, 2006

No Smoking Day has arrived


As of 6am this morning, smoking in work and public places in Scotland is no longer permitted! We'll see how well it works, and while some pubs complain that they will lose customers, there is a large group of people out there who will begin to go out more now, myself included. One of the anomalies with the ban is that company vans and lorries are included as work places, so in theory, any lorry drivers smoking on their way up from England will have to stop smoking at the border! Also, all cross-border train services must be non-smoking throughout the entire journey if the final destination of the train is in Scotland! So, even if you're travelling from London to York, if the train is heading for Edinburgh, you won't find a smoking carriage on the train!

16 comments:

Andreea said...

that is so interesting. then again assumingly pubs could / can stay open longer...visiting london, we still had to leave at 11pm, as they were closing!

Christine McIntosh said...

Three cheers for the smoking ban - and I lookf forward to a nice lunch in Leith tomorrow without having to glare at any puffers at the next table!

Nicola said...

I wonder how long it will take until we have it here in Germany as well. How much is the penalty if you get caught smoking?

G Fraser said...

I think it's a £50 on the spot fine for you for a first offence and £200 rising to £2000 for the owner of the premises. The chances are you'll also be barred from the pub and maybe others too. According to the local paper, 18 bars in Leith (part of Edinburgh) have clubbed together to have a barred-list of people caught smoking in any of the pubs in the area.

BondBloke said...

let's hoope it works OK i think that any publican caught allowing smoking more than once should lose his/her licence - let's just call it an incentive scheme...

Anonymous said...

I find the clock in your blog interesting
the non-virtual reality of time.
It made me think that although time appears to us to be increasing yet the reality for us is that time is decreasing.

Edwin Sumun said...

The government in Malaysia tried a Stop Smoking campaign last year. After 6 months, they pulled the campaign. No reasons were given but I think the pressure from the cigarette was too much to bear.The rumour is the Ministry of Health is planning something.

KL Daily

Denton said...

The leaflet and the law makes everything clear.

Kris said...

very serious campaigne..even the company's vehicles not spared. Thumbs up for your government for initiatives. Lets see how this will turn out :))

Nicola said...

Wow, a £50 on the spot fine - that's an expensive cigarette then, I would say... :)

Lisi said...

the smoking ban was in the news here today as well...

G Fraser said...

Lisi- wow! our news reaches as far as Hong Kong! I saw a group of old men huddled outside the pub on the corner smoking their cigarettes yesterday...if it can work in an old man's pub, it can work anywhere.

Mandy said...

That bit about smokers from York putting out their ciggies — I'm sure smoking is already banned on GNER trains throughout the UK.

Anonymous said...

Yay, yay, yay! As you know I've been looking forward to this for a long time. It will make such a difference to the enjoyment of good food and music. Plus I won't have to wash my hair after every bloody evening out! I reckon we should celebrate by making a pact to visit every small pub in Embra that we've always wanted to drink in, but have been put off visiting in the past due to clouds of smoke. Whaddaya say Granty? Maybe we should start with the King's Wark and The Shore?

BondBloke said...

Good choices nola - two great pubs but don't forget The Malt & Hops, they have a great !selection of guest beers

G Fraser said...

nola and bond - all three sound good to me. am also tempted to try some of my new leith walk and easter road locals!!