Smoking Police

[BioTech]

It's been said that there is £30m budgeted for councils to train and recruit staff to police the smoking ban in the UK that is coming in to practice on the 1st July.

These people will be entering bars undercover and are authorised to secretly film people and dish out on the spot fines.

I'm not a smoker so I'm not affected by this ban but I do think it is a bit of a piss take of civil liberties. I also think that these "smoke police" are a massive waste of money and are yet another installment to our big brother society that we are simply supposed to accept.

What do you think?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6346435.stm

What a sad job anyway. Entering pubs undercover and pretending to be a patron so that you can rat on people who have a crafty fag.

[marcusblanc]

Its gonna give free parties a shot in the arm, err, so to speak!:love:

[Sandals]

So if we're at a free party held in a warehouse and we are seen smoking in it by the police is that illegal? or is it just "commercial" places.

[ob1kinobie]

So if we're at a free party held in a warehouse and we are seen smoking in it by the police is that illegal? or is it just "commercial" places.

Probably only if you no got a chilum amigo..

[Raj]

Not a smoker so I am not sure but I think it only covers public buildings [warehouses kinda slip through the cracks on that one as they are not supposed to be in use - now if you were working there that would be a different story ]

[Tank Girl]

My place of work is now a 'smoke free zone' and We've been told that if we see a collegue smoke and dont 'grass' them up we will be disciplined too!!! if 'found out'
Thats way exreme! :hopeless:
So now people are scarpering for 15 minutes to go find a hiding place or off the 'site' etc rater than a 'quick smoke' out the back door - so its already causing difficulties.....

[Raj]

Thats a piss take - they should have a smoking area with a roof over it somewhere discreet for the smokers. Not totally enclosed necessarily but at least sheltered.

Maybe the smokers should approach their union and accuse the employer of discrimination? Seems well unfair to me and I dont smoke....:you_crazy

[USE]

i dont think smokers can be "discriminated against" as what they do is actually harmful to others so they "should" be stopped.

what i object to is encouraging workmates to grass each other up, not the best way to build a stable office, let alone society. reeks of 1984.

as does filming people in pubs to stop them smoking. i mean, fights and drugs have been happening in pub n clubs for ages, but they never had the right to this then, even tho drugs and violence are more harmful.

yet another piss-poor excuse to shut down civil liberty and the right to privacy and self determination. yay for labour.

[cheeseweasel]

wot a joke.

[Ruff Beat Provider]

wot a joke.

Yeaht thats wot i was thinking!:weee:

[General Lighting]

the worrying this is these council types will doubtless be used for other licensing checks such as looking for underage punters / excessive noise breach of licensing hours and will probably carry covert radios/data terminals that have direct comms with local CCTV and the Police (Sepura make a concealed radio just for this purpose).

where I live both the borough and county council staff have access to and often already carry airwave sets - even litter wardens and parkies.... (this is the first time that so many state authorities have had a linked private real time communications network like this)

what worries me is not so much the smoking ban but the lack of opposition to increasing social controls from a wide part of the population (i.e. those who don't go out late at night or drink or smoke or party - they aren't prepared to respect the rights of those who do)

because of this we appear to be entering a new era of puritanism....

[Raj]

because of this we appear to be entering a new era of puritanism....

Do you think this is related to the ageing population? [they had their fun but resent anyone disturbing their peaceful retirement :crazy_fre ]

[Raj]

some more information on the English smoking ban (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4711544.stm)

[General Lighting]

Do you think this is related to the ageing population? [they had their fun but resent anyone disturbing their peaceful retirement :crazy_fre ]

I wouldn't say the OAPs are to blame though in this case (round here most of them live in bumpkin areas or sheltered housing away from all the noise)

IMO its actually people our sort of age (some as young as their late 20s) who have grown "old" and reactionary before their time...

[Tekhan]

is smoking herbal cigarettes gonna be illegal too?

[Shit Robot]

is smoking herbal cigarettes gonna be illegal too?

Thats A Good point

[stomperomper]

Well, i'm gonna keep this simple.

Its getting out of hand, Big brother is taking over.

In short - Fuk U, I wont do what you tell me.

'Goverment' - the primary school for old gits.

[Tank Girl]

what i object to is encouraging workmates to grass each other up, not the best way to build a stable office, let alone society. reeks of 1984.


- why waste time and effort and not just have designated smoking areas?

And personally having stopped some months ago myself - the one advantage I am enjoying is getting a seat in the 'non smoking' area in the pub!!! :wink:

[starlaugh]

- why waste time and effort and not just have designated smoking areas?

And personally having stopped some months ago myself - the one advantage I am enjoying is getting a seat in the 'non smoking' area in the pub!!! :wink:


I am a smoker but i dont mind sitting in a non smoking areas or not smoking in buildings, i actually prefer it, none smoking areas always smell better... The smell of stale fag smoke Urgh!

[Ruff Beat Provider]

Well, i'm gonna keep this simple.

Its getting out of hand, Big brother is taking over.

In short - Fuk U, I wont do what you tell me.

'Goverment' - the primary school for old gits.


You read 1984???? it predicts pretty much wots slowey happerning in this C*ntry.

[Ruff Beat Provider]

I said slowly! Well rapidly i suppose!

[marcusblanc]

i heard that in NY there is a rule about being, like, 25 feet from a doorway or window, or another business, b4 you can smoke.

So the only place to smoke is in the middle of the road!

Passive smoking has been overplayed really, tho it must be nasty for non-smokers to work in.

Fortunately, with the amount of patio heaters bein used, it shouldn't be to bad, unless you are bothered about climate change, that is! :groucho: