Categories: just-life
Date: 16 February 2007 00:12:06
Sometimes you know that you hold what will be an unpopular view amongst your peers. I know that what with everyone being different this is bound to happen every once in a while, but what if your 'view' is so out there that you could almost be looked upon as a pariah.
You see, I'm against the upcoming (and in some places current) smoking ban. And when I say that I'm against it what I mean is that in my (very humble) opinion IT IS WRONG. And if you think that that statement isn't bad enough to consider myself as a pariah I have yet to mention my thoughts of the people who are in favour of the ban.
If you want a clue I shall be looking at novels by George Orwell, Ray Bradbury and Margret Atwood. (Nineteen Eighty-four, Fahrenheit 451 and The Handmaid's Tale).
One of the common themes through these (and other) dystopian novels is how The State (or The Party) have introduced restricting laws, all for the "Common Good of Society".
Now I know that there are loads of people who will stand up and complain about such comparisions. They will ask why should they have to go to a pub (or out) and have to breath in other people's smoke, go home smelling of cigerettes?? Why should workers in pubs/clubs be forced to, effectively smoke second-hand (at this point please mention Roy Castle)??
I do have responses to these. Under current laws there is nothing, absolutely nothing stopping pub landlords from having their premises as non-smoking. And the reason they don't??? Well, there simply isn't the demand. We live in a capitalistic society, if something is popular it catches on, you don't have to force it upon people and yet the majority of pubs remain smoking friendly. Could this possibly be because non-smokers will go to smoking pubs...?? Oh wait, they do!!!
If you're all so against smoking in pubs don't go. Or go to non-smoking pubs (if you can find one). Can't find one??? Well, why not open one yourself then?? If it's going to be oh so popular I'm sure that you'll have the placed packed in no time, then maybe other local pubs will catch on. IF THEY WANT TO.
And that last question, no offence, pub work tends to be minimum wage and there are very few people who could claim that they are being forced to work in a pub if they don't want to. If a pub is smoky and you don't like smoke, go work elsewhere. It's really not that hard.
At this point I'm going to mention that I am a non-smoker myself. I am also asthmatic. I don't like the smell of cigerettes. I worked in a smoky pub for FOUR YEARS, through my own choice, and yet I am against this ban.
Some people might wonder why I have held my peace for so long and only mention this now.... quite simple. I read in the newspaper today that because the police force are to busy to bother enforcing yet another law council authorities are training up an initial force of twelve hundred of undercover council workers to go out to pubs, clubs and places of work to spy on people, arrest and fine those that they find.
There was a Frenchman who once wrote in a letter "I detest what you write, but I would give my life to make it possible for you to continue to write." which is something I agree with whole heartedly. Yes, I dislike smoking, I think those that do should give it up, however, if they don't wish to I will defend their right to carry on.
Mr Orwell, I think you were only wrong about the date (and the fact that they allow smoking in Oceanian).
* - the opening line from Nineteen Eighty-four