Editor's Comment: Out in the Cold

Source from:  worldtobacco.co.uk 26 July 2007  07/27/2007

Since the first of this month England, where World Tobacco is published, has been smokefree in all enclosed public spaces. Having seen bans in effect around the world – some more stringently enforced than others – I was as prepared as any other smoker for the ban's enactment in England, completing a full house of smoking restrictions for the United Kingdom. Offices and most workplaces have been smokefree for some years in UK now, so there was little change in my work day, other than now taking my cigarette breaks in a designated outdoor smoking area the size of a car parking bay, rather than enjoying the run of the office's ground while smoking. However, my trips to and from the office, and for that matter, to and from anywhere else that requires me to drive have changed dramatically as smoking is now banned in my company car on the grounds that I might, at some stage, be giving someone a lift in my work capacity. I could catch the train to work, but that would afford me no more comfort in which to indulge my habit as all train station platforms are now smokefree too, despite being open to the elements other than a roof on most of the platforms' length. The much feted – by the government and anti-smoking groups at least - ban has been in effect for a little more than two weeks as I write. The main change is noticeable in the occasional (and probably less frequent now due in part to the ban and also to the recent birth of my daughter) outing to the local pub. My first trip to a smokefree pub was quite a shock. I had anticipated that there would be fewer people inside the pub, but was astonished on a recent trip to a pub when I entered to find only three people in a bar which is usually fairly busy. After getting a drink I sat with my group of friends in the bar for almost ten minutes until one of our group (presumably out of habit) inadvertently lit a cigarette. Another of our group – also a smoker said "aren't you forgetting something?" at which the illegal smoker realised his gaffe, laughed and suggested we adjourn to the garden. We all moved out to the pub's garden for a cigarette to find most of the pub's usual clientele and a couple of staff on a break there, happily smoking away. Even the non-smokers were in the garden as almost every one of the pub's after work regulars smoke. Despite having been aware of the ban for some time, and thus resigned to it, I and many other smokers I have spoken to anecdotally, felt a little excluded when the ban came in to force. That said, I'm aware that that is exactly the effect that the ban's supporters want to engender – the 'de-normalisation' of smoking. Flying to Scotland at the weekend, my friends and I deliberately delayed going through security to airside as all smoking areas have now been removed from UK's airports – other than outside of course. I was glad however, that we flew rather than drove in my company car as we had soon arrived in Scotland and could indulge again – albeit only in the fresh air. Scotland, where the ban has been in place for more than a year now, seemed to have quite a few people inside the bars in Edinburgh, although the garden's were completely full, with the weather being kind. The first bar we went to closed its garden at 9pm 'in consideration of it's residential neighbours' so we moved on to another with less sensitive neighbours. At least the UK has yet to implement bans on smoking in outdoor public places, such as some states in America have already brought in. I and those of our party were thus able to enjoy a good cigar in the style of Darren Clarke and Miguel Jimenez as walked up the 17th and 18th holes on the Old Course at St Andrews. I hope that the calls for outdoor smoking bans from pressure groups such as ASH - which were responsible for the current ban - will not be heeded by this government. I'm hoping that the recent spate of good weather will continue as long as possible, and dreading the winter when we'll be out in the cold… Enditem