My favorite pleasure used to be going out to dinner with wife and  
friends. I'd light a cigarette,order a Martini, eat rich and tasty food in small amounts, converse and have a great time. 
 
Nowadays, I have politicians, medicine men and bossy citizens telling me the above isn't good for me and passing laws against it 
 
So I stay home to do it and put my money in the bank. That'll teach 'em.

this is just rediculous, if smokers can't smoke in the union then they won't go, and more people going to the union is hardly the way to rake in cash now is it? smokers won't go in which is likely to mean their friends won't go in.

to my memory ... people dont go to the union to smoke do they, they go to eat, party and have fun. That is what people are going to continue to do. It is likely to increase the amount of people in too - the asmatics, people who loth smoking etc.  
Smoking just improves your lust for your own cravings and just annoys everyone else.  
Smoking doesnt increase the amount of fun you can have, nor others.  
Oh i didnt (+dont) mind too much about the level of smoking in the union anyway, not like the was a haze of smoke like in some pubs ive been in before.

As a non-smoker who gets tired of coming back from a night out smelling of smoke because of others and who sometimes gets quite nasty headaches etc. from the effects of passive smoke, I'm really pleased to see a ban come into effect. It should also help to cut down on the number of finished butts that are thrown onto the street etc. - often without even being stubbed out.  
 
I also dislike trying to eat in the smoking area of a restaurant as I'm there to enjoy the food, not be put off by the smell of someone elses smoke.  
 
However.  
 
In the case of pubs I'm not entirely sure I back the idea and think that perhaps an exception should be made here during drinking hours (after food is no longer served in the evenings). Smoking can be a big part of going to pubs for some people at these times and the idea of entirely smoke free pubs and bars - while good for my clothes and certainly a better personal experience - seems to remove part of the fundamental idea of what a pub is in evening time. 
 
That said, at the end of the day smoking is a habbit and - no offence to people such as Colin Brough - but if you can't go without smoking for an evening then there's something wrong with you and you shouldn't go near addictive substances. Moreover, you might like smoking but think about those that don't - why should they be forced to put up with your habbit? To some of us, it's as disgusting as if you were standing there picking your nose, eating part of the results and wiping the rest on our clothing so that it stays with us long after we've gone home.

I have stopped smoking for 15 days now and am really enjoying the feeling of being smoke free! But I do believe that people's human rights are being somewhat violated by a Government that makes a fortune from the selling of cigarettes and then dictates to people where they can or cannot smoke them. Why not have smoking and non-smoking venues and allow people to make their own minds up?! We have brains and opinions, let us use them!!

I am in favour of a complete smoking ban. I don't place much credence in the argument that removing smoking from pubs and clubs will drive punters away. This has not been evident in New York or Dublin where smoking bans have been in place for several years: 
 
New York’s Smoke-Free Air Act came into effect on March 30, 2003.  
In March 2004, a report on the impact of the legislation was issued by the New York City Department of Finance, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Department of Small Business Services, and the Economic Development Corporation. It concluded that:  
 
“One year later, the data are clear. . . Since the law went into effect, business receipts for restaurants and bars have increased, employment has risen, virtually all establishments are complying with the law, and the number of new liquor licenses issued has increased—all signs that New York City bars and restaurants are prospering.” 
 
Key findings from the report were that:  
 
Business tax receipts in restaurants and bars were up 8.7%;  
Employment in restaurants and bars increased by 10,600 jobs (about 2,800 seasonally adjusted jobs);  
97% of restaurants and bars were fully smoke-free;  
New Yorkers overwhelmingly supported the law. [2]  
The 2004 Zagat New York City Restaurant Survey of nearly 30,000 New York restaurant-goers found that 23 percent of respondents said they are eating out more often because of the city’s smoke-free workplace law, while only four percent said they are eating out less. Zagat’s press release concluded: 
 
“The city’s recent smoking ban, far from curbing restaurant traffic, has given it a major lift.”  
 
Much of the evidence referring to the likely detrimental affect of a smoking ban is compiled by sources in the tobacco industry. 
 
I see no reason why a designated smoking area can not be made available for smokers, but this should be outside of the main building. The health of those who do not smoke is paramount, and it is a shame that the Union is unable to tackle the issue head on and introduce the full ban with immediate affect, rather than the sit on the fence attitude they have chosen to adopt.

glad that smoking is being banned. yeah it infringes the smokers right to smoke...but hey...i've been passivly smoking your nasty cancer sticks for years...nobody thought about my right to 'not have your smoke shoved in my face'. 
Either way....some people will be disatisfied . 
It's nice to see the tables turned for once!!!!!

I live in Scotland and I really appreciate the smoking ban. Like most people I hate being in a smokey atmosphere and coming home stinking of cigarettes. 
 
The local pubs I go to back home are just as buzzing as before the ban, if not even more so. There are plenty of provisions for smoking outside such as heaters etc. 
 
I would be infavour of a full ban but I understand this would be impossible to police and would lead to a drop in income for the treasury which would either come from more taxes or less investment in schools and hospitals etc. 
 
I certainly do think it would be a good idea, and manageable to outlaw smoking around children under 18 at any place (including the home). I witnessed one particularly nasty incident of two parents smoking in a pub next to their Son who had to keep using his asthma inhaler, not very nice!

Im a non-smoker and I cant see any good coming from the smoking ban.If you ban smoking,why not ban drinking as it can cause anti-social behaviour,just because a select few people have such issues with people smoking alot of people are being compramised.I have no issue with people smoking around me,its hardly like they're blowing it into my face (this should be banned). Its just people getting on their high horse about the affects of second hand smoke.Excluding smokers is just as bad is saying to non smokers "if you dont want to be around smokers,go somewhere else", a suggestion im sure a lot of non-smokers wouldnt apreciate.Get over it.

I would like to take issue with David Mills comment that "If you ban smoking,why not ban drinking as it can cause anti-social behaviour" David Mills appears to neglect the fact that drinking does not cause anti-social behaviour. It is a minority of people who over consume alcohol and get into fights, and vomit in the streets. It is not the alcohol which makes the person anti-social. Alcohol consumption simply brings to the fore the anti-social nature of that individual. As a general rule (other than those starting fights) one's alcohol consumption has no direct impact on the health of others, smoking by its very nature does. 
Also David's comment about "people getting on their high horse about the affects of second hand smoke" needs amending. It could be argued that those people with 'issues' about smoking suffer from 'issues' like asthma and other respiratory illnesses. If those arguing against smoking are a minority, this is not reflected in the discussion taking place here.

this food for thought comment is about as relevant as shouting jenga whilst in a chess match, we're not questioning here how damaging alcohol is to you bodily system we are discussing the reason why you can't smoke in confined public spaces. The difference derived from these two is the fact that when you smoke you dont just smoke for one you smoke for the people around you, unless you fancy forcefeeding the nearest people to you in the pub left over dregs of you glasses then we can start debating how "passive" alcohol drinking is.

I do not agree with Alex's suggestion that smoking should be allowed in pubs during drinking time. This would be difficult to enforce and the issue of passive smoking is therefore still not addressed. I entirely refute claims that this government is dictating to us, they are not saying that a person cannot have the right to smoke. They are simply saying if you choose to kill yourself with toxic fumes by shoving a stick in your mouth (and pay for the privilege!) then go ahead and do it in your own environment, but why should those who choose life be affected by your stupid decisions? I smoked for 14 years and have been a non smoker for over two years. This ban is not only beneficial to those of us who don't smoke (including pregnant women and asthmatics) but also those who do smoke may find it easier to quit once this ban is in place. For those of you out there who intend to quit, I recommend Allen Carr's book, "the easy way to stop smoking".

I loathe government regulation, but the private industry in general has done nothing to reduce customers exposure to cigarette smoke, apart from creating useless 'smoking areas'. 
 
A restaurant or bar having a 'smoking area' is like a swimming pool having a 'peeing' and 'non-peeing' area; would you swim there? 
 
The problem is that, when you smoke, you force everyone around you to also smoke. This wouldn't be so bad if cigarette smoke didn't rot your lungs and give you great free gifts such as 'cancer' and 'asthma'. 
 
Maybe legislation like this will force tobacco companies to produce smokeless brands. In the meantime, at least those who do smoke, can do so in the comfort of their own homes.

someone said this previously "I also dislike trying to eat in the smoking area of a restaurant as I'm there to enjoy the food, not be put off by the smell of someone elses smoke."  
 
why the hell are you eating in the smoking area anyway??? its just common sense really. 
 
seriously though it'll be fun when the ban comes in..stop a load of smokers smoking give em loads of alcohol. its garunteed that more trouble will brew from this. 
 
anyhoo ill let you lot get back on your high horse about how smokers are scum of the earth, etc etc. 
 
This comment was edited by AlexH on 2007-01-31

If a smoking ban is coming into place, then let smokers enjoy being able to relax in the environment of the union; there already was a smoking section let things change when they need to not now...

Smoking sections in eating areas are like having weeing areas in a swimming pool......ban it all.... people can go out to smoke..... 
 
This comment was edited by AlexH on 2007-02-03

Since when has having a smoking section ever garunteed that that's where the smoke stays? I really hope one of us doesn't have to explain the movement of gasses and smoke to you?  
 
As for the comment about smokers drinking more to get over their lack of being able to smoke - what exactly is wrong with these people? Are they so far removed from those that don't smoke that they're going to turn into a bunch of homicidal louts when they're denied their cancer sticks? Take some bloody responsibility for your actions instead of moving from drug to drug and blaming it all on something other than yourself! 
 
If someone is really so unstable that they need to smoke to stop them from drinking so much that they cause trouble - they probably shouldn't be allowed anywhere near a social situation.

smoking kills end of. people of our age and understanding should not be smoking. there is no sense to it and no reason why anyone should NEED to smoke. Just think wen u smoke ur not only killing urself but all ur friends and family.Having no smoking in all public places is a BRILLIANT idea..hopefully it will stop smoking in young people all together and stop people who already are smoking becasue they get left out wen non smoking friends go out. I have grandparants who have been smoking and they look so awful compared with grandparants who dont.It kills