On May the 1st Switzerland imposed, against their better judgement, a smoking ban that will effect business up and down that once sane country. But it does not go unopposed though, just listen as the interview below decends into an 'on air' fight. The same old arguments about bar workers health are trotted out by the antis and the response mentions Hitler and his opposition to smoking, which is derided by the anti smoker movement in Basel, Switzerland.
Hat Tip to Mark Butcher via
Simon Clarke's blog Taking Liberties.
Still "leeway for smoking" though. Another country, another more enlightened attitude than here in 'free' UK.
ReplyDeleteYeah DP but you and I know that it won't stop there. I can't believe what I'm listening to, the anti smoker in Switzerland still push the same old crap to justify their hatred.
ReplyDeleteThe anti smoker even had the temerity to quote Ireland as a model, where pubs have been closing at an alarming rate. Where do they (the anti smoker) get their figures from???
I like the idea of fumoirs, but what's the betting that the anti smokers will want to see them taken away from drinking smokers?
Give these bastards a bit of leaway and they will take to it's enth conclusion.
Towards the end is an interesting statistic about the high proportion of bars in Basle which have become private smoking clubs with a membership fee of 10 francs.
ReplyDelete@Anon 13:59. Yes, I thought that was interesting too. When I look at other countries that have enacted smoking bans I am amazed that they have added some caveats. But the anti smoking zealots never, ever give up until those "allowances" are eventually withdrawn by law until they get to their eventual goal, the complete banning of tobacco products. It's prohibition by stealth.
ReplyDeleteThe UK Smoking Ban Experiment was well thought out to eridacate any loopholes that might have been sought by libertarians. We have seen accounts of businesses trying to break the ban by allowing people to smoke but they have died a death due to pressure by pubcos on their managers.
As far as I can see there is no way around the UK smoking ban so the only course of action pubs, clubs and bingo halls can take is to push for amendments to the ban, if not an outright repeal of this eronious law.