Smoking Ban in Cars

[Propagator]

From the Daily Telegraph


By Amy Iggulden

Last Updated: 1:27am BST 14/05/2007





Motorists could be banned from smoking at the wheel under proposals to be submitted to the Government.
Senior road safety campaigners will ask the Department for Transport to consider outlawing cigarettes while driving in an attempt to cut the number of accidents.
The move comes seven weeks before a ban on smoking in all enclosed public places in England begins on July 1.
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Health and safety campaigners welcomed the idea, but critics called it "absurd".
India has such a ban and it has been suggested in Germany, Australia and America.
Ministers said they will seriously consider proposals from the Local Authority Road Safety Officers' Association (Larsoa) but ruled out any immediate legislation.
The association, which represents the councils responsible for most of Britain's roads, will meet officials within weeks to seek a nationwide ban.
It says drivers are in danger when they take their hands off the wheel to smoke. There are also fears that more people will start to smoke in their cars after the July 1 ban.
Simon Ettinghausen, of Larsoa, said: "It is the obvious next step. Proper research needs to be done but there is a lot of support and it should be on the Government's agenda.
"Smoking does not just mean taking your hands off the wheel to smoke, it means finding the cigarette, lighting it and getting rid of it afterwards. It is playing with fire."
The Department of Health said it wanted to add momentum to its stop-smoking campaign and would consider seriously all plans submitted.
Smoking has recently been listed as a distraction in the Highway Code and mobile phone use has been banned at the wheel since 2003.
Critics of the proposal said it was an affront to personal choice. The Government said yesterday it had no plans to ban smoking at the wheel.
An advertising campaign begins today to remind people where the ban will apply on July 1.
Individuals and managers of premises breaching the ban face a fixed penalty notice of £50 or £200 fines if they refuse to comply.










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Is this complete and utter madness? I suppose that this could be posted in Issues but then would not get the contempt it deserves. I feel that it is an affront to personal liberty. My car and I can do what I like in it.
Any way how could it be enforced. Theres been a ban on the using of hand held mobile phones in cars but this is mostly ignored. It would be another stupid law giving the cops more work to do, thus preventing them investigating serious crimes. It would certainly help their conviction figures though.

Hope Thailand dont consider it - would be a good earner for the BiB

[Dougal]

My car and I can do what I like in it.

What like? Piss out the window while you're going along, steer with your feet, play the guitar?

I agree that the law would be very difficult to enforce but I am all for anything that makes life difficult for smokers. In general they never seem to have any inhibitions about making mine uncomfortable.

[keda]

India has such a ban and it has been suggested in Germany, Australia and America.

If India has the ban it's not enforced, that's for sure, unless selectively a la Thai Highway Code.

In Europe, because if it happens in one country it's only a matter of time before the equality nutts get the stranglehold, will it be ok if a passenger does the finding and lighting and holding and giving to toke and disposal of ash and roach? If so, not only dumb but likely to cause more accidents. Also, does the obliging passenger have to be in the front seat? What if the passenger is armless? If the driver is the only adult, can a child do the honours?

[Marmite the Dog]

It's about time they fucked the tobacco companies off and just banned smoking altogether.

If the tobacco farms have a problem with that they should just grow lovely tea instead.

[friscofrankie]

^got my EZ-Gro Hydroponics Tobacco kit all ready for the ban.

I thought California was bad...

[blackgang]

It's about time they fucked the tobacco companies off and just banned smoking altogether. If the tobacco farms have a problem with that they should just grow lovely tea instead.

already do that with the other smoking stuff,, even make Brownies and eat it.
So try it with tobacco if ya want, some folks already chew it and some even snort it.

[The Gentleman Scamp]

It's about time they fucked the tobacco companies off and just banned smoking altogether.

If the tobacco farms have a problem with that they should just grow lovely tea instead.

Hmm... Might green you for that.

[friscofrankie]

So try it with tobacco if ya want, some folks already chew it and some even snort it.

Knew a dude that chopped up his roaches and snorted them. Oddly enough, he died of a heroin overdose.

[zorin]

I agree that the law would be very difficult to enforce but I am all for anything that makes life difficult for smokers.

They enforce the ban of hand held mobile calls.

[Jet Gorgon]

Ya, and fine that f** fat chick hogging down on a Big Mac, shake and fries while talking on her cell and trying to drive her Datsun all at the same time.

[Dougal]

Ya, and fine that f** fat chick hogging down on a Big Mac, shake and fries while talking on her cell and trying to drive her Datsun all at the same time.

Police in the UK have prosecuted for driving while eating, drinking soft drinks, shaving and applying make up - not all at the same time of course.

[Dougal]

I agree that the law would be very difficult to enforce but I am all for anything that makes life difficult for smokers.

They enforce the ban of hand held mobile calls.

A mobile phone record can be checked to see if it was being used.
Cigarette smokers can easily drop their hand and stub out a cigarette and then argue the toss about whether they were smoking or not. Maybe they will have to introduce a breathalyser test.

[Propagator]

This has brought the anti smoking brigade out of the woodwork .

OK I am a smoker and respect the views of those that don't. I would never dream of smoking in their house or car etc. Unfortunately many of these anti smokers feel that you shouldn't smoke at all.

They enforce the ban of hand held mobile calls.

Where? Certainly not in the UK, on my journey to work I see just as many people using hand helds in the car as before the ban became law.

What like?

Tries to find pic of mooning through car window, can't so this will have to suffice

[Dougal]

Tries to find pic of mooning through car window, can't so this will have to suffice

Damn! Which one is you Prop?

[Dougal]

This has brought the anti smoking brigade out of the woodwork

Only Marmite and myself so far, hardly a brigade. But my anti-smoking campaign does not extend much beyond a desire to see smoking banished to the confines of the individual's home, anything further than that is just a bonus .

[DrAndy]

Leave the smokers be. Face it, the best conversation in any place is where the smokers congregate.

Oh yes, cough cough, I went to that restaurant last night, cough cough, some bastard had the cheek to complain my smoke was ruining his meal

bloody hell, hack spit, cough, some people have no idea of freedom cough spit, they think we should not smoke around them, shit, cough cough, why the hell don't they go and eat somewhere else where they have a non-smoking area cough hack spit

[Propagator]

Only Marmite and myself so far, hardly a brigade.

True - lets say a small scouting party. .

I am interested in your views. Would you therefore want to ban people smoking in open places? I agree with the bans in restuarants and public buildings etc, partly agree the the bans in pubs. Many years ago I recall pubs having a non smoking room, why cannot this be done now and have a smoking room - cost ?

[Propagator]

Damn! Which one is you Prop?

[DrAndy]

I am interested in your views. Would you therefore want to ban people smoking in open places? I agree with the bans in restuarants and public buildings etc, partly agree the the bans in pubs. Many years ago I recall pubs having a non smoking room, why cannot this be done now and have a smoking room - cost ?

strangely enough, people smoking in open places stink too. Just today I was walking along and some smoker blew out a load of smoke and I walked through it, nasty

but it would hardly be fair to those weak souls amongst us who are addicted to the drug. After all, they have to leave the restaurant or bar to have a puff, and outside is the only place they can indulge. If they could not smoke there, they may well be tempted to not leave at all.

I suppose a pub could have a smoking hole, with strong vent fans, but why bother when smokers can huddle outside in the wind and rain and indulge their fancy

many drug addicts do worse, shooting up on deserted wastegrounds and the like.

[Frankenstein]

Personally I think tobacco smoke dispersed in fresh air is a really nice scent. It is indoors that it reeks and is unpleasant.

[Spin]

I hope they dont ban getting a BJ from the missus whilst driving. That would be most inconveinant