England Goes Smokefree

On 1 July 2007, England joined the rest of the UK to be smokefree. This means that smoking is not allowed in enclosed public spaces such as pubs, bars, restaurants and stations. This is great as I can now have a nice meal and drinks without having to breathe in secondhand smoke and then go home smelling like a serious smoker, even though I don't smoke!

Only bad thing is that people now smoke outdoors, so going in and out of a building is like walking through a corridor of smoke!!

Not one to regularly prop up a bar, I only took advantage of this new legislation on 5 July when some work's drinks were organised because there was a mass exodus - about 7 people left the company!

One thing I don't understand... there are always some objections even to such a sensible law. Apparently there is concern over the rights of smokers not being able to smoke where they wanted... but what about the rights of non-smokers who were forced to inhale secondhand smoke? At least smokers can choose to smoke or not to smoke, or to go somewhere else to smoke, but there is no choice for non-smokers unless they do not go into bars, clubs, restaurants or wait for public transport!!