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Originally Posted by orangebird
Why not? My main argument is for the freedom of those that run the businesses to choose whether they allow smoking on their own property. Property that the general public have a choice of whether the visit or not.
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I understand that too. But in this case, there's an irreconcilable difference between the commercial pressures faced by publicans and the social and economic cost of smoking. This whole debate has been about trying to establish which takes priority over which*. I don't expect this thread will conclude with one side or the other changing their minds, but I don't mind admitting that I'm very pleased the anti-smoking lobby appears to be winning the argument at Whitehall.
* BBKing-stylee footnote: There has also been a fair bit of 'bah! you just want everything your own way!' but I don't think that should detract from the issues that are genuinely at the centre of this.