Ban on Smoking?

Northern Ireland is now contemplating what Ireland did last year, ban smoking in public places. England is also thinking about a smoking ban, but not as extensive as Ireland's outright ban.

Some tobacco companies and pubs have complained of reduced business, and some have claimed that the ban has put some pubs out of business.

I've always thought that there are more European smokers than their counterparts in the US. So, in some ways this is very encouraging for us non-smokers to see this happening in Europe first. As a non-smoker it is nice to avoid having to inhale smokers' fumes when walking into and out of buildings, and smelling like smoke the rest of the day after walking past a smoker or eating in a smoke-filled restaurant.

But what about smokers' rights? Smokers' rights end where my rights begin.

So, what are all these smokers going to do? Is this a way to force smokers to quit? Will smokers be forced to smoke only in the confines of their home?

I think that businesses could get creative with the smoking ban. I can see bars, hotels, and even business complexes that have smoking rooms where smokers can go into a nicely furnished room, like a living room or rec room, with a filtered ventilation system for their smoking breaks. Bars could have a smoking room where patrons could go with their beverages and smoke without annoying non-smoking patrons and employees. Use of these rooms could be charged to the customer as they enter, or it could be offered free as a perk for doing business. Businesses could have smoking club memberships that allow a member to swipe a card to gain access to the smoking room.

This type of idea could even be offered to non-smokers with a non-smoking filtered ventilation room with oxygen pumped into the space. This could give non-smokers a place to lounge and get away during their breaks that would be comfortable and relaxing. Again, there could be membership cards for the Pure O2 Club as well, so that patrons could swipe to pay for their use.

I am sure there are other ideas and ways around smoking bans, while being considerate of others don't want tobe around smokers. Are the above ideas being implemented anywhere there is a smoking ban? How are the ideas being received? Do you have another idea? Please comment.