Harry, for someone who's posts are normally so insightful all of your posts so far seem to be missing the point. I happen to disagree that there's insufficient support for people who are trying to give up smoking. If you cannont afford the patches you can go and see your GP and he/she will happily write you a perscription. there's helplines and literature, websites and billboards. At the end of the day it's down to individual will power.
All of this has NO baring on whether or not smoking should be allowed in the card room. Sadly it looks like the new legislation will have the 'private members club' saver in place so there's no immediate legal support for those of us in favour of a ban. the reason I've put this poll up again is that I want to write a leeter to Notts Galas GM and I want to include the results.
I'm soory, Im a bit hazy on my amphetemine / barbituate / opiate catagorising. I still say it's an urban myth that pedigree pet food resort to drugging the food to make animals prefer it. maybe it's just better stuff
I do not believe that the answer is a blanket ban and the amounts spent supporting those who want to give up is a pittance compared to what the governement is making from the sale of cigarettes. If they were to spend 10% of the duty received from fags it would be infintiely more than is currently spent on prevention and support but like most things governments tend to squander our taxes on what they seem to deem appropriate but now I'm really off track.
Smokers need to be considered and have an outlet for being able to smoke as it is an involuntary act on their parts due to their addiction. Having enforced bans is not the answer as it denies the smoker any say and does not acknowledge his rights and makes it very difficult for them to cope.
I am not advocating that non smokers should be subjected to passive smoking (I have always personally hated smokey environments) but in the same way that a screaming baby or child cries for food you do not turn around and deny that child the food and say you'll have to wait an hour or so until dinner time before being fed.
I think that in this day and age smokers and non smokers can both be accomodated eg California card rooms where there are smoking rooms for smokers to walk into and smoke.
Personally nicotine patches and gum did not work for me and the answer is not to give people drug patches (imo) but to get them off the nicotine completely with 24 hour support if necessary.
Market forces should ultimately dictate whether smoking is or is not allowed in a place of leisure and if a card room somewhere became non smoking and had greater business than a smoking rival then thats the one that would survive.
Having said that there is probably a fair degree of correlation between gambling and smoking and probably drinking alcohol and coffee for that matter too as all involve some kind of addiction and often multiple dependancies and addictions are present in individuals.
I just find it suprising that both smokers and non smokers cannot be catered for in this day and age.
The Grosvenor Victoria has smoking and non smoking gaming tables but then is large enough to be able to do this. Which sections are busier I do not know but I do know that some will consider abusing the gaming rules and refuse to play a hand if drawn next to the bar section where smoking is allowed for some of their poker tournaments.
If it transpires that most casinos or card rooms make more money from smokers than non smokers then why should they be denied the opportunity to make money? Likewise if they make more from non smokers then why not let them make the place no smoking.
However if I were a card room or casino operator I would want to have as many customers as possible regardless of whether they smoked or not and as such have two seperate areas to accomodate all of them. Over the course of time I would then decide which group would get the greater space allocation and if one area were unprofitable or uneconomic then I would certainly drop that section and say tough luck to the unlucky group. This may sound cynical but then I would be in the business of making money and maximising profits and I certainly would not entertain any governemnt telling me what to do.
I sympathise with those of you who go to The Gala? Nottingham Casino but like most things if they do not accomodate your needs then you should vote with your feet. If enough of you do so (and raisng a petition is a good way of getting attention) then they will have to listen as it will hurt them in their pockets.
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