Articles

  • Smoking Ban is Closing 120 Scottish Pubs Annually

    • 04/29/2016
    • ADB
    • 0 Comments

    Here is another item from the “IT’S COMING HERE SOON” file. 

    HUNDREDS of Scottish pubs have closed in the decade since a complete smoking ban was introduced.

    As you might imagine, the law preventing lighting up in enclosed public spaces is widely considered to be a really good thing, primarily by people who do not smoke and do not go to places that  generally engender such things…like bars.                    

    But new figures released by the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) show that in the last ten years 1,236 pubs ceased trading in Scotland. 

    There were 5,794 licensed premises in Scotland just weeks before the smoking ban was introduced. Today, just 4,558 pubs remain open. On average, over 120 per year are shuttering or ten per month. 

    Ray Turpie, Camra’s Scotland and Northern Ireland director, expressed concern that pub closures could impact communities.

    He told The Scottish Daily Express: “Over the last 10 years, there have been quite a lot of outlets lost. It is a crisis the whole of the UK is experiencing and there are a lot factors coming into play.

    “The anti-drinking lobby is now more active and there are more health guidelines from the Government, which are really just plucked out of the air to be honest.

    “They are just against people going out and enjoying themselves, really.

    “There are certain aspects of wellbeing in going to the pub, especially for older people on their own. It’s a good place to go to engage with people.

    “It might be the only people they see all day, so there’s a social aspect - the promotion of wellbeing - and that contributes to mental health.”

    Health Secretary Shona Robison defended the smoking ban, saying: “I’m extremely proud that Scotland has led the way in implementing public health policies that seek to address the significant harmful effects of tobacco on people’s health. The smoking ban has had a hugely positive effect on public health.

    “However, tobacco remains the biggest cause of preventable death in Scotland, which is why we want to create a tobacco-free generation by 2034. There is much more to do to achieve this.”

    Consider: 57% of Scottish residents smoke. A promise to eliminate all that in under thirty years? Not bloody likely. 

    Of course, in America, we had just such a movement just shy of a century ago. They actually pressured our spineless politicos back then (yes, we understand that things never change) to pass Prohibition nationally. It resulted in Far more Drinking, Far more deaths from bad liquor, and  Far, Far, more crime across the board. No, no one stopped drinking, they just did it secretly. 

    And after a decade of obviously making the wrong decision, the government came to the rescue of those oppressed by…the same government…and righteously struck the law they passed down in defeat. Then they claimed they brought about victory. 

    In the end, we are the ones who failed, because we let the government run rough shod over us twice, claiming to know what we needed better than We The People. 

    Don’t let it happen all over again.  

Comments
 

Recent

Smoking Ban is Closing 120 Scottish Pubs Annually

Here is another item from the “IT’S COMING HERE SOON” file. 

HUNDREDS of Scottish pubs have closed in the decade since a complete smoking ban was introduced.

As you might imagine, the law preventing lighting up in enclosed public spaces is widely considered to be a really good thing, primarily by people who do not smoke and do not go to places that  generally engender such things…like bars.                    

But new figures released by the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) show that in the last ten years 1,236 pubs ceased trading in Scotland. 

There were 5,794 licensed premises in Scotland just weeks before the smoking ban was introduced. Today, just 4,558 pubs remain open. On average, over 120 per year are shuttering or ten per month. 

Ray Turpie, Camra’s Scotland and Northern Ireland director, expressed concern that pub closures could impact communities.

He told The Scottish Daily Express: “Over the last 10 years, there have been quite a lot of outlets lost. It is a crisis the whole of the UK is experiencing and there are a lot factors coming into play.

“The anti-drinking lobby is now more active and there are more health guidelines from the Government, which are really just plucked out of the air to be honest.

“They are just against people going out and enjoying themselves, really.

“There are certain aspects of wellbeing in going to the pub, especially for older people on their own. It’s a good place to go to engage with people.

“It might be the only people they see all day, so there’s a social aspect - the promotion of wellbeing - and that contributes to mental health.”

Health Secretary Shona Robison defended the smoking ban, saying: “I’m extremely proud that Scotland has led the way in implementing public health policies that seek to address the significant harmful effects of tobacco on people’s health. The smoking ban has had a hugely positive effect on public health.

“However, tobacco remains the biggest cause of preventable death in Scotland, which is why we want to create a tobacco-free generation by 2034. There is much more to do to achieve this.”

Consider: 57% of Scottish residents smoke. A promise to eliminate all that in under thirty years? Not bloody likely. 

Of course, in America, we had just such a movement just shy of a century ago. They actually pressured our spineless politicos back then (yes, we understand that things never change) to pass Prohibition nationally. It resulted in Far more Drinking, Far more deaths from bad liquor, and  Far, Far, more crime across the board. No, no one stopped drinking, they just did it secretly. 

And after a decade of obviously making the wrong decision, the government came to the rescue of those oppressed by…the same government…and righteously struck the law they passed down in defeat. Then they claimed they brought about victory. 

In the end, we are the ones who failed, because we let the government run rough shod over us twice, claiming to know what we needed better than We The People. 

Don’t let it happen all over again.  

0