On 1st January 2007, Belgium and England will declare smoking bans in public places, including pubs, cafes and restaurants. These bans are already in place in Ireland, Scotland, Italy, Norway, and Spain. They will come into force next summer in Wales, and France will follow in 2008. Croatia passed the legislation but then changed its mind, but Albania brought it in this summer. Germany is thinking about it. Hungary has no plans to impose it, but they have the highest lung cancer figures in Europe. QED. The jury is still out on Greece.
This is not a self-righteous rant by a rabid anti-smoker, since I have been known to enjoy the occasional Sobranie myself. However, coughing one’s guts up at the bus stop is not very ladylike, so I have decided to make a serious attempt to renounce the weed. Zoe, herself an ex-smoker, is encouraging me by snatching the offending article out of my hand whenever she catches me at it. This has resulted in the occasional scuffle, and on one occasion I punched her on the nose, but it is for my own good so I forgive her. Tippler is very helpful too, in a less draconian way.
Bert has seen the writing on the wall and is going into training for 1st January. Being German and a former substitute in the 1966 World Cup Squad, he’s going to be very methodical and determined about it, and has not only given up the gaspers but has taken up sport. He goes running in the morning, swimming in the evening, and plays squash at lunchtime. I hardly see him any more, and when I do he’s in a sweaty tracksuit. Ugh. He’s talking about doing the Brussels marathon next year. I suppose I might be able to help with the endurance training.
Blogger is getting on my nerves. Changing to beta has made it easier to fiddle about with the layout and whatnot, but I've lost my hit counter and despite cutting and pasting any number of bits of html, it's not appearing. So I'm losing track of how many admirers I've got. It's enough to give a girl an identity crisis. It's certainly not beta than it was. Hollow laughter.
30 comments:
well good for you, daffers - if you can stay off them smokes you start realising how much you save and much smokers stink. god, i'm embarrassed about the stench that i must have carried around with me not so very long ago. (only about 4 years.)
the Twat, on the other hand, continues to smoke and has now taken up residence in the living room. yes. the smell so bad that i won't allow him in bed.
The last little bast...ion for smokers is our restaurant's bar! hah! Can't wait for Jan 1st!
Moi, I gave up smoking nearly 22 years... 31st Jan 1985 at Midnight!!! Smoked the last three ciggies at the same time!
I have publicised the method I used but not many takers!
Coffee beans!
Yep! Every time I fancied a puff I chewed on a coffee bean!
My teeth became black but at least my lungs were clear...
Nowadays I am addicted to espressos!
The last two posts are an eloquent illustration of the fact that these days the most attractive men don't smoke. This is a large part of the reason why I am giving up.
Daphne, just see it this way: you have countless admirers.
Wise decision girl, hold on! A lot of attractive men are indeed non-smokers, I've noticed that too. And remember that whoever quits smoking has to take up sport.
As far as Greek people are concerned, they couldn't possibly quit. Here's a link to an article that says it all.
http://maillists.uci.edu/mailman/public/mgsa-l/2006-August/007149.html
I would happily take up horizontal
jogging. BTW the link doesn't work.
It should though, I tried again. Anyway, copy/paste this one instead
http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_ell_4890975_12/08/2006_73111
Horizontal jogging, like I did last year? Well then, the money you'll have saved will serve to buy larger clothes...
I don't smoke but it hasn't been any help getting hold of attractive men.
The unattractive ones, however, follow me like flies.
Possibly because being smokers, they have no sense of smell and can't detect the Unattractive Man Repellent I wear to keep them away.
I can't even join the Beta blogger club, apparently I've said poo tit bum too many times and they don't want me, how very dare they!!
Hey Daffers,
I'm from Edinburgh, Scotland and they brought the smoking ban in there a year ago. . .it was such a smooth transition and is generally agreed by both smokers and non smokers to be better. For me (a non smoker) the pubs and restaurants are a wonderful smoke free environment and the smokers have found a brand new social group. You see in the UK we lack what the rest of Europe have discovered about eating and drinking al fresco (its defo the temperature). So smoking outside has made way for a new community and once the smokers exit for a fag some of them have better fun outside socialising and don't return back indoors and pubs are maximising on this with patio heaters etc. I moved to Brussels and couldn't believe the smoke my lungs were again inhaling and the stench my clothes were absorbing. . .
bring on the ban. Goodluck with your efforts.
p.s I hate Beta. . .if its not broken and all that. . .
Anyone got any fags?
Patio heaters! Of course! I'm starting up a patio heater company immediately.
Not doing bad so far. As long as I stay home and don't drink alcohol, I don't want a cig. Better find a teetotal and agoraphobic man now.
you get loads of those 'patio heaters' in brussels that are used throughout the winter. you can eat outside the falstaff in the middle of january, par example - but i'm no longer tempted as all the smokers will be there now.
poo sticks.
off topic but could you remind me about the sat tv thingy you were looking at... need al jazeera and not lots of crap belgian tv
You need a man who makes your knees wobble when he kisses you. You'd give up smoking just to make your mouth tastier.
Ha ha, I've got it! Al Jaz in English! Looks just like Sky News only cuts occasionally to clip of man in robes galloping across desert on horse. I only got it because I fancy Rageh Omaar.
There's a link on the left hand column to the guy who installed it.
Oh how sweet, are you two sitting on the same chair?
GB, that's another reason, yes.
These Smoking bans are an absolute joke.Im Scottish ,I smoke and unbelieveably being Glaswegian ,I dont drink.All that has happened here is that the Nanny State has again pushed its Will on the people.The outsides of Pubs and clubs are littered with Fag douts which would have previously been put out into ashtrays.It has also increased the amount of Violence surrounding pubs in general.Gangs of drunken people standing around is just asking for trouble
I am totally against the Accepted use of Societies Drug of choice, alcohol.More innocent people are killed or mained due to the use or mis_use of Alcohol than fags have ever or will ever.
I Accept that there is an argument that passive smoking can be harmful but rather than taking away the civil Liberies of the few,To please the majority ,Why not improve ventilation in buildings as many other countries have done.
Something to think about.........When was the last time you heard of a person being assaulted and ending up in casualty of an evening because someone had smoken too many fags and decided to attack an innocent person.......Never
but we accept Alcohol and all that goes with it ,but we stigmatise Smokers...I myself break this smoking ban law any time i can......Oh and if you are one of those people who would challenge me about it ....Please dont ......It might not be to your advantage.I may have been drinking too and become violent but i wont as i dont drink.
Well said. You've only got to look at Zed to see that strong drink does far more damage than fags.
I've now given up both. (Smirk).
Hey!
I don't smoke but I'm against such extreme solutions. Ok. I hate people smoking on the bus stops or this kind of public spaces but pubs? I think signs for smoke and non-smoke places would be well enough. And btw. Poland is going the same way. Our government even wants to prohibite in-car smoking.
Cheers
Bars are always closing and new ones opening. So...just pass a law that says, say, 80% of all NEW bars must be non-smoking establishments.
That way, it's phased in slowly and we get to see whether there's a real market for smoke-free pubs instead of this 'fake' one.
Cher Crabtree, I couldn't have put it better myself! The cows must be well kept, for sure.
You know who's responsible for this anti-smoking legislation to protect ze revolting worqueurs. It's those damn trade unions.
Oh and welcome back Shyha, where you been boy? Up mountains and things. Keep posting those pictures of Poland, it makes me all nostalgic.
I still maintain that it worked fine in Edinburgh (I know Patt says not in Glasgow). Give it time and we'll forget it was ever an issue. . .our concerns will be gone in a puff of smoke. . .haha hardy ha!!! Ssh comic genuis at work. . .
That's can't be Bourvil. It looks like Brassens.
I LOVE dip dop.
Well Bourvil was just a singer/actor wasn't he? (Dip Dop help us out here). Perhaps Brassens wrote it and Bourvil sang it. My favourite Brassens song is "Gare au Gorille". It makes me think of Mr Bananas. Who, incidentally, has a book out.
I have also made the leap to beta. It does make it easier to keep on top of things (please excuse the pun).
Au revoir
I think that this PC war on tabac is so hypocritical..they need to hire the alcohol lobbyists for a while...btw have you seen the film Thank You For Smoking...quite funny and spot on!
The untold misery that alcohol unleashes on this world is a HUGE problem..don't get me wrong I love my boozy get togethers, but I am a happy so and so..if I could gentically modify all of those assholes who get tanked and start swingin'I would do it in a heartbeat.
Enough of this. Quit if you like but you have to do it for yourself...and like Cream explained every 'een' usually gets replaced by another..his was f'eine. If you can find something to do with your fingers and your mouth, that is appropriate in public, it would help...btw I am always suspicious of women who carry around huge clumps of celery sticks in their purse.
Sorry about Beta I am still hesitating..sure they can have my Alpha..when they take it from my cold, dead, hard drive.
Evenin' Constabule SL, are you interested in taking down my particulars? (Sound of police siren fading into the distance very quickly). I'm getting used to Beta, it is certainly easier to edit the blog. But what I really LURVE is the Site Meter I've installed - it's like working for MI5, you can see everyone who's ever visited, where they live, what colour pyjamas they wear, everything!
HE, Cream replaced nicoteen with caffeine. Judging by this latest post, I think I'll be taking up fedayeen. One week off the cigs now and I'm still coughing, but don't spill my coffee over the keyboard any more when I'm bringing my guts up, so I guess there's some improvement there.
I associate smoking with bad temper and bad smell.
I had a boyfriend who smoked like a chimney...he had a baaad temper. And in high school I had a literature teacher from Canada, she chain-smoked...oooh, her breath was badddd.
Keep at it, GG, I need to be scourged until I've lost the habit. (Ooh that was all a bit subliminal Jesuit wasn't it?).
I like Brassens too, Dip Dop, but Brel's the big man up here. There is a Thai restaurant here called "Perles de Pluie" after a line from his song "Ne me quittez pas", isn't that sweet?
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