So what happens? Suddenly the smokers are driven out of the pubs and onto the streets.
High streets everywhere are filled with groups of people, huddled together in all weathers, puffing away at their weed. Instead of being hidden away they are in full view.
Moreover they leave behind their litter. There was supposed to be crackdown. Yes a grandma gets fined £50 because a four-year-old throws a sweet-wrapper on to the pavement, but no-one tackles the smokers.
No Smoking signs are put up everywhere, or the owners are fined. There are even signs in four languages.
Am I beginning to sound like a grumpy old man? OK, I'll shut up.
My other ABC Wednesday N posts this week are ~~ Newton Hall from the Rear at Hyde Daily Photo ~~ Newton Bank Printworks at Old Hyde ~~ No Through Road at Sithenah
To visit more ABC-Wednesday N posts go to Mrs. Nesbitt's Place.
Well I for one have wondered for years why throwing out cigarette butts has never been considered littering and there's never any consequences...
ReplyDeleteHave a great Wednesday..
We've had no smoking in bars, cafes, and public buildings in California, for a long time now. Here, most establishments have a public ashtray/trash receptacle to put the butts in, a good solution. I predict the littering will decrease after awhile.
ReplyDeleteHere in Illinois, it is like California...no smoking in public buildings and they put our receptacles for the butts....makes a huge difference.
ReplyDeleteMy ABC's are up~
Neva ABC 1
Neva abc2
Throwing cigarette butts in my country Singapore *is* a littering offence, most definitely. $1000 fine plus community work. We are a fine country.
ReplyDelete"No Smoking" Yes! I totally agree! Thank you for such a meaningful "N" post!
ReplyDeleteI don't smoke, I have never smoked, nobody in my family smokes, but many Turkish people are really addicted to this poison unfortunately. The governement has recently banned smoking in bars, cafes, restaurants, public buildings but we still have the problem of cigarette butts thrown in the streets like in your country.
In Turkey there are large tobacco fields in the Black Sea region and 12 national and big international tobacco companies are active, and recently 5 other international tobacco companies got also permission from the government to establish their factories in Turkey. Their clients are first of all Turkish people of course!
According to statistics, each day 15 millions cigarette packs are sold in Turkey and 4.2 cigarettes are consumed by person every day!
This is a national suicide I believe! :(
It`s just the same here in Norway!
ReplyDeleteWe should all learn from Singapore.
California has banned smoking for years. Like other people have said, placing trash cans close by to public buildings & restaurants should hopefully decrease the butt litterings.
ReplyDeleteWe were on the motorbike on Sunday...as we were driving along I wondered why we were going slow......a passenger in the car in front was waving a cigarette out of the window....eventually throwing it out......Jon had spotted this so took evasive action otherwise it would have hit him in the face.
ReplyDeleteHappy ABC Wednesday!
D
This is a great post. You're definitely not a grumpy old man. Those people do not respect the others. We have the same problem in Montpellier. I have a hard time as I have something that looks like asthma. Pavements are invaded by smokers.
ReplyDeleteThe litter is almost as bad as the smoking. Seems to be an international phenomena. Good choice for today; perhaps some lessons will be learned from your post. Quit smoking lessons!
ReplyDeleteHere in Ireland we banned smoking a year before Britain. The same scenes occur here. There's a narrow doorway up to my hairdresser, and in bad weather it's often clogged with sheltering smokers.
ReplyDeleteThere are bins on walls for the cigarette ends, and they mostly get used.
lots of smoking in here *lol* Thanks for your comments on my insurance post :D
ReplyDeleteWill you visit mine Thanks
My state is now a No Smoking state, and Kate is right the litter is almost as bad. Good post.
ReplyDeleteNo smoking is allowed in most public buildings in Georgia. I was so happy when they started this new law since I am allergic to cigarette smoke. I could not see how they could say this is the smoking section and this is the no smoking section under the same roof. That was kind of like having one pool with a pee section and a no pee section.
ReplyDeleteProving once again that you cannot legislate common sense or common courtesy.
ReplyDeleteRegretably, I am a smoker. I have not smoked inside for about 20 years, long before legislation was passed. I always asked for the non-smoking section. I do not smoke in my home nor do I smoke in my office. I do not smoke anywhere around children. I do not toss my butts on the ground, nor do I relieve myself in pools.
I wish I could quit. I have Panic Disorder and any attempt I have made at quitting triggers a Panic attack.
I am at the very least, considerate of everyone else. While I am sure there are others who are also, I agree there are too many who are not. I would wager that they are also inconsiderate in other areas of their lives as well.
In Norway a national ban was imposed on smoking in public buildings, restaurants, bars and cafes from 2004.
ReplyDeleteBut we could get into a pub without getting asthma! The atmosphere were clean - and high.
ReplyDeleteWe have had that kind of law for some years, with much complaining in advance. That seems to have died down. The litter may be a small problem, but that can be handled.
BTW - thank you for the comment. I appreciated that one - in more ways than one!
Good post, Gerald! The displaced smokers outside, along with the attendant trash and cigarette butts, will ebb and all but disappear. Unfortunately it takes more than a few years, but it has gradually improved in some of the states I'm familiar with in the west and midwest US. We grumpy ones are helping move things along. I hope.
ReplyDeleteWe've had no smoking in bars and restaurants for years now and the businesses had to admit finally that business improved! Now, after so many complaints about smokers hovering around doorways, there is no smoking within (I think) 50 meters of a public doorway. They even put up signs now saying the area is a "No smoking" area. Now to tackle the people who smoke on their balconies in apartment buildings, townhouses, and condos. I got stuck living next door to someone who didn't smoke inside, but came out on his balcony and all his smoke drifted into my place! Yuck!
ReplyDeleteFeel free to rant - I'll join you!
ReplyDeleteGood take on the letter N.
Significant littering, those cigarette butts. I am not sure if you are a grumpy old man--your six word memoir weems to delineate that, but if you are, are you grumpy because of the litter, or because You can't smoke inside, or because of all the smokers huddled on the street? I use to be grumpy because of the second hand smoke.
ReplyDeleteWE have the same rule here. It came back in 2004... but the youth still start smoking.
ReplyDeletePetunia's ABC
guess non-smoking grandmas and tots are less scary to confront than a pack of smokers.
ReplyDeleteHere, you are supposed to be 10 feet from the doorway but it is ignored, we have been smoke free here for a while.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good one for the "N" post.
ReplyDeleteGood choice! I highly agree!
ReplyDeleteGrumpy or not, I agree!
ReplyDelete