Smoking.

One thing that irritates the hell out of me is listening to smokers whinging about the smoking ban. They blame this on the demise of pubs, saying that since the ban was introduced more pubs have closed down than ever before. Absolute tosh. Do these misguided, arrogant so and so's think that everyone who likes to drink in a pub, smokes? WRONG. In fact the majority of pub goers do not smoke. It is now a pleasure to go into a pub, restaurant, cafe, cinema, football match, theatre etc, etc, without being choked by some inconsiderate individual exhaling their poisonous fumes over everyone. What smokers fail to comprehend is how disgusting smoking is to non-smokers. Years ago I took on working behind the bar of a pub to supplement my income. I had split shifts especially at the weekend when I was expected to work 12noon to 2pm & 7pm to 10.30pm on Sunday. That meant once I finished the afternoon session I had to go home, shower and change my clothing ready for the evening shift. Not because I was dirty but because my clothes reeked of tobacco fumes. In fact I had to put the clothes straight into washing machine to stop the house smelling of stale fags. In addition to this I started with a very bad cough that I couldn't shake off. This was due to inhaling other people's smoke. Ugh. It was only after I left the job that the cough disappeared.Yet even now, we have idiots complaining that their rights are being contravened by the ban. What?? Our non-smoking rights have been contravened since time began. It only takes one selfish smoker to pollute a building, so imagine the effect when they congregate together and produce a large poisonous atmosphere. Another job I had was to help people with disabilities find employment. What annoyed me more than anything was when someone came in to see me complaining their disability was asthma and yet they would not give up smoking. They then went on to tell me what jobs they could not do because of their "disability". Suffice to say my efforts were channelled towards  the more genuine jobseekers and not the apologist smokers. What I find ridiculous is the extent some smokers go to have a quiet drag somewhere that they shouldn't. Yes I have smoked. I started from the age of 13 up until I was 24. It's not easy giving up, I tried several times before I finally succeeded, but it can be done if you are determined. What gave me the impetus to pack it in was because I was playing football and training regularly. I developed this persistent cough, which I couldn't get rid of. I thought to myself why am I trying to get fit and still smoking? The two just did not go together, so I packed it in and I have never smoked to this day. It is only when you stop smoking that you realise what effect it has on non-smokers and how uncomfortable it makes them feel. My father died from emphysema and my father-in-law died of lung cancer both as a direct result of smoking, so I know first hand what this horrible habit can do to people. So I applaud the decision to ban smoking from public places. The fact that pubs are shutting down at the rate they are is not down to the smoking ban, but more down to the fact that booze can be bought cheaper elsewhere and that our drinking habits have changed. Cafe-bars are the new meeting places. Too many pubs have failed to change and move forward. I have no sympathy whatsoever with smokers because like badly managed pubs they will die out sooner rather than later.