h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I worry for the local shops. unless they start stcking nicotine replacements they might lose a hell of a lot ofrepeat customers.

Meh, they might lose some money over it in the short term, but in the long term they won't have to buy as many cigarettes to sell to the smokers anyway.

And a country with a decent health service

You know there will soon be a campaign about poor orphan children or what have you in a 3rd world country who can't work for a living anymore, as no one smokes tobacco these days.
I can already imagine Angelina Jolie puffing away, saying something like: "I'm doing it for the kids"

I know, all those poor people can stop growing crops for the richies and go back to growing their own food and having enough to eat instead.

Or growing bio-fuels.

huh?

And JAM!

"all those poor people can stop growing crops for the richies and go back to growing their own food and having enough to eat instead"

I think SWL's closer to the mark. It'll either be bio-fuel or drugs. I hear there's a big market for drugs.

I keep hearing about this big drugs market. Does anyone know where it is? Sounds like it would be well worth a Sunday afternoon browse and it would beat the usual car boot sales.

It's not on my street, that's for sure. One of the many things that's crap about moving back home after University.

>> It's not on my street, that's for sure. One of the many things that's crap about moving back home after University. <<

One of these days you'll come round to the idea that not having drug pushers on your street is a good idea.

RF

Oh I don't want pushers, normal run of the mill "I've got a nice potted plant collection" dealers would be fine!!

>>One of these days you'll come round to the idea that not having drug pushers on your street is a good idea<<

Oh, I don't know... if they're local, you can at least


(a) avoid em
(b) call on em or
(c) shop them

Depending on your point of view.

Well anyway......... In a teletext debate last week - 86% agreed that pubs should be allowed smoking at the landlords discretion.

I agree with that. In Las Vegas, any place that serves food is non smoking, as are all the shopping areas. All other bars smoking is allowed.

I still stand by the point that economically, at the moment, no-smoking pubs wouldnt flourish yet when in direct competition. When the accepted culture has shifted a little then yes, I agree that there should be a choice, but we have to level the playing field by changing the culture first. Give it a couple of years at the most I reckon.

"I still stand by the point that economically, at the moment, no-smoking pubs wouldnt flourish yet when in direct competition."

In the centre of Sheffield, where I lived for three years there were two J.D Wetherspoon owned pubs. One was a non-smoking venue with a nice veranda with a shade to keep the rain and the sun off, the other was a smoking venue. The non-smoking pub was full to the brim with people who wanted to eat, didn't like smoke, or just wanted to lounge around on the veranda with a cheeky fag. The smoking pub was full to the brim with people who wanted to smoke and drink indoors.

I know it's a very small example, but you can only point out what you know from your experience and that's the only time I've seen smoking and non-smoking in direct competition.

Wetherspoons can afford to try it out. Your average semi-independent landlord PROBABLY wouldnt take the risk. Too many other locals etc. quite happy to have their trade.

"Your average semi-independent landlord PROBABLY wouldnt take the risk."

Well we'll never know will we? If the government had offered incentives for semi-independent landlords to adopt a voluntary smoking bad if they so chose we may have ended up with a decent split?