Pub smokers urged to stay out of doorways

Smokers in Scotland's Shetland Isles are being warned that if they smoke in pub doorways they are breaching the new ban.

The Shetland Islands Council's environmental health department told Shetland Today it was pleased with the compliance so far.

But spokesman Maggie Dunne said smokers needed to be reminded that smoking in pub doorways, where there is a roof and walls on either side, was breaking the ban.

She said once the softly-softly settling in period has passed, smokers will be fined for smoking in these areas as well.

"We just want to remind people not to stand smoking in doorways because that is still an enclosed area.

"Some of these covered porches can be quite large areas. It is a question of educating everyone," she said.

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Your Comments​Alison Piearce​ via email 10/04/2006"God forbid that smokers should have the effrontery to shelter in porches at the entrance of pubs in the Shetland Isles, they should do the decent thing to protect non-smokers and get soaked and freeze to death. What's next a compulsory badge sown on to the coat bearing the legend 'walking health hazard'? Have these jobsworths nothing BETTER to do?"

Colin Grainger​ via email 10/04/2006"This is getting ridiculous. The Scottish Executive already have one death on their hands due to this illogical ban. In England we have one death and a severe beating for a sixty year old man. Are you anti smokers happy yet?

Now the nannies are saying smokers cant protect themselves from the elements?? More people will die. Particularly old people.

All we are saying, is give choice a chance.

And we are told by Jack McConnell and Andy Kerr that the ban is healthy??

I must be missing the point entirely.

Michael J McFadden​ via email 11/04/2006"So Maggie Dunne says once the softly-softly settling in period has passed, smokers will be fined for smoking in these areas as well.

Of course she doesn't mention where the "softly-softly" approach will proceed from there. Smoking Scots will soon find themselves in the same predicament as the same situation as the citizens of Calabasas, California: forbidden to smoke in the parks, on the streets, or even on their own front porch if a nonsmoking person is within 25 feet of them. The "softly-softly" approach will also move from concerns about foster children to concerns about ALL children who need to be "protected" from their parents, and even those without children will find themselves under attack if they smoke in an apartment or house with a wall adjoining another's residence.

Unless they defend their reasonable rights at the beaches of the pubs, Scots will have opened the door and laid down the welcome mat for the knock on the door and the assault in their living rooms. "Softly-softly" is "Deadly-deadly" as far as personal freedom is concerned.

Michael J. McFaddenAuthor of "Dissecting Antismokers' Brains" " target=_blank>www.AntiBrains.com​

Donal McCarthy​ via email 11/04/2006"The Nu-logic, given the tacit approval by the medical profession and others, is that smokers health & wellbeing, to say nothing their rights to shelter & comfort, just doesn't matter anymore.... Let 'em die....... While Maggie, the zealous spokesMAN, is hell bent on protecting those workers who operate the front porch."

Alastair Elliott​ via email 11/04/2006"This is absolutley disgusting, not only have they kicked Smokers out of Pubs and made them second class citizens but they now do not want them to have any shelter from the cold elements of the Shetland Iles, these governing bodies have no hearts whatsoever. Watch out when the elections come there next year because at this moment in time Smokers votes count."