Pensioner plans pub smoke ban protest

A Scottish granny plans to challenge the smoking ban saying it has robbed her of her only chance to socialise.

Smoker Nancy Burke from Paisley, hasn't been in her local since the ban came in and says it has disbanded her circle of friends who usually met there for a chat.

She and her friends are now launching a campaign to seek a special concession for pensioners so they aren't forced out into the cold.

Older people can't stand outside in the freezing cold and rain for a fag - so we just stay in.​Scottish pensioner Nancy Burke.

She told the Sunday Post: "The situation is distressing for many older people who live on their own who can no longer go to the bowling club for a half and a puff."​

"Older people can't stand outside in the freezing cold and rain for a fag - so we just stay in.

"There's nothing left for us any more. For many people a quiet pint in a bar was the only company they'd get.

"For the sake of older people we have to find separate areas for them to smoke in comfort - otherwise, they'll be confined to their own homes — or God's waiting room as some folk call it."

Burke's friend, 78-year-old non-smoker Isma Stewart feels so strongly about the issue she plans to smoke her first ever cigarette - in a Scottish pub.

She said: "The ban is too strict. It hasn't been thought out properly and older people have been ignored.​

"My friends don't want to go outside to smoke, it's undignified, unhealthy and dangerous. I'd like to meet Jack McConnell to tell him the effect this ban has had on us. It has been a disaster.

"It's like living in Soviet Russia, when people had no say in their lives."

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Your Comments​

Robert Feal-Martinez​ via email 24/04/2006"It's like living in Soviet Russia, when people had no say in their lives."

This one line sums up the whole issue of smoking bans. Why should anyone face the indignity of going outside to smoke when proper ventilation is the answer. It is really quite ironic that pubs abd clubs are having to install air freshers and scented smoke to take away body odour. These very items contain Carcinogens themselves and could set off allergies. Freedom to Choose will be contacting these Pensioners and offering our assistance. We urge Nationl Media and newspapers to take up this story, or will they wait until a pensioner is mugged and dies outside a pub. Remember it's already happened once."

Martin​ via email 24/04/2006"Toxic smoke in pubs and bars was "undignified, unhealthy and dangerous" - and if these smokers don't want to have any tolerance, they should simply stay at home. Non-smokers had no chance to socialise in smokers-pubs, but smokers can socialise everywhere, with the possibility to smoke at anytime they want outdoors."

Wayne​ via email 24/04/2006 "Comment:Martin, why not you open your own non-smoking pub, then you can go there with your other one friend, or was it two, I am a fitness fanatic, and smoke with a beer only, but a little passive smoking will not harm anyone, your lungs cope with far more than this on every day living, read some books. You have toxic as you call it air all around you that you breath in every day, did you know that, yes the same toxic air as in the bars is in the all outside air, you should grow up a bit more.

How can you tell me it's unhealthy and dangerous ??? I e-mailed the UK statistics people and they said there was not one recorded death thought passive smoking, we are tolerant, we would like good ventilation, you say we should stay at home, des that sound tolerant, there are 1000's of non-smokers all over the country that smoking does not bother, and they socialise constantly.

I wonder what kind of diet you have, or do you just pick on smokers for the sake of it."

Elizabeth Adams​ via email 24/04/2006"Comment:Regards the pensions moaning that they are forced to stay home because of the smoking ban, my grandfather also fought in World War Two. As a non-smoker felt very unwelcome in his local British Legion Club because of one of two aggressive smokers who refused to even allow windows to be opened.

He is delighted that smoking has been banned because he is now able to go to his local pub, go to the bowling club and go to the gardening club without being put at risk of having an asthma attack which could kill him.

Smokers are so selfish, they only think of themselves. Most of the population don't smoke. I am very glad they are finally being stopped from making the rest of us miserable."

Bill Gibson​ via email 24/04/2006"Real solutions have been offered to Govenment but they have chosen to ignore them in their quest for social engineering. In case you have been away for the past 3 years the solutions tabled are Ventilation, Air Filtration with Air Curtains linked to an Indoor Air Quality Standards with options on seperate Controlled Designated Smoking Rooms as is offered throughout the majority of European countries and cities in the USA.

The Designated Smoking Areas work well in Airports and if removed will result in other issues such as Airport and National Security. Politicians are unable to meet the real world head on..I have said it before and will say it again, we are in a dictatorship, democracy has gone."

Belinda Cunnison​ via email, 25/04/2006I feel for Elizabeth's grandfather, but it must be understood that those who oppose the smoking ban do not condone inconsiderate behaviour whether of smokers or anyone else. I don't smoke and I can count on two fingers the people who have ever been noticeably inconsiderate to me in their smoking behaviour.

If smokers are so routinely selfish, how is the government up here able to persuade so many that they all accept the ban? By saying that these selfish ego-maniacs are jumping at the chance of being saved from themselves?

The problem of isolation in old age is not new, it has been talked about for decades, if not longer. My first memory of it in literature was in a book by Winifred Holtby written in the 1920s or 1930s. It affects everybody whether they are smokers are not. It is quite irresponsible for the government deliberately to engineer a situation that exacerbates this issue and then claim it is good for everybody's health. The message of a smoking ban is that unless you stop smoking you will die lonely. What a message to send out to our young people.

Bill Gibson​ via email, 24/04/2006To view real solutions to Environmental Tobacco Smoke you only need to look at the response from the Dutch Government. They recognised that 21st century technology works and gave venues until the end of 2008 to budget for and install the necessary equipment. Beyond that date, any venue not wishing to comply is then deemed to be non-smoking and must disply appropriate signs. then...the market mix of smoking and non -smoking venues evolves automatically providing that vital ingredient of CHOICE without all the agro we are seeing here.

Yes the Dutch have led the way in plugging the gap between dictatorship and real democracy.A similar situation applies in Bend, Oregon and I can say from first-hand experience it works extremely well without any adverse effects on the Hospitality Sector