Buy to lets

[Stuart Noble]

I don't think so somehow. For a nation of yobs we're remarkably law abiding, unless we're in our cars of course....

[Huge]

Sadly, I doubt it. The Brits are way too law-abiding.

[Andy Hall]

Well....

It hasn't in the U.S.

They began with smoking and non smoking sections in restaurants some 25 years ago.

Smoking went altogether in restaurants some 10 years ago and in hotels at least 5 years ago along with public buildings.

They have a litigious society as we know. However, aspects of that are appearing here as well for right or wrong.

Liability insurance will be one factor in defining how this pans out, but I don't think that we will see a falling out of use.

Our culture is one of following legislation for the most part even if we don't agree. Smoking legislation has rather higher visibility than Part P.

Personally speaking, if I do go into a public place and find smoking going on, I am quite prepared to report it and to pursue action being taken.

[Andy Hall]

You should visit some Mediterranean countries. In comparison, our driving is that of a Sunday school teacher

[Frank Erskine]

Apart from drivers of obviously 'company vehicles' smoking; also the flagrant use of non-hands-free cellphones by drivers - usually WVM types, and youngish women in their Chelsea Tractors.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Are all their bars non smoking? Clubs too?

I don't know of anyone who argues that it shouldn't be banned in public places. Only things like privately owned places where the public have access to - pubs, clubs etc. It should be up to the owner.

[Mark Spice]

journalists

As someone who was a toxicologist, even if I'm not one now, could I suggest that you look into additive and synergistic toxic effects?

An additive effect is where a dose of toxin A (having an individual effect of X) and a dose of toxin B (having an individual effect of Y) have a combined effect of X + Y

A synergistic effect is where a dose of toxin A (having an individual effect of X) and a dose of toxin B (having an individual effect of Y) have a combined effect of greater than X + Y. This response can be many times greater than would be expected.

If you interested in this subject a good primer would Principles of Biochemical Toxicology by J Timbrell

I would not claim to know off of the top of my head that passive smoking has synergistic effects or whether or not the toxins within the smoke accumulate (although I would expect that any lipid soluble component would) but it does seem to me that you are dismissing valid toxicological mechanisms without really understanding their underlying principles. This does not make your case look very strong.

Cheers

Mark

[Andy Hall]

In California certainly, although other states may have different laws. New York was more recent.

But if it's a public place, it's a public place......

[Stuart Noble]

Never a shortage of recruits for the gestapo

[Andy Hall]

Vee have vays of making you talk....... :-)

[Simon Finnigan]

As I explained, and was confirmed by Mark Spice, lots of small doses of many different toxins can be a lot worse than would be expected from simply adding up the small doses of each toxin.

But not using the magic process that Dave has suggested removes the toxins from ciggie smoke before I can breathe it in.