Taxi Driver Online

Portsmouth News 4 June 2007

Undercover officers to police smoke ban


SMOKING snoopers are ready to catch people who break the ban on lighting up in public places.
Teams of officers have been trained across Hampshire so they are ready to make sure the smoking ban is enforced when it begins on July 1.

The officers will be allowed to go to bars, restaurants and other venues which are open to the public to look out for offenders.

And they will also be on standby to investigate tip-offs from the public about firms which are flouting the law on a special hotline.

Portsmouth City Council has 10 environmental health officers ready to go undercover – and three of them will be dedicated to enforcing the smoking ban.

Gosport council has employed a dedicated officer to boost its team, while other councils are training their existing staff.

Councils across our area have been given a government grant of more than £270,000 to use for training, publicity and for a hotline.

Officers in Portsmouth and south-east Hampshire have vowed to take a softly-softly approach for the first three months of the ban.

Businesses which breach the ban during that time will get a warning, followed up by three letters – the third of which will be an official written warning.

If they continue to break the law, they could be taken to court and hit with penalties of up to £2,500.

City council environment health manager Mike Rimington said: 'The initial approach will be a non-confrontational one. The focus will be to raise awareness.'

Gosport Borough Council head of environmental health David Palmer added it would be partly up to the public to help police the ban.

'We are expecting people to blow the whistle on those who don't comply,' he said. 'The intention isn't to go in hard on enforcement initially. Most businesses will comply.'

Watch out for the "Smoking Police" they are out to get you!

Is this country getting more like Orwels 1984? Or is it just me?

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Life? Don't talk to me about life!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjm2eslm6hI

Well as they had a Tory gov then, then just maybe you are right.

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IDFIMH

These bans on the stuff we enjoy doing,the things we consume and even what we speak about now! cause depression and stress and yes in some cases psychosis and thats before the financial hardship hits home, the fined for everything that you have always done with impunity but are now criminalised for society is here.

Roll on July 1st. I can't wait. It will be great to be able to go out and enjoy my diet coke in a nice smoke free environment. My clothes and hair will no longer smell like an old ashtray. Stuff the softly softly approach give all the law breakers a fine from the word go so that it shows that the government mean business.

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Grandad,

I agree.

THe downside is with smoke free pubs I have visited, in Dublin, California, etc. is that instead of stale smoke, you get beery breath, farts and body odour instead. So I'll have to bathe more frequently. Said the last bit before anyone else added it.

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Former taxi driver

I was parked outside a pub in Grantham that was already enforcing the smoking ban a couple of weeks ago and without any asking, every person that went to the door who was smoking just put the fags out and went straight in. No problem at all.

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Grandad,

grandad you will also have plenty of elbow room throughout the week as the pubs will be empty, and as you drive or run cabs your business will suffer, like ours has in Scotland especially in the rural area's.
here is an example, there is a pub in my town you could hardly get through the doors, as it was extremely popular every night of the week, now you could fire a shot gun through the doors and not hit anyone.

Pubs around my way are already empty through the week.

Pete

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Grandad,

Haha,your having a laugh,a lot of these diet drinks/food contain aspartame and the same thing happens with that,claims that it is killing and disabling thousands,so it's people like you who are costing the other taxpayers millions to treat you for the results of your healthy life styles,you do it with one thing,you have to do it with the others.

By the way I could not care less whether they ban it or not,it's the people of this country who are so ready and willing to accept the dilution of their rights that worries me.
Now I see how easy it was for dictators to come to the fore throughout history,it's to easy with some of you.

P.S they will still take the smokers cash though,their not that stupid!

No wonder if you go to drink diet coke,I am suprised there are any open at all,maybe their trying to tell you something.

Quite right,smokers were never really a problem group in my experience,they are now though.

Ask any publican and he will tell you that there is far more profit in soft drinks than alcohol.

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Grandad,

Ask any publican and he will tell you that there is far more profit in soft drinks than alcohol. [/quote]


Your right paid a pound for a diet coke last night

there was no resistance from us scots over this but all the talk is wait till they try it down south then it will be a different story, or will it?

Nope else they will lose their licenses.

Which is better than losing their lives.

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IDFIMH