Salsa City Forum » News and Chat » Ban on Smoking in Public Places

I found this piece in the Observer on Sunday on a possible smoking ban very interesting. It looks like a ban on smoking in public places is nearer than I thought. I'm really looking forward to the day when I will be able to go out dancing and won't have to breathe other people's cigarette smoke (flippin' cigars in the Cuba Bar) and come home with my clothes smelling of smoke.

I was also surprised to see that an enabling bill has already been passed that allows the Welsh Assembly to ban smoking in public places when they think the time is right.

Absolutely! I'm looking forward to a day when bar, pubs and nightclubs will be smoke free. Of course, I hope the bigger bars will be able to create an air-conditioned smoking area (completely segregated by walls and doors from the non-smoking area) so smokers dont have to go out in the rain, but neither non-smokers or staff should be obligated to enter those areas.

A private member's bill was launched in Westminster yesterday by the Labour MP for Cardiff North, Julie Morgan, that, if passed, could allow the Welsh Assembly to introduce a complete ban on smoking in public places in Wales by spring 2006. Here's the story in The Guardian.

Sixty six percent of readers polled recently by the South Wales Echo were in favour of a complete public smoking ban.

Sunday Night Salsa at The Wharf has been a 'Smoke free Salsa' night since just before Christmas.

This only applies to the raised dance floor and seating area that we use for the salsa night, those who want to smoke can go into the main bar area and then rejoin when they want. Although the whole venue is not smoke free it is the best we can do and it certainly makes a difference. Have had no complaints only positive comments so far.

Thanks for the info, Lucy. That's excellent news.

The Cottage is to be the first pub in Cardiff city-centre with a total smoking ban when it reopens in early February. Story.

Two more Cardiff city-centre liscenced premises to go non-smoking: Bar Essential in Windsor Place and a new nightclub, Dewi's, in Mary Ann Street. Here's the BBC story.

Smoking is an addiction and the drug nicotine is more addictive than heroin. Look at all the help the country offers drug addicts yet very few people offer any support for smoking cessation in comparison.

Now I am not a fan of passive smoking but I feel a TOTAL smoking ban is wrong - venues where people go should be able to offer both.

I feel venues that offer 100% no smoking will loose a lot of revenue and if their profits drop too much, they may "drop" the salsa evenings aswell. The tax the government makes on smoking will have to be made up else where - maybe by increasing alcohol prices - then are you going to moan about that.

A very radical thought for you now. You mentioned BAR CUBA - home of the CUBAN cigar. We are dancing and immersing in CUBAN culture and this includes their cigars. If you don't like it - don't go there and stop whining about it on a salsa forum. It's got bugger all to do with salsa.

Hi Wizzy

I think the quality of the air in salsa clubs is a legitimate subject for the forum. Dancing uses a lot more air than just sitting around so one can end up breathing a lot of second-hand smoke. I know I often feel the effects the next morning after an evening in a smoky club.

We don't have to accept uncritically every aspect of the culture of a country we might be interested in. I love salsa, hate cigars - that's just the way it is.

I don't think bars will lose all that much business.

I am a smoker. I lived in San Francisco, California for 15 years. They were among the first of the major cities to ban smoking in public places - more than 20 years ago. I've spent my whole adult life in non-public-smoking cities. We got used to it. Businesses soon learned to put ashtrays outside all their doors. Fortunately, we don't have snow around here. But even so, we'd adapt.

I'm so used to it that I'm actually uncomfortable smoking in a bar where it's legal (outside California). I feel compelled to make sure I'm downwind of non-smokers when I'm outdoors.

And I do find non-smoking bars physically more comfortable. My eyes water in smoke-filled rooms.