Is a pub garden smoking ban a welcome wheeze or a draconian drag? (Picture: Getty)
Have your say on these MetroTalk topics and more in the comments.
It’s not like they’re smoking inside the pub is it?
Pubs have hit back at plans to extend the smoking ban to outdoor spaces, saying the ‘bonkers’ idea could lead to more venues closing down (Metro, Fri).
Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has confirmed the 2007 ban could be widened after leaked papers showed lighting up in beer gardens, on restaurant terraces and outside sports stadiums face being outlawed.
I don’t smoke, but if someone else wants to smoke outside, isn’t that down to them?
Most smokers smoke to calm their nerves. And the way this country has been going, I think we all need to start smoking!
Starmer should be concentrating on sorting out the knife crime and cleaning up our streets. Michele, London
Why are pubs reliant on smoking to stay open?
If you smoke – would this ban of smoking in pub gardens stop you going to the pub? (Credits: Getty Images)
Most people support smoking bans and policies that aim to reduce take-up of smoking and health spending on the self-inflicted consequences.
Yet mostly we hear about the potential damage to the hospitality industry.
Is there really a moral equivalence between saving lives and saving pubs?
Why is there a feeling that it’s OK to inflict smoking on non-smokers outdoors in public places?
And do we really want to pander to an industry that relies on smokers to remain viable? Mike, Glasgow
Then again… You can get cancer in other ways
Does the PM not know that people who have never smoked can get lung cancer? Maybe he should ban road traffic, too. A, Cheltenham
They’ll still smoke outside the pub
Not if there’s a sign like this one as implemented in Canada where smoking was banned within a 9 m (30 ft) radius of all doors (Credits: NurPhoto via Getty Images)
This ban is utterly pointless because all the smoking customers will have to do is go outside and stand next door to the venue. As long as they’re not in venue’s doorway, they’ll be abiding by the law.
Furthermore, the ban will badly affect the businesses, because since the government banned smoking inside these places there has been a massive decline in customers visiting them. Tracy, Bristol
Is Keir doing us all a favour?
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Banning smoking in open spaces such as pub gardens and high streets would benefit the health of many, discouraging those who smoke but also protecting others from secondary smoking, so helping NHS costs.
Any form of ban should benefit society. Jonathan Longstaff, East Sussex
Four-year-old boy vs 3,500 year old bronze age urn
Oops
I was absolutely astounded to read about the 3,500-year-old bronze age urn that was accidentally smashed by a curious four-year-old boy visiting a museum in Israel (Metro, Thu).
This valuable, historic artefact should have been behind glass to protect it. But as the saying goes, ‘There’s no point crying over spilt milk’ – or a broken vase.
If the museum’s owner would care to get in touch, I’d be more than happy to provide them with a large tube of glue. Al, Charlton
Christmas stuff? Already?
Jim (MetroTalk, Fri) says forget Halloween – now that it’s September, he expects big supermarkets to start pushing Christmas upon us.
In the shops in my area, Halloween items have been on sale for the past month, while Christmas items appeared two weeks ago.
I hate this ridiculous fast-forwarding that retailers do.
And how has Halloween – a one-evening event – become a week-long one? Mollie, Birmingham
The self-service debate and hammering the point home about drunk passengers on flights
If passengers don’t buy it at the airport bar they can buy it in duty free (Credits: Getty Images)
Why are people such as Carlos (MetroTalk, Thu) ranting about self-service checkouts when they’re not being forced to use them?
Perhaps they would prefer to get rid of them and put up with longer queues resulting from fewer checkouts and higher prices to pay for the extra staff needed. Nick, London
I have to disagree with Carlos. There is nothing worse than standing behind someone with a trolley full when all I have is my sandwich and bottle of water. Now I can serve myself and not miss half of my lunch break in a queue! Zoe, Doncaster
Regarding Ryanair’s plan to restricted passengers to two alcoholic drinks in airport bars to curb drunken violence on flights (MetroTalk, Fri).
Perhaps the airlines should invite some of the chairmen from the pub chains on an early morning flight to certain destinations so they can witness for themselves the behaviour of these passengers. Linda, by email
Sir Keir Starmer has set out plans for a treaty with Germany as part of a reset of relations with the European Union (Metro, Thu).
Looks like Operation Undo Brexit is well under way. Jim, London