Finian McGrath - the pro smoking TD?

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Binomial

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During the GE campaign I pointed out Independent TD Finian McGrath's pro smoking tendencies.

I see he is now promoting smoking again this time in Leinster House. Dáil Éireann - 20/Apr/2011 Written Answers - Smoking Ban

And TD claims HSE is 'harassing' pub punters over smoking area in which he urges the HSE to be a "little bit more flexible". In my view such "flexibility" is tantamount to reintroduce smoking into bars.

Did any one catch his interview with Matt Cooper on Today FM this afternoon? How did he square his concerns about health (and in particular lung disease) with his pro smoking stance?

BiN
 
I'll wait for the video of him and Ming sharing a toke at the back of Leinster House, or a set of Greenhouses appearing on the register of Members Interests, or him rolling a ciggie in the Dail chamber, then the cat will be out of the bag.
 
I see that this pro smoking independant spoke in the Dail recently in favour of allowing smoking in certain parts of bars?

McGrath criticises 'nanny state' over smoking constraints The Irish Times - Saturday, July 16, 2011MICHAEL O'REGAN
IT said:
Mr McGrath said his position was that designated smoking areas in all pubs was a sensible and fair solution.
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Binomial said:
How does he square his concerns about health (and in particular lung disease) with his pro smoking stance?
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horusd said:
i'll wait for the video of him and ming sharing a toke at the back of leinster house, or a set of greenhouses appearing on the register of members interests, or him rolling a ciggie in the dail chamber, then the cat will be out of the bag.
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lol.:d
 
What's the problem with McGrath (or anyone else) expressing their opinion on this topic?
 
I think McGrath's got a point, people should be allowed to make personal choices to smoke or not. And, if people want to smoke in bars, they should be accomodated. A hatch on a wall to hand the booze thro should be enough. They shouldn't be banished to the four winds (and horizontal rains) if they want a fag.
 
horusd said:
A hatch on a wall to hand the booze thro should be enough. They shouldn't be banished to the four winds (and horizontal rains) if they want a fag.
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I thought we went through all these silly arguements in 2004. How can a landlord maintain good order in the pub if there is an area where his staff can't enter. How can he keep it clean and safe? It is unworkable.
 
Does anyone want to go back to the days of smoking in bars? Vast majority of smokers I know don't even want that.
 
No I wouldn't want smoking in bars/cafes etc. I was in a few places abroad with smoking and it's disgusting. But I think maybe they should have a "room" of some kind.

It's not beyond ingenuity to come up with a reasonable solution that suits everyone. I think that the anti -smoking extremists set the agenda is to punish smokers as pariahs. Personally I think ordinary folk are more reasonable and don't get so het up about it.
 
If you a have a nice comfy room though, you will never get them out of it. At least I know when I am out with smokers now, they will always come back. Especially in the winter!
 
Sunny said:
If you a have a nice comfy room though, you will never get them out of it. At least I know when I am out with smokers now, they will always come back. Especially in the winter!
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Lol. you know I heard that the smoking areas in bars are the best for "pick ups." There's a name for it, but I can't remember what it's called. "Got a light ?"...could be the beginning of something beautiful.
 
Complainer said:
I thought we went through all these silly arguements in 2004. How can a landlord maintain good order in the pub if there is an area where his staff can't enter. How can he keep it clean and safe? It is unworkable.
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A double barrelled sawn-off and a hose. used in that order.
 
horusd said:
Lol. you know I heard that the smoking areas in bars are the best for "pick ups." There's a name for it, but I can't remember what it's called. "Got a light ?"...could be the beginning of something beautiful.
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Apparently it is called smirting!
 
T McGibney said:
What's the problem with McGrath (or anyone else) expressing their opinion on this topic?
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+1

I don't agree with smoking in cars with children or in undesignated areas for health reasons but its still a free country.
 
T McGibney said:
What's the problem with McGrath (or anyone else) expressing their opinion on this topic?
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Nothing, in fact its a good thing that the views of elected representatives are expressed and challenged in our democracy.

If this prosmoking TD is successful in convincing his fellow parlimentarians perhaps he will succeed in his stated aim of reintroducing smoking in pubs.

Binomial said:
How does he square his concerns about health (and in particular lung disease) with his pro smoking stance?
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Binomial;1162678[B said:
]...How did he square his concerns about health (and in particular lung disease) with his pro smoking stance?[/B]

BiN
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Well, one is a health issue and one is a "rights" issue I assume. It's not impossible to take different stances on both.

I certainly think there is an agenda abroad to demonize smokers that reaches beyond just enforcing a health issue. Anti smoking groups come across as fanatical in some respects.

Under the guise of the motto "for your own good" they often try to run a coach & four through people's rights to make personal choices which they, the anti smoking lobby, disapprove of.
 
Most of the anti-smoking agenda is not really about 'for your own good'. It is about 'for my own good', i.e. not allowing your personal addiction to infringe on my life, as often happens when walking down a street, or waiting for the Luas or queueing for the ATM, or sitting in my back garden, or sitting in my daughter's bedroom with the window open, or at the Roger Daltrey's gig in a tent in Marlay (despite a plea from the artist, who has recovered from throat cancer, and mentioned that he is highly allergic to smoke now).
 

I think there is an over-emphasis on smoking and relative harm. There is probably more pollutants in the ambiant urban atmosphere around traffic. It's just perhaps not so obvious. A bit of reasonableness wouldn't go amiss.

Personally if someone is smoking a pipe or a cigar outside, I make a point of sitting near them as I love the smell.
 
horusd said:
I think there is an over-emphasis on smoking and relative harm. There is probably more pollutants in the ambiant urban atmosphere around traffic. It's just perhaps not so obvious. A bit of reasonableness wouldn't go amiss.
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So it is unreasonable of me to expect to enjoy fresh air in my own back garden, or in my daughter's bedroom? I'm not talking about 'relative harm' here - it's just a bloody awful smell that gets into my skin and my clothes.

horusd said:
Personally if someone is smoking a pipe or a cigar outside, I make a point of sitting near them as I love the smell.
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I quite like cigar or pipe smoke too, as it happens. Unfortunatly, neither of my neighbours and none of the folk milling around me at Roger Daltrey were smoking pipes or cigars.
 
Complainer said:
So it is unreasonable of me to expect to enjoy fresh air in my own back garden, or in my daughter's bedroom? I'm not talking about 'relative harm' here - it's just a bloody awful smell that gets into my skin and my clothes.
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Did you ask the neighbours to not smokein the garden? Not being smart Complainer, just wondering if you did, and what reaction you got.

PS: No, don't suppose you are being unreasonable BTW. But I think there could be a bit of give and take generally.
 
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