Outside tobacco

Today, every person sitting in bar or restaurant can free drink and smoke cigarette. This pleasure will be accepted till Sunday, July1.

Of interesting remark is that in all bars a lot of persons used to light up. Imagine that after July 1 all this persons ought to go outside if they desire to smoke. This will look as following: dozen off people will stand around outside on the streets and smoke.

Society also didn’t consent to such picture. As showed a recent survey, 44 per cent of people would be intimidated to go into a pub where smokers were standing outside the front door.

Customer Katherine Hornsby, 18, said: “I am worried about the trouble it may bring to the streets when people are outside smoking.”

The Queen's Head, Alnwick is planning to create special areas designed only for tobacco usage.

Another problem will be cig’ litters. It must be understood that outside smoking increase the risk that tobacco litters will be dropped on the streets, which wouldn’t be very aesthetic as well as for local as for tourists.

Gordon Thompson, 62, said: “I hope they provide somewhere better to get rid of cigarette ends so that we are not littering the streets.”

A resolution for this difficulty purposed Peter Wright, regional environmental health spokesman for tobacco control group FRESH: “There are a number of options available to pubs. Wall-mounted cigarette litter bins are one option. They cost around ?80. Pubs that have them have proved to be successful at keeping the area outsidetidy. Alternatively, a pub can make signs asking people to put their cigarette ends in bins inside the pub.”

What about those that doesn’t have a beer garden? One of such bar that is owned by George, Alnwick.

Tenant Christine Blair said: “We are going to put four chairs and two tables outside the pub and we are going to apply for planning permission to have bins on our walls. This could be difficult though as we are a listed building. We are also considering putting ashtrays on the window ledges.”

About this problem spokesman from Alnwick District Council said: “We are aware that it could be a problem and are monitoring the situation to see if we need to take different action but won’t know what is needed until after July 1. It might be the question of doing the normal street sweeping but it could be the case that we will need to have talks with pubs about special cigarette bins.”