Smoking bans

Smoking is now banned in pubs here in Victoria (and NSW), with all indoor smoking outlawed. Except for a few high roller rooms in casinos – which is fine, because the patrons there are immune to cancer because of their wealth, and any risk to the staff is offset by the sheer honour of serving our dear betters.

It’s a good thing. But there is still one hazard in our bars that is a threat to the wellbeing of patrons and staff – drinking. Violence, lowered inhibitions, sexual assaults, and the general unco-ordination of inebriated patrons is a hazard no lesser than smoking.

We should ban drinking from bars.

There will be a public outcry, but there is little reason for it. Smoking can be made safe indoors with creative use of divisions and exhaust, but drinking is nigh on impossible to make safe. There are already laws on serving alcohol to then drunken, but they aren’t enforced to anything remotely acceptable. Plus – in this day and age – there is NO excuse to encourage the consumption of alcohol away from the home of the drinker. No drinking in pubs will mean less cases of drink driving.

But maybe an outright ban isn’t necessary, perhaps patrons should be encouraged to pop outside to drink when they feel the urge. Maybe only serve low (light) alcoholic beverages.

High rollers.

I can understand why the high rollers need to be exempt from laws, such as the smoking ban, but I find it outrageous that they are, unfairly, restricted to their exclusive rooms in the casinos.

The wealthy should be exempt from the indoor smoking ban in all establishments. I propose a tag, attached with a lanyard – that indicates the status of the wearer. One part press tag, one part diplomatic immunity.