smoking ban in bars, clubs and venues: one man's verdict

I think it's great!

Entering the Old Bar last night, my first thought was it smelt like someone had cleaned it. My second was, that someone had lit it, electrically. My third was, there's Julian Teakle. To actually be able to see Julian Teakle, who is usually invisible in a fog of smoke, was something very special. He told me that Tasmania had been smoke free barwise for two years now. Wow! I said.

What it means in practise in a place like the Old Bar is half the people there are not in the room where the band is playing, because they're all out the back. I have often tried to put into words or a stylish metaphor my genuine feelings about smokers and smoking, but it always ends up revolving around excreta worship. I respect nicotine addiction around as much as I respect heroin use, online gaming, gambling, smallpox, religion, Big Brother, Meatloaf, skinheads and celtic tattoos. I am glad it is now only going to be semi-in my face when I go out, rather than totally. Now all we need is to ban alcohol.

I was pretty taken with the bands last night by the way the Bad Luck Charms in particular sounded amazing, they have some sensational hard rock numbers. Ladybird were a kind of bold twee, which could have gone either way but came out pretty good, and New Estate were themselves. Good news I heard last night: Catherine McCarthy to make solo album, Shane reckons we should have an election party at chez Lorraine. What do you reckon, would you come?