A Bloomberg-style smoking ban (that’s mean-spirited, scientifically illiterate and thuggish, in case you’ve forgotten) comes in force tomorrow in Ireland. In Ireland! The Daily Telegraph has more:
“Further along the bar, Declan Cotter, a 28-year-old sales representative for a drinks company, is smoking his sorrows away with long, intense drags. “Our culture is based around pubs. That’s where we meet,” he says. “Irish people class the pub as an extension of their parlour, of their house. Now it’s being changed.
“We’re expecting a 25 to 33 per cent downturn in sales because people will start drinking at home. But it’s not just about the facts and figures, it’s about our culture.” The facts and figures do, nonetheless, make uncomfortable reading. In Ireland, the first country in Europe to impose such a ban, it is estimated that 65,000 jobs will be lost through a decrease in trade. Many smaller, rural pubs are expected to close altogether.”
For vandalism, this new law takes some beating.
For a hint of more civilized times, however, check out the description of James Joyce and his pub lunch of “a glass of burgundy, a gorgonzola sandwich and a cigarette.”
Perfect.