Blackpool smoke ban rebel convicted

[Jason]

PUB landlord Hamish Howitt today vowed to continue to defy the smoking ban despite being ordered to pay £2,515 as punishment for allowing people to light up in his bar.

But his premises could face closure when the council reviews his licence at a town hall hearing later this month.

Mr Howitt, 55, of Park Road, Blackpool, became the first publican in the country to be convicted of breaching the new smoking legislation which came into effect on July 1 when he appeared at Blackpool Magistrates Court today.

Sentencing him, District Judge Peter Ward told Howitt that his campaign was "silly, misguided and pointless''.

But he added: "I do not intend to make a martyr of you by imposing swingeing penalties."

The owner of the Happy Scots Bar and Delboys Bar in Rigby Road had previously denied 12 charges of failing to prevent smoking in smoke-free premise but changed his plea to guilty. Each charge carried a £2,500 maximum fine.

He was given a conditional discharge for two years for the first seven offences, and fined £100 each for a further five offences.

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More of Taxpayers money wasted!!

[Physicalbabe]

Good on Hamish i support his plight 100% and yes im a smoker and will admit ive spoke to some people in the new trend of smirting but i still think it should be a free choice
why sell the fags then in the next breath say you cant smoke them yet still have the cheek to bloody tax us on them ........double bloody standards

[Christian1985]

To honest I am fiercely anti-smoking so I feel a victory in his conviction. But I just wish he would heed the trial as a warning to give in now or face ruin. I may be strongly anti-smoking but I even I don't want to see him go bankrupt or out of business, so my warning is give in now and save yourself the agro.

[Bernie]

I am a smoker, we all know the law. If he decides to carry on letting people smoke in his pub they will come down hard on him next time so the decision is his.

[Sweetpea]

As non-smokers it has made a pleasant difference to us.

[Christian1985]

I agree, I has made a very positive difference. I just wish he would drop this silly campaign before he loses everything. After reading certain articles about Mr Howitt, he doesn't seem like the pro-smoking extremist I had him down as, he has done a great deal of work for charity and seems like a geniunely nice guy on the whole so I wish he would give up this silly campaign and get back to reality. The majority of Britain supports the ban not the otherway around.

[Physicalbabe]

in a recent survey carried out you will find that 68% of britain do not approve the smoking ban and my i also point out that 18% questioned were non smokers...why is this , i shall tell you the revenue is losing hand over fist because clubs bingo halls restaurants (i agree as a smoker tha smoking should not be allowed where food is) are closing this in return is hitting the goverment so what will they do ... add more cuts to your pay packet after all the goverment has to regenerate the money that is being lost on certain sales not just of fags but of the beer that is not being sold due to clubs pubs etc closing.

And may i just also point out that Mr Howitt is a non smoker! but also hates this ban being put in place.

so in theory the ban effects not just smokers but none smokers too

[Jason]

REBEL publican Hamish Howitt says he will fight a fresh prosecution "all the way" after licensing chiefs slapped another case on him.

Just 48 hours after becoming the first landlord in the country to be prosecuted for allowing people to light up inside his premises, licensing chiefs issued a new summons.

On Monday Howitt, 55, admitted 12 offences of allowing smoking inside the Happy Scots Bar on Rigby Road, Blackpool.

Speaking to The Gazette, he said: “Instead of pleading guilty I will be pleading not guilty this time.

“I am planning to fight this all the way.”

He told the court it was a political stance against the Government’s controversial no smoking in pubs laws.

On Wednesday, Blackpool Council sent staff to the bar and Howitt, of Park Road, Blackpool, was served with a new summons alleging he had continued to allow smoking on the premises.

A council spokesman said: “I can confirm a new summons has been served in relation to Mr Howitt which is answerable at Blackpool Magistrates’ Court later this month.”

[big al]

just recently had a holiday in the canaries and smoking is still allowed in bars and restraunts they have a official certificate from the goverment in every bar are we the only country enforcing the ban every other eu country are not taking it seriously

[Jason]

There were places in Spain when i went a few weeks ago where you could smoke in bars......and the 4 star hotel i stayed in had a separate bar and you could smoke in there.

[andrea]

Think I should move to Spain for the winter then

[Sweetpea]

Giving up was the best as easiest I ever did. I find it quite amusing to walk past crowds of workers outside Tesco's in all weathers, puffing away. I have never been a slave to anything, I sure as hell won't be now.

[angie 50plus 2]

ive give up before because i wanted to then i started again because i wanted to not because some biggoted policy that tells me i have to

[Sweetpea]

Stopped because I wanted to, 26 years ago and have never started again, ever! And my Husband can say the same.

[Christian1985]

I applaud you and your husband Sweetpea, I just wish others would follow your example. As a healthcare professional in training I am fiercely opposed to smoking and strongly supportive of the ban. I just wish more effort could be made to stop people starting in the first place not just making them give up. Like educating school kids that smoking is not 'cool and trendy' and educate them of the health dangers and consequences of smoking like heart disease, emphysema and lung cancer.

[Sweetpea]

I wonder how many here have had parents die early with heart attacks, strokes etc, all because they smoked?

Hard question I know. My mother died at 53 of Coronary Thrombosis, she smoked.

Incidentally my oldest daughter smokes, because I did. My youngest doesn't, because I didn't when she was growing up. My eldest daughter actually looks older than me. Why? You guessed it.

[angie 50plus 2]

there is going to be more children affectef with smoking and drinking because more people at home will be doing it there than in the pubs

[Sweetpea]

Most people that smoke do it in front of their kids from birth. Mine certainly did and I have asthma now, because of the damage bronchitis did to me as a child and I put that down squarely on their shoulders.

No takers for post 16?

[Christian1985]

My mum gave up about 26 years ago, 4 years before I was born, thank god. Smoking when pregnant not only puts you at serious risk of miscarriage or stillbirth but other ill effects. If there are any parents who smoke around young children (esp babies) that is just unthinkable. Studies have shown higher incidences of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome related to parents smoking. Smoking also decreases life expectancy by at least 10 years as a 50 year study has shown.

[big al]

smoking ban next will be drinking ban then higher taxes to make up the loss from fags and beer