Smoking and Dancing don't mix

[TheTramp]

You've obviously not met Andy then.

He's actually a small girl's blouse

Steve

[Andy McGregor]

Originally posted by TheTramp
Why can't you close the door?

Steve

I'm told it's needed for air to circulate from outside. There are some outside doors in the room the other side of the bar. The doors from that room to the bar a left open and so is the door from the bar to the dance floor.

There is plenty of other ventilation. I expect I'm just seen as a whinger and ignored. Which I would prefer to the reaction I received from Jeff Jasper who, when I asked him if he was going to ban smoking, told me "Go f**k yourself". I've been trying...

[spindr]

Originally posted by Andy McGregor
The Brighton Competition will be non-smoking.

And on that subject, the competition is now being run by Graham and Sarah. Now that they've got back together it seemed obvious that their partnership, as two Sussex dance business owners, should be the ones to run Britroc so I've stepped aside to let that happen.

That's a shame Andy, I was hoping that you'd introduce me to "Warrick Brown" from CSI -- and even more hoping you'd introduce me to the young lady almost wearing the shiny dress -- as featured on http://www.britroc.com/.

I hope this isn't a case of false advertising?

Neil.

[Pammy]

Originally posted by Andy McGregor
Which I would prefer to the reaction I received from Jeff Jasper who, when I asked him if he was going to ban smoking, told me "Go f**k yourself".

He said that?

Blimey, there's no need for that sort of approach is there!?!?

Px

[Pammy]

Originally posted by spindr
I hope this isn't a case of false advertising?

Yes, maybe next year you could have Sheepy, completely with wooly vest, the Wiz (with his shoes), me, avec toilet roll/shrunken head, Trampy as Obe Wan Kenobe (old or young version depending on the wind chill factor that night) and DS as Pappa Smurf!

Px

[Andy McGregor]

Originally posted by spindr
That's a shame Andy, I was hoping that you'd introduce me to "Warrick Brown" from CSI -- and even more hoping you'd introduce me to the young lady almost wearing the shiny dress -- as featured on http://www.britroc.com/.

I hope this isn't a case of false advertising?

Neil.

The couple in the picture came with the website template. This picture was obviously taken in 1974. The girl was 24 then. She is now 52 years old and will be entering the Seniors section and has changed a lot

I still have the dress and am interviewing for a replacement

[TheTramp]

Really??

Last I heard, you were planning on wearing it yourself....

Steve

[Andy McGregor]

Originally posted by TheTramp
Really??

Last I heard, you were planning on wearing it yourself....

Steve

I'll have to buy matching shoes and handbag first

[Andy McGregor]

I went to Ceroc in Rochester for the first time last night. The venue was quite smoky so I wrote this email. Hopefully we'll see a reasoned argument or even a change of policy


Dear Virginia

I visited Rochester Ceroc for the first time last night as I was at a meeting down the road. The actual dancing aspect of the night was very good, the teaching was of a high quality the music was a varied and well chosen mix and the floor was very nice. Although I only knew one person I was made to feel welcome by the other dancers.

But I was disappointed to find that there was a distinct smell of cigarette smoke on the dance area. This is caused by the smokers actually smoking at tables around the dance floor. One guy was even sat with the back of his chair to the edge of the dance floor itself half turned to watch the dancers and holding his smoking cigarette stylishly over his shoulder so it was actually sticking out causing dancers to divert around it and creating a stream of smoke which travelled amongst the dancers.

One of the current health warnings on cigarette packets says 'smoking seriously harms you and others around you'. This means that by dancing on your dance floor and being 'around' smoking I was risking 'serious harm'. I do not know the level of that risk but there must be one. Whatever the risk it is one that most non-smokers have chosen not to take.

I have started a thread on the Scottich Ceroc Forum at http://www.cerocscotland.com/forum/s...&threadid=1344 . This thread has been visited 1144 times to date which gives an idea of the level of feeling this is about this subject. There is a poll on this tread where 83% of those responding say they don't like smoky dance floors. Scottish Ceroc conducted a poll some time ago as well. As a result of this poll they banned smoking in all of their venues.

I have also been to other venues of yours, Croydon, Bromley and Maidstone. These also have a smoking problem. As things currently stand I will not return to any venue which has smoky dance floors. The only one of your venues that doesn't seem to suffer is Croydon. Although there is smoking in the adjoining bar it doesn't seem to drift onto the floor itself.

Please don't feel that I'm singling you our or being confrontational. I have also been to a new class in Dartford which allows smoking and told them very much the same thing as I'm telling you. It is your choice as the owner and operator of your business to decide to allow or ban smoking. But it is also our choice as consumers to stay away if we do not agree with your decisions. I am considering the risk to my health and that of my dancing friends. I will shortly be asking other dancers to help me compile a list of venues that still allow smoking and to recommend alternatives where their health is not put at risk. And in writing to you I'm giving you the opportunity to be on the 'smoke free' list. Times and public opinion have changed and public smoking is now unfashionable so I hope that this email will prompt you to review and change your policy.

I have one simple question I think you will have trouble answering. Why should we go to a venue where we risk 'serious harm', however small the risk, when there are alternative venues that do not allow smoking?

I have also placed this letter on the above thread. You can either reply there or directly to this email. I will place your reply on the thread if you reply to me directly.

Yours sincerely,

Andy McGregor

[Andy McGregor]

Originally posted by Andy McGregor
I
Please don't feel that I'm singling you our or being confrontational. I have also been to a new class in Dartford which allows smoking and told them very much the same thing as I'm telling you.

YIPPEE Our first result. As a consequence of this thread and Pammy's on Smoking we've got our first change to give people a smoke free dance floor. And they've even managed it without being confrontational (something I wish I had the diplomacy to do). Below is the relevant bit of a pm I received from Nicky, one of the organisers of the new class in Dartford mentioned above.

However, as they say below, they have lost some dancers as a result, I'm sure this is only short term but it would be lovely if other Forum members could give their support to their venues. The website is at www.danceriviera.com and they have a Thursday at Dartford and a Monday at Swanley - I should have gone there last night and would have if I'd known they'd got a new smoking policy.

"I have read with interest your thread of banning of smoking and I whole-heartedly agree with you.

I spoke to Jim who - although hates smoking just as much as me - he felt that to ban it whilst we're still trying to get people to our venues would be financially draining if they chose not to come to us. Anyway, I've done a quick count of 'regular' customers who are smokers and they amount to around 10 out of a potential 90 people per week.

At our Swanley venue, there is a separate bar area and we've asked people to smoke in there and not around the dance floor. At the Dartford venue, we have put ashtrays outside of the venue and for the moment have politely asked people to smoke outside (rather than use the word 'ban' so soon). They have moaned and said that this is their only social night a week and they're not allowed to smoke everywhere else they go - work, restaurants etc, but most have been 'ok', not very accomodating.

Since I've mentioned the non-smoking thing, 5 people haven't returned. Now this may not sound a lot, but they bring their friends - who've also not returned, so we're losing out at the moment. Of course we shall get more people, but we also need good experienced dancers who want to come to us, as we have a lot of competition (as you know) in our area.

So, for the last couple of weeks we've been smoke free in our venues."

[Dreadful Scathe]

nice one Andy

We sometimes forgot we've got it good up here. i went to a freinds engagement party on Saturday past and the place was full of smoke - it was pretty horrible. The only good thing about it though was at a 'normal' person night out like that, the dance floor is either empty or partly filled with girls and handbags - the dance floor was the least smoky place to be and was always empty enough to escape to . Still, cough cough cough eh .

[Andy McGregor]

Originally posted by Dreadful Scathe
nice one Andy

We sometimes forgot we've got it good up here. i went to a freinds engagement party on Saturday past and the place was full of smoke - it was pretty horrible. The only good thing about it though was at a 'normal' person night out like that, the dance floor is either empty or partly filled with girls and handbags - the dance floor was the least smoky place to be and was always empty enough to escape to . Still, cough cough cough eh .

I didn't even know they smoked in 'Smurf'

[TheTramp]

Haven't you seen 'Smoker Smurf'.

I believe that he has a blue face and wheezes a lot! ;D

Steve

[Andy McGregor]

Originally posted by TheTramp
Haven't you seen 'Smoker Smurf'.

I believe that he has a blue face and wheezes a lot! ;D

Steve

I don't think 'Smoker Smurf' lives in Smurf any more.

I spotted a guy matching that description at Rochester. Although the first thing you noticed about him was the smell rather than the blue face

I couldn't hear the wheezing and I didn't see him dancing - maybe Virginia's competitors send him along....

[Dreadful Scathe]

That wasn't me

'Smurf' can replace any verb or adjective or name anyway (didnt you ever watch the cartoon ) so I do indeed live in 'Smurf' and they 'Smurf' the occasional cigarette here too .


Notice in the Metro today that Edinburgh Uni has banned smoking on campus. The future is now .

[Dance Demon]

Originally posted by Dreadful Scathe
.
Notice in the Metro today that Edinburgh Uni has banned smoking on campus. The future is now .

So do they now have to take their ganja in cake form like Jack & Vera.......the future is pink with yellow & green striped giraffes.........

[Grant]

Originally posted by Andy McGregor
At the Dartford venue, we have put ashtrays outside of the venue and for the moment have politely asked people to smoke outside (rather than use the word 'ban' so soon). They have moaned and said that this is their only social night a week and they're not allowed to smoke everywhere else they go - work, restaurants etc, but most have been 'ok', not very accomodating.

Since I've mentioned the non-smoking thing, 5 people haven't returned.

this highlights the selfishness of some smokers who demand the right to smoke but are not prepared to move a short distance to give non smokers the right to clean air
and to top it off below is a quote from the news on the bbc website this morning
'A massive fire which destroyed much of the National Motorcycle Museum near Birmingham, ruining 650 vintage machines, was caused by a "carelessly discarded" cigarette, investigators say.'


grant

[Dreadful Scathe]

Start fining smokers for dropping cigarette butts, that'll sort it. £100 on the spot fine. Same goes for people who spit out chewing gum. They're the 2 most prevelant forms of littering after all.

[Andy McGregor]

Originally posted by Grant
this highlights the selfishness of some smokers who demand the right to smoke but are not prepared to move a short distance to give non smokers the right to clean air
and to top it off below is a quote from the news on the bbc website this morning
'A massive fire which destroyed much of the National Motorcycle Museum near Birmingham, ruining 650 vintage machines, was caused by a "carelessly discarded" cigarette, investigators say.'


grant

An extreme example of the harm cigarettes can do. I should have added the risk of fire to my list of reasons not to smoke given at the start of this thread :sorry

Just a quick update. I have no news on the Ceroc Kent Smoking issue as I've had no acknowledgement of my email. Maybe I was a bit pushy But, in justification, health and avoidance of disease are important and nothing will change unless someone is prepared to do and say something.

[Grant]

Originally posted by Andy McGregor
An extreme example of the harm cigarettes can do.

that's not extreme
an earlier story on bbc contained this quote
'Almost five million people died from smoking-related diseases across the world in 2000, researchers estimate.'

now that's extreme

grant