Taxi Driver Online

Cabbies Get Incentive To Give Up Smoking

Friday 4th September 2009

Taxi drivers who light up in their cabs will be the focus of a major new health campaign to drive down the number of people smoking.

Thurrock has one of the highest rates of smoking in the entire country and is to get a £100,000 Government grant to get more people to stub out the killer habit.

Cab drivers in particular are to be enticed to quit, as figures show more than half of the borough’s 400 taxi drivers are regular puffers.

Thurrock Council has already handed out 11 fixed-penalty notices to taxi drivers, and even prosecuted one cabbie through the courts for smoking in his car.

The smoking ban, introduced in July 2007, made it illegal for taxi drivers to smoke in their cabs.

Under the scheme, cabbies will be offered a chance to attend sessions to help them quit as an alternative to a fine. They will also be given money towards the prescription costs for nicotine replacement therapies.

The funding boost was welcomed at a meeting of Thurrock Council’s health and wellbeing overview committee.

But not all members were pleased with the majority of the money being directed towards taxi drivers who smoke.

Conservative councillor and former mayor John Everett said: “This is £100k of taxpayers’ money. We should be a damn sight more stringent with these taxi drivers.

“We should say quit within a month or lose your licence.”

Mr Everett also called for Thurrock Council to lobby the Government to change the legislation to allow authorities to refuse a taxi licence to anyone who smokes.

Labour leader John Kent was more supportive.

He said: “The impact of smoking on people’s lives and the NHS is undeniable. This Government is working hard to give everyone who wants to, every chance of giving up smoking”.

The money will also be spent on prosecuting shopkeepers who sell cigarettes to under 18s, offering advice to pregnant women who smoke and trying to stop tobacco being sold on the black market.

Source; Echo-News.co.uk

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Brummie Cabbie.

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"But not all members were pleased with the majority of the money being directed towards taxi drivers who smoke.

Conservative councillor and former mayor John Everett said: “This is £100k of taxpayers’ money. We should be a damn sight more stringent with these taxi drivers.

“We should say quit within a month or lose your licence.”



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And that is living proof of how someone clueless can infiltrate top position's in this country, and remember he's a Tory not a Labour man, so take that as a warning when you tick the box at the next election, I bet he's a Mason with a Ken Dodd hat as well.

I have to agree with your sentiments, its f*ckwits like this who brought in the smoking ban and ruined the night time economy.....even though he probably never goes into pubs or uses taxis.

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Are you a smoker, CC?

I'm a non smoker, and I spend an awful lot of time in taxi's.

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Former taxi driver

I think a good majority if not all of that tax payers money was derived from the tax on cigarettes anyway so I think it's only right to be used to help people give up smoking



That's as maybe. Whilst I don't agree that drivers should smoke when there are pasengers in the vehicle I don't see what harm it can do when there is only the driver. Whatever toxins that maybe left in the vehicle could well be left by customers who smoke just before they get into a vehicle. I have to agree tho that I think the smoking ban has seriously damaged the night time economy and the pubs are not now filled with non smoking punters are they, they are in deed now empty, scraping a living or closing down

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

So Toots and CC, (and others) do you really think the smoking ban should be relaxed or removed, to help you improve your income?

Are all drinkers smokers?

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Former taxi driver

Yes and errm it seems that way.....stop the free pensioner bus pass too



CC

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

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IDFIMH

Anything else you want, that'll never happen?

The Tories will probably ditch the bus pass though.

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Former taxi driver

I think the smoking ban should be reviewed to help improve the income of the pubs. Perhaps a mixture of pubs some that have smoking and some that don't. Perhaps those that serve food should maybe not allow smoking. Who knows what the best solution is, but, I can't help but think that the smoking ban has certainly had an adverse effect on things, more so than they originally thought. It is of course not the only thing to affect the economy or our income

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Is it not the economy that's having a greater effect on income? The smoking ban had been in for a while and didn't seem to affect my income or that of my local hostelry.

However, the economy (and a change of management for the worse) has affected trade at the pub. As for my income, the jury's still out until I assess other factors. I think the effect will be marginal.

Ban alcohol. That will be next. Then chips (you may get fat) No kebabs either they're heart attack heaven.

Shoot your dog (it shots all over the pavement) that must emit some greenhouse gas at the same time.

Ban everyone from shotting. That will reduce emissions and clean up the sewers. Less rain forest destroyed for loo roll too.

C'mon peeps what else should be banned??

Ohh stoppit, if a Minister sees that reply they are likely to have a stroke trying to understand the sensible logic of what you said.

@ CC you're bang on about the campaigners who never had any intent to go to the pub, but simply wanted to ruin something that someone else may enjoy.

@ anyone else on the anti smoke bus, I watched a show the other day in the Penn & Teller Bullsh*t series on smoking, and the experts who were at long last allowed to speak conclude that there is no link to passive smoking causing cancer, some of you might wanna watch the show it's awesome, all those little wives tales and conmen are exposed, from the Bible to Tarot readers, time to wake up and realise you are manipulated by the man day and night and you are swallowing it faster than the Titanic took on water, the reason pubs aren't allowed to choose is because those choosing to keep banning smoking will be empty and those allowing it will be at least half full, and that would be against the non smoking pubs human rights.


Anyway to add to the list already mentioned above for future banning

1 - Aircraft - Noisy and consuming and closer to the OZ layer

2 - Cars - Polluting, but hey thats ok cos we must keep Shell etc happy and we get lots of tax.

3 - 999 Sirens - Noisy again

4 - Mobile Phones - Cancer again according to the "experts"

5 - Cheese Grater's - Biggest cause of pain to Chedder etc.

6 - Clothes Lines - Plays havoc with wind patterns.

7 - Tooth Brushes - One of the biggest causes of water waste.

8 - Underpants - Washing machines are ready to strike as they are put upon by dried body fluid and follow through's.

9 - Milk - Ever had yer tits yanked for 10 minutes ladies?

10 - Loo Roll - Would you want your face pushed along someone elses [edited by admin] arse?

Something like £4billion a year is made from ciggie tax in the UK.

I don't suppose for one minute that the recession has anything whatsoever to do with the low turn-outs at pubs for the last several months.

When we are out of this recession, so will the pubs be.

_________________
Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.