|
Speakeasies? Coming soon they could be Smoke-easies
And I happen to agree with him 100%. BTW this illustrates a small snapshot as to how people have changed their habits due to our ridiculous smoking and drinking laws. And things are about to get much worse.
| quote: | By JOE WARMINGTON
How long before there is a large smoker's underground?
We may find out after May 31 -- the first day of the new Smoke-Free Ontario Act.
It just might happen.
There has always been a hidden society in this town of the after-hours drink. It still exists to some degree, but is nothing like what it was in decades past -- when the liquor laws were stricter and there was a lot more focus on religion and the church.
It bred a bootlegger's mentality in some circles -- and of course there are lots of places like this for illegal drug taking activity today. The police have had a difficult time shutting these places down -- or even proving what they are.
Booze cans have always been difficult to crack. They are not easy to find. You have to know them and, more importantly, they have to know you. At some, you have to know the password. It's a secret club. That's why they call them speakeasies.
The big question is could this soon happen with smoking?
Could smoke-easies pop up all over the place after May 31 -- filled with normally law-abiding citizens hankering for a place to inhale their tobacco indoors and in peace?
"You never know," said Nancy Daigneault, president of the 32,000 member smokers' rights group, mychoice.ca, who certainly doesn't endorse such a development.
But they are realistic. "Only time will tell," said Daigneault.
It will be interesting to watch. It's doubtful every current smoker will quit at midnight May 30! The smokers have to go somewhere -- especially in the winter season. Perhaps the government will have to create an even bigger Smoke Police squad with a bigger ticket book.
The truth is, there already are "ashtrays" or "tobacco cans" all over the place. They are called garages, basements, kitchens, porches or backyards. "I hear more smokers are staying at home and having garage parties," said Daigneault, who reminds that it is a perfectly "legal" product that the government does tax.
She's right on all counts. And the at-home unofficial smoking clubs are growing. In some cases it's the people who used to meet at the pub but now drink and smoke without all the rules. This is a smoke-easy in essence.
There are others who buy a couple of cigars and drive around town in their pickup truck and smoke them. It's a moving smoking lounge. There's probably no way to measure it, but there's some exhaust fumes for the environment that was not being deposited before. "We used to check out the girls in the bar," said one of them. "Now we just check them out on the street."
It's a byproduct of not being able to smoke their cigar. The cigar business, which boomed in a big way in the 1990s, is all but dead. There are still some fine cigar stores in town holding their own, but many have closed.
The industry has all but thrown in the towel -- hence the announcement of The Last Big Smoke, at The Drake Hotel, Tuesday May 30. "Five of Canada's leading cigar distributors will join forces to throw an epic bash because on May 31, Ontario will become a smoke-free environment," said a news release. "As a result, Brigham Enterprises Inc., Havana House Cigar & Tobacco Merchants Ltd., House of Horvath Inc., Kretek International and The David Cigar Corporation of Canada, are taking this opportunity to Celebrate the Cigar with the Last Big Smoke event."
It's not quite as overt but at ScruffyMurphy's in Etobicoke they are having an anniversary party that night -- manager Michelle Zanussi said while they are closing down their smoking room their outside patio does comply with the new rules.
Times sure have changed and at the Drake that will be honoured at the stroke of midnight when "a bell will be sounded" and everybody will "have to 'butt out' signalling the end of 'private party' smoking laws."
It's a fun way to mark the end of an era where if the Leafs ever won a Stanley Cup or your pal's wife has a newborn, you'll have to find other ways to celebrate.
Perhaps after May 31, that will happen inside your neighbourhood smoke-easy?
|
___________________
| quote: | Originally posted by jester
Everything in this country is illegal. |
"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery…" Winston Churchill
"If you have ten thousand regulations you destroy all respect for the law" - Winston Churchill
|
