On Sat, 23 Feb 2008 23:51:33 +0000 (GMT), "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:

In article ,
dennis@home wrote:
I have never said smoking should be banned, just in *all* places the
public has access to and anywhere there are kids.

So why is it banned in private clubs?

Because (I suspect and as I mentioned previously) it reduces the
insurance liability when one of the staff / cleaners tries to sue
because they have contracted a smoking related disease. [1]

I agree there could still be 'special' places which were obviously
only of interest to smokers (like 'Smoking Clubs') where members of
the general non smoking population would not need to be in contact but
I still suggest the above para is to do with it.

I'm not sure you could get a member of staff to waive their rights
either? "I hereby sign that if I become ill or die from a smoking
related disease from working here I (or my family) won't sue the
company" ?

All the best

T i m

[1] This is probably folk law (or will be discredited as such) but I
heard there was an instance of a smoker who contracted lung cancer who
then tried to sue her employer for 'encouraging her to smoke' (because
they had proved a 'smoking room' on the premises). This could be a
reason why many companies *don't* provide such facilities and further
don't allow smoking on their entire site.