[hkmatt]

This is a great place to play pool but so annoying that, as a non smoker, they completely ignore the fact that they do not have a smoking licence for the bar.

They have non smoking signs everywhere, even in the ashtrays! but everyone smokes openly including the management and staff.

When I have approached the manager he just shrugs it off and laughs and lights up himself....any thoughts?

[jaykay]

Pretty normal in a lot of places, many Karaoke's and Restaurants still allow smoking, although usually in private rooms. Not much you can do except contact the Tobacco Control Office and speak with them. Beware though that if the guys have a visit and believe you were the one that called then smoking in the bar will be the least of your worries!

[PDLM]

I agree with you. I was playing in the Sunday 8-ball league that just ended there and some weeks it was absolutely foul: my clothes stank of tobacco, often my eyes would be seriously irritated, and my throat tasted like shit until about Wednesday. If I hadn't given a commitment to see the season out I'd have stopped after a couple of weeks.

The TCO people have "raided" it a couple of times, but that's a joke - the staff get warning as they're coming in to the building and have time to tell everyone to put their fags out and clear the ashtrays. The room's still full of smoke when the officers enter, but there's nothing they can do. Personally I think if they are going to be effective then the TCO people need to gather evidence undercover and the bar licensees need to be liable to large fines or to be shut down and forbidden from holding a licence for repeat offences.

Joe Nieh (the owner of Joe's) is convinced that his business won't be viable if he blocks smoking, and since he's getting away with not doing so then he's unlikely to change his mind. Unfortunately it does seem that in Joe's the smokers are in a majority (although maybe this is self-fulfilling because so many non-smokers have been turned off by the foulness of the place).

So, can anyone recommend an equivalent non-smoking pool hall on the Island or in TST?

[hkmatt]

There is the new pool bar in LKF called Racks, haven't been there yet but keep meaning to check it out. Sounds more upmarket than Joe's so would be interested to see if they have a smoking licence or not.....

[hktraveller]

Originally Posted by PDLM

I agree with you. I was playing in the Sunday 8-ball league that just ended there and some weeks it was absolutely foul: my clothes stank of tobacco, often my eyes would be seriously irritated, and my throat tasted like shit until about Wednesday. If I hadn't given a commitment to see the season out I'd have stopped after a couple of weeks.

The TCO people have "raided" it a couple of times, but that's a joke - the staff get warning as they're coming in to the building and have time to tell everyone to put their fags out and clear the ashtrays. The room's still full of smoke when the officers enter, but there's nothing they can do. Personally I think if they are going to be effective then the TCO people need to gather evidence undercover and the bar licensees need to be liable to large fines or to be shut down and forbidden from holding a licence for repeat offences.

Joe Nieh (the owner of Joe's) is convinced that his business won't be viable if he blocks smoking, and since he's getting away with not doing so then he's unlikely to change his mind. Unfortunately it does seem that in Joe's the smokers are in a majority (although maybe this is self-fulfilling because so many non-smokers have been turned off by the foulness of the place).

So, can anyone recommend an equivalent non-smoking pool hall on the Island or in TST?

TCO is a complete joke. I informed them that a couple of restaurants, which have the name "restaurant" or "cafe" on their signboard are on the exemption list even though they clearly don't qualify for just that reason. What they did is to tell to them stick some tape over the word restaurant or cafe on their signboards and that was it. They then informed me that they raided a place at 10 am and found no one smoking.

[dipper]

I don't smoke myself but for goodness sake if people can't even smoke in a pool hall what's the world coming to? If you don't like smoking there's nothing to stop you taking up a more suitable pastime like flower arranging

[omega3]

Smoking is carcenogenic poision.


You can want to play pool --- and not breathe poison... that is a possibility.

1 out of every 3 cigarettes in the world is smoked in China. In a few years China will lose tens of millions of people a year to lung cancer.

They need a world ban against this addictive toxic drug. It will work too, because smoking doesnt produce the euphoria that drives people to pay enormous amounts of money for the drug.