Smoke outside (From Barry And District News)

Smoke outside

A POPULAR Barry take-away is the first Vale business to tackle head on the controversial topic of smoking in public places.

Modern Balti owner Ali Akbar is banning anyone from lighting up on his premises.

Ali, who has managed the Holton Road shop for more than 10 years said: "I think people should think about where they smoke. If they worry about where they eat, why not the same with cigarettes?

"I have tried to give up smoking three times. I refuse to smoke in front of my children as I do not want them to think it is okay to smoke. I do not want them to grow up unconcerned about lighting up.

"But I do not think it is fair to ban smoking altogether. People have the right to do what they want. It is free country."

The food establishment has been in the town for more than 20 years and is still going strong.

Father-of-four Mr Akbar added: "I hope other places take our lead. We have a lot of families coming to the take-away and that is a main reason we do not want smoking inside. It is also because of the hygiene aspect as well.

"We are not banning smokers, but they will have to light up outside the shop from now on."

The Irish government banned smoking in the work place on Monday, March 29, which effectively meant no smoking in pubs or restaurants.

On Tuesday of that week, the Irish Fine Gael politician John Deasy was sacked for smoking in the parliamentary bar.

A Dutch law bans smoking in public places including railway stations, trains, toilets and offices.

But hotels, bars and restaurants there have won a temporary reprieve until 2005.

Britain has no specific law about not smoking in the work place.