BUNTON FLOUTS SMOKING BAN Amy Winehouse flouts smoking ban Amy flouts the smoking ban on night out with 'Good Blake' Babyshambles frontman breaks ban twice in one night
Pete Doherty was thrown out of a posh Mayfair club last week because he repeatedly tried to flout the smoking ban. Helmut Schmidt and wife Loki Prince Harry Sex Pistols Jeremy Clarkson Shaun Ryder Happy Mondays' frontman Shaun Ryder could be penalised after he smoked several cigarettes during the band's concert in Manchester. Smoking has been banned in all enclosed public places since 1 July, and anyone flouting the law faces a £50 fine. Pat Karney from Manchester City Council said: "The Ritz will get a visit from environmental health straight away." It is believed members of the audience started smoking as a result of Ryder's actions. Mr Karney added: "No matter how big he thinks he is, he is not above the law. "There will be no breaches of this law in Manchester." Stuart Green, general manager at The Ritz, said staff had enforced the ban. He said the club welcomed the new legislation.
SPICE GIRLS EMMA BUNTON was almost ejected from a London nightclub after flouting the U.K. smoking ban. The 32-year-old star was enjoying a night out with friends at the British capital's trendy Cafe de Paris when she was asked to leave by staff for lighting up a cigarette. A club spokesman says, "Security asked Emma to leave after she was caught smoking a cigarette with a female pal. "We take smoking in the club very seriously as it is against the law. But Emma was extremely polite and kept apologising so she was allowed to stay."
http://www.contactmusic.com
Amy Winehouse enjoyed a crafty cigarette in a no smoking zone on a shopping trip in London last night with her increasingly 'good friend' Blake Wood.
The rejuventated Rehab singer, who appears to be winning her battle with drug addiction, hit trendy Carnaby Street with the American artist and photographer who shares the same name as her husband.
The pair visited Mod and retro stores in one of London's most famous shopping streets, but Amy clearly forgot there is a ban on smoking indoors as she was seen walking around indoor shopping centre Kingly Court, while still lit up.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk
The Babyshambles frontman was partying at 50 Dover Street in London when he twice tried to light up inside, but was quickly bustled out by security, reports the News Of The World.
Pete, 28, is said to have got so annoyed at being told to leave that he got into a scuffle with a photographer on his way out.
http://www.nowmagazine.co.uk
German anti-smoking activists are trying to bring charges against 89-year-old former West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt and his wife for breaking a new smoking ban in Hamburg, the group said on today.
Schmidt, Social Democrat chancellor from 1974 to 1982, and his wife Loki are well known for lighting up in public. Many photographs of Schmidt, now revered in Germany as an elder statesman, show him through a cloud of smoke.
Anti-smoking activists in the western city of Wiesbaden have taken legal action against the couple after pictures of them puffing away at a reception in a Hamburg theatre appeared in the press and on television.
"They were recklessly smoking in public and someone like Mr Schmidt should know better - he is setting a very bad example, so we launched legal proceedings," activist Horst Keiser said.
He reported them to the Hamburg authorities for personal injury and for breaking the new anti-smoking law.
Two German newspapers quoted Ruediger Bagger from Hamburg's prosecutors' office as saying they were looking into the case.
Keiser said he wanted the Schmidts to be fined a few thousand euros and for the money to be donated to a children's charity. He also wanted them to stop smoking in public.
Most of Germany's 16 states, including Schmidt's home state of Hamburg, introduced a smoking ban in indoor public places, including cafes, bars and restaurants, this month.
Police in some states, including Berlin, are not enforcing fines, which can be up to 1,000 euros, for violations.
http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk
Ronnie Wood
THE ROLLING STONES star RONNIE WOOD has flouted the U.K. smoking ban for a second time - by lighting up at KATE MOSS' recent birthday celebrations. The rocker was reportedly asked by staff not to smoke inside London's Punk nightclub in Soho but ignored their pleas - telling them to "f**k off", according to British magazine Closer. The 60-year-old star was at the venue last Wednesday (16Jan08) celebrating the 34th birthday of supermodel Kate Moss, along with his wife Jo and a select group of the catwalk beauty's close friends. Wood has previously ignored the smoking ban - which prohibits lighting up in all enclosed public spaces - when he and his bandmate Keith Richards smoked throughout a sell-out Rolling Stones concert at London's O2 Arena shortly after the law was introduced last summer (07).
http://www.contactmusic.com
Richards eats cigarettes during show
Tuesday, August 28 2007, 11:57 BST
By Kimberley Dadds
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk
Keith Richards ate a cigarette on stage during the Rolling Stones' final London show at the weekend to mark the smoking ban.
The guitarist narrowly escaped a fine last week when both he and band member Ronnie Wood smoked on stage at the O2 Arena.
At the performance on Sunday, Richards picked up another cigarette but decided to put it in his mouth and chew on it instead of risking it again.
Jack Nicholson
By Hazel Tyldesley
Jack Nicholson was treated as being "above the law" as he puffed away in a London hotel without being challenged, anti-smoking campaigners have said.
The veteran actor was promoting his new film at a conference in Claridge's when he took questions with a lit cigarette in his hand.
Nobody stepped in to stop the Hollywood A-lister, despite the fact Claridge's is by law a smoke-free venue.
According to the star's agent, hotel staff had given him permission to smoke at their discretion.
But anti-smoking lobby group Ash says this would have been illegal and added that "nobody is above the law".
http://news.sky.com
Paul Weller
Rocker PAUL WELLER is facing a fine after flouting England's smoking ban at a recent gig - twice. The From The Floorboards Up singer, 49, was performing at London's Astoria venue on Sunday night (30Sep07) when he lit up two cigarettes on stage. As he puffed on the first cigarette, he proclaimed to the crowd: "This is the best drug known to man!" But Weller could now be prosecuted for breaking the law, and the venue owners, Mean Fiddler Limited, could also be hit with a fine. Smoking in enclosed public places was banned in England and Wales on 1 July (07).
http://www.contactmusic.com/
Johnny Borrell
RAZORLIGHT frontman JOHNNY BORRELL has joined THE ROLLING STONES and PAUL WELLER in the latest act of rock 'n' roll defiance - smoking onstage. The Golden Touch hitmaker, 27, infuriated organisers of the Prince's Trust Fashion Rocks concert in London on Thursday (19Oct07) by puffing on a cigarette during a performance of his hit In The Morning. Now the Royal Albert Hall venue faces a $5,000 (GBP2,500) fine in concordance with the U.K.'s July (07) ban on smoking. Kensington and Chelsea council is currently deliberating whether to impose the standard fine.
http://www.contactmusic.com/
Every smoker in England has had to change their habits since the smoking ban came into force in July with one notable exception, who evidently feels he is above the law.
Step forward Prince Harry, third in line to the throne, who continues to puff away in public as if there is no tomorrow.
I’m told that at a party last week to celebrate a close friend’s 21st birthday at HRH’s favourite West End nightclub – the Polynesian-themed Mahiki – the Prince indulged his passion for Marlboro Lights on more than one occasion.
Prince Harry was sitting next to the bar, in full view of the barmen and security and chain-smoked all night Fellow Reveller
Says a fellow ruddy-faced reveller: “Prince Harry was sitting next to the bar, in full view of the barmen and security and chain-smoked all night. No one dreamed of saying anything to him and, if anything, it encouraged a couple of friends who were with him at the party to follow suit.”
The Prince, who celebrated his 23rd birthday yesterday – and since he became an officer in the Blues and Royals is known as “Cornet Wales” – took up the habit as a 15-year-old pupil at Eton and now smokes at least 20 cigarettes a day.
By Adam Helliker
http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/view/19218
The Sex Pistols are facing a $100 fine after openly flouting a smoking ban at a concert in London. The punk icons were playing at London’s Brixton Academy when the band lit up several cigarettes on stage, breaking the new law which came into force on July 1, banning smoking in all enclosed public places. A mere $100 for openly flouting a smoking ban, isn’t that a complete joke or what, the rules need to be relooked at and the rules for gigs need to be revaluated. For fans smoking at such gigs the fine of $100 is fine but for these super rich bands it should be a cool hundred thousand $$$ so that they would pay attention to the rules. Now come on you clumsy police officials you can do better, you are putting such a small fine that anyone would be happy to break the rules and hog the headlines. The London police are like inviting them to break the rules, pay a $100 and you can go away with a simple thank you.
November 20th, 2007 by Hannah http://forgottenjournal.com/
Jeremy Clarkson was burned in more way than one after lighting up a pipe in the Top Gear studio.
Jeremy Clarkson lit up on set Clarkson and his co-presenter James May appeared to breach the anti-smoking laws as they pulled pipes from under their chairs during a discussion about Porsche merchandising.
Mr Clarkson, 47, then carried out his own punishment for the alleged crime by putting the pipe in his mouth the wrong way around, burning his tongue and running from the stage.
A spokeswoman for the BBC said: "During an item in last night's Top Gear, making fun of car merchandise, the presenters lit up branded pipes, which contained herbal tobacco.
"We are very upfront about the style and tone of the show, so viewers know what to expect.
"There were no complaints from members of the audience present during the filming."
The BBC also said that it had only received two complaints from viewers of the show.
However, the anti-smoking charity Action for Smoking on Health (Ash), demanded an apology from the Corporation. Amanda Sandford, spokeswoman for the charity, said: "Smoking in a studio is illegal. Anything that causes smoke is prohibited.
"We would hope that programme-makers make some form of apology. It was meant to be a fairly light-hearted part of the programme, but the law is the law and it's not appropriate for the BBC, especially for a programme that's very popular and seen by a lot of young people, to be openly flouting the law."
Ms Sandford admitted that there are occasions in live theatre that demand on-stage smoking for artistic integrity.
"But this clearly doesn't fall into that category. It's not appropriate to fine people but the producers should be reminded at the very least of the law.
"If it was necessary to smoke then they could have done it outside."
Waverley Borough Council say their officers are yet to view the footage and are investigating the matter, but that smoking is "not permitted in a smoke-free place".
This is not the first time that smoking on stage has reached the headlines. In August, Ronnie Wood and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones broke the law as they smoked several cigarettes during a performance at the O2 Arena. The venue avoided a fine after reassuring the local council that the incident would not be repeated.
By Tom Chivers http://www.telegraph.co.uk
Fans said he lit "cigarette after cigarette" throughout the gig at The Ritz on Whitworth Street on Saturday
Performers are only exempt from the smoking ban if the "artistic integrity" of their act requires it.