Britain's Bingo Industry Could Be Dead In 12 Months
Claiming that over 20,000 jobs were at risk unless the Government stepped in to take action, and almost, but not in some many words, asking that the Smoking Ban be rescinded, as it was dealing a death blow to the bingo industry.
The claims became even more emotional with statements such as allegations that at least a third of the country's 560 bingo halls would be shut within a year! And that the game had lost more than 630,000 players since the actual introduction of the smoking ban in the UK - and the worst one of all - that the UK bingo industry could be totally wiped out in 2008!
Now it's true that before the Smoking Ban, 3½ million people were playing bingo, on average, per week - more people than attend footy matches.
Now, many of us are either solid bingo players, or sometimes bingo players. Personally, I love the game BUT good lord let's take a serious look at our priorities here, and instead of having a go at our Government, get down on our knees and thank them for the Smoking Ban. After all, they are only bringing us closer to what other countries have long since done - banned smoking within public places.
Okay, the thought of 20,000 lost jobs is upsetting. BUT, shouldn't we all be more upset by the 38,300 new cases of lung cancer cropping up in the UK each year? And folks, 90% of that 38,300 cases of lung cancer is caused by either smoking or passive smoking - that's 34,200 new cases of lung cancer (in the UK alone) due to smoking - EACH YEAR.
And that's not all we can thank smoking (direct and passive) for! Smoking is the cause of 120,000 preventable deaths in the UK each year. Refining the time down to stress the importance, a smoker dies every 5 minutes from smoking related diseases in the UK.
So what other diseases does smoking attribute to? Responsible for 26,000 deaths from heart diseases, with at least 80% of heart attacks in men under 45% linked to cigarette smoking. Just one last fact, to finish this dismal news section - respiratory diseases such as bronchitis and emphysema kill nearly 30,000 people in the UK each year - with 80% caused be smoking.
So compare, why don't you, the facts. The possible loss of 20,000 jobs and the reduction of all those thousands and thousands of deaths each year, after year, after year.
Admittedly, its really disappointing that Mecca Bingo (the bingo giant amongst giants) has temporarily frozen its expansion plans and its share price is halved compared to last year's BUT Mecca will undoubtedly recover as it has before.
I agree with an official of the UK Bingo Association, when he said
that it was frightening to consider that a pastime that has given
pleasure to millions could disappear! BUT WHAT'S MORE FRIGHTENING is
that thousands and thousands of people will go on dying each year when
it could be prevented - or at least reduced.
Written by Denise
