We will be holding various debates about all sorts of issues.

Some debates will be on very important topics and sometimes it will be something completely irreverent but fun.

Sometimes the debates will be on local issues and sometimes it will be about national or international matters.

We will present two sides of an argument and you are invited to have your say by posting comments.

The first debate is about smoking and whether the smoking ban in public places should be amended.

Bridlington MP Greg Knight is campaigning for a change and lots of people have contacted this website and the Free Press newspaper to back his cause.

Arguing the case for the smoking ban is Free Press columnist Paper Clip.

So read the views and have your say ...

Smoking ban is killing pubs - MP Greg Knight and local smokers

Bridlington MP Greg Knight has launched a cross-party campaign to change the rules on smoking in pubs and clubs.

He is fighting the Save Our Pubs And Clubs – Amend The Smoking Ban campaign because he says almost 40 pubs a week are shutting down for good.

"They are a much-loved part of our national culture and it is high time for a rethink of the smoking ban."

He said the "one-size-fits-all" approach of banning smoking in every pub and club had hurt the businesses of hard-working publicans, especially in East Yorkshire.

"Many people enjoy a smoke-free atmosphere but some don't.

"Rather than exclude almost half their customers, publicans should be free to provide properly-ventilated smoking rooms which would improve their service and upset no-one," he said.

English Charlie says: "Pubs must be given back to the regular customers ASAP before many more pubs close and thousands more staff have been made unemployed."

Helend498 says: "If you don't like smoking, then you can choose to go to non-smoking pubs or non-smoking areas. If you smoke, then you can choose to do the opposite. If a landlord doesn't want smoking in his pub, then he doesn't allow it.

"It's all very simple. It's called choice. It caters for everyone's health and safeguards the hospitality trade."

And MRab2 argues: "How typical that an anti-smoking campaigner's solution involves banning/restricting something.

"These people obviously have nothing but contempt for the idea of personal liberty.

"I fully support bringing smoking back to pubs, the worst case risks never justified a complete ban."

Smoking should be made illegal - Paper Clip

SO lots of people in Brid are backing our MP Greg Knight's idea to have smoking reintroduced in pubs and clubs.
They argue the smoking ban in public places is killing the pub trade and is an infringement on their human rights.

I say smoking is killing thousands upon thousands of people in this country every year and that the filthy habit is an infringement on the human rights of non-smokers who have to breathe polluted air.

Now, before you all start texting and e-mailing me with your abuse, I will say here and now I have heard all the arguments before and you will not convince me – ever – that the smoking ban is bad.

It is the one of the best laws ever introduced in this country and was long overdue.

In fact, it probably doesn't go far enough.

Recent talk of a ban in people's own cars when children are inside gets my support.

If the use of mobile phones at the wheel can be banned then surely so can smoking!

Are drivers in full control if they are smoking? Less so than if they are eating a bar of chocolate and motorists have found themselves in trouble for snacking at the wheel.

Any parent irresponsible enough to smoke in the car so their children have to breathe in their cigarette fumes deserves a fine.

Smoking is dangerous, it kills. It even says so on the packet. Passive smoking can kill.

If I wanted to risk my health and have my mouth tasting of an ash tray I would smoke – but I don't, so I shouldn't have to put up with smoke when I go into a pub or wherever else selfish people want smoking reintroduced.

I don't want to sit on a table in a non- smoking part of a restaurant 10ft away from the smoking part because I will still smell it.

Let's take smokers' arguments one by one:

"Pubs are closing because of the ban." Are they? Tell me which pubs in Brid have.

"Elderly people have to stand outside pubs or cafes to smoke in the rain or freezing cold." No they don't, they can do it at home.

"The ban has killed the atmosphere in pubs. People can't get into a conversation anymore because they have to go outside for a cigarette." Utter tripe. Smoking kills people, not the atmosphere in pubs.

"We could have properly ventillated rooms or extractor fans." Sorry, I would still smell it.

"Cigarette butts are left on the floor outside businesses and council staff have to clear them up." Simple, smokers could be less lazy and stop littering.

"Our grandparents fought world wars for us to be free in our own country." Yes they did but they were fighting Hitler not a smoking ban!

You want to change the ban smokers?

Change it, make it tougher, ban cigarettes and tobacco completely – then we can save the NHS millions of pounds and we can all live a longer and healthier life.

Put that in your pipes and smoke it.

What do you think? Post your comments!