Monday, September 06, 2004

The news today has been full of Scotland's plan to follow Ireland's lead and announce a complete ban on smoking in public places - which means a complete ban of smoking in bars and restaurants, as well as (strangely) company cars and lorries. Obviously if Scotland does go ahead with this plan it won't be that long before England seriously considers a similar ban.

Being one of the English minority that smokes you'd be slightly surprised to discover that I'm not totally against the idea of a public ban - for a start it would stop idiots having a fag on the dance floor in clubs and randomly burning anyone within a metre radius. The number of times I've returned from a night clubbing with burn marks on either me or my clothes. Bastards.

But it seems to me that a ban on smoking in public places is completely missing the point, as is the annual money-maker that is the tax increases on cigarettes and tobacco. The reason that me and tens of thousands of other smokers continue to smoke is because we're addicted to it. And it is incredible tricky to break that habit.

The government needs to spend more time and effort finding a successful and relatively easy way for smokers to kick the habit without undergoing a couple of weeks of hell. If I knew that there was a way to give up the dreaded weed without falling out with everyone I spend any time with as a result I'd jump at it. Maybe they?ll see sense and at least stop charging VAT on nicotine replacement treatments.

Posted by Antz at 11:09 PM | Permalink | | |

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