Thursday
Dec202007
That was the year that was
Thursday, December 20, 2007 
I have just posted a Christmas message on the Forest website - click HERE. Our goals in 2008 are to maintain and develop strong and vocal opposition to the smoking ban; highlight the negative impact the ban is having on many people's lives and businesses; oppose further restrictions on smoking such as smoking while driving or smoking in outdoor areas; challenge the "denormalisation" of smoking; and promote responsible smoking.
I will continue to blog over Christmas and New Year. In the meantime, from everyone at Forest, to all our friends at home and abroad, have a very happy Christmas - and a smoker-friendly New Year!
Reader Comments (6)
Thanks Simon.
Please do continue with your goals for 2008. I, for one, have found the ban to have a particularly negative effect which actually started once the vote had gone through and the decision was made. I gues, maybe, it just brought things to a head, but for over a year now I have been treated for depression, major stress and panic attacks. I am still on medication and half way through a CBT course. I have only been out socially twice since the ban came in and did not enjoy either experience. For people suffering as I do, isolation is one of the worst things for us, but when we have nowhere to go where we can 'be normal' and especially this time of year with the weather being so cold, it is impossible for many of us and has a huge detrimental effect on our illness.
As for driving, I have been driving for 30 years and always smoked whilst driving with no problems at all. In all that time I have been involved in 2 non fault accidents, on neither occasion was I actually smoking either. Not to be allowed to smoke whilst driving can cause a lot more stress and result in possible panic attacks, especially when caught up in traffic or stuck behind someone who insists on driving at no more than 30 mph, regardless of the speed limit, road conditions, or anything else. I can see far more accidents occuring due to people not being able to smoke. Although at present it is not illegal, as a smoker and a driver I feel doubly persecuted and, of course, an officer of the law can stop a driver who is smoking and for that deem that the driver was driving without due care and attention, or whatever - it then the officer's word against the driver's - what chance would we have? It is totally senseless and in no way has this been thought out.
I now get paranoid when driving believing I have an unmarked police car behind me, consequently I am spending more time checking my speedo than watching the road and am finding that lighting a ciggie is more of a distraction than it ever was before. All this because of the combined persecution of drivers and smokers! I am also a target, well I have been this year, as I am medically exempt from wearing a seatbelt. In all the 25 years that law has been in I have never been pulled up for it, but this year I have been pulled twice in the space of a couple of weeks!
Anyway, due to various interruptions I have to go now.
Wishing you too a very Merry Christmas and Victorious New Year.
Lyn
Sorry to hear that Lyn. You're not alone. This appalling vindictive ban is designed to "denormalise" us... to make us out to be 21st Century lepers. To grind us down, make us isolated and depressed. Use peer-pressure to force the societal changes they want to create. And already it isn't working. It never does. Smoking is infinitely cooler amongst schoolkids now than it was a year ago... but it's older generations who are suffering, and that's who I feel for. Especially in these cold months.
This awful government have just trampled communities. Vital social-hubs for people now instructed by these horrible little sociopaths to "get with the program" or go to the wall.
Divide and rule.
Drunk on power, they're now going beserk. They really do think they can get away with anything. It will be their downfall.
Yesterday a young friend, an occasional smoker,
went to the GP for travel vaccinations and was lectured for nearly 15 minutes on smoking- including you do want a baby someday- well you won't get one unless you give up-. How can so called professionals hand out so much tosh!
Licensed bullying.
We must keep trying to dampen down this sort of hysteria
Thanks Basil. Of course, this could backfire in one way not talked about much and that is that the government are trying to get more and more people off long term sick benefit and back into work. The way are going however could end up with a whole load of new people on long term sick due the pressures the are piling on innocent people going about their normal everyday lives.
With any luck though, before that happens there will finally be a revolution, it is what is needed and, candidly, it seems to me, what the government are begging for! We have to stand up and be counted or play dead, as there is little point left to life if we can't live it and enjoy it and there is certainly precious little left to live or enjoy these days.
Hil; you should remind your friend that during the 50's and 60's there was a huge baby boom and the majority of people back then smoked, certainly the men and a great many of women, so, that being the case, how come they had so many children when they all smoked so much more, or were around smokers? Since then, of course, the contraceptive pill has come in - maybe it is this that has the adverse effect and not smoking. For so called professionals they are very short on logic and basic maths!
Merry Christmas to everyone.
Lyn
Hi Simon
Yes! it is a must keep up this work whatever the cost you have plenty of supporters and growing aginst this nasty spiteful oppression in the name of 'health'.
Be brave Lyn.The day of recockning will come but it will take time.
I hope you do continue to fight this dismal ban, and I can predict there are going to be a lot more smokers visiting the doctors this year because they are being forced out into the cold to have a cigarette.This governemnt has proved that they are control freaks with their do's and dont's rules and regulations, and it is about time the british people stood together and fought this draconian ban. I for one would rather vote for basil brush then to vote for labour at the next general election. They have managed to ban smoking and are now in the process of trying to ban everything else one regards as a pleasure, are we going to let them get away with it NO. Write to your MP and Gordon Brown to let them know we are not pleased with this ban and it is unfair on 12 Million of us who I hope will vote for another party come the next general election.