"I would rather die than give in"
Wednesday, March 12, 2008 Fantastic article on The Free Society blog today. It was written by journalist and author Pat Nurse. Pat is a committed smoker who has no intention of giving up. Today, No Smoking Day, seemed the perfect moment to publish it. Here's a taster:
Smokers like me will never give up. Any hope of that has gone because of the constant bullying, exclusion and pressure which only makes my resolve to exercise my right to choose even stronger. I would rather die than give in to the sanctimonious, biased and prejudicial pressure heaped upon me by anti-smoking propaganda that often uses tenuous and exaggerated scientific “evidence” while pulling figures out of the air that are never tested but have the desired dramatic effect.
Full article HERE. It's a must read.
Simon Clark
Pat's article has gone down a storm over on The Free Society blog. Check out the comments and/or add one of your own.
Reader Comments (6)
Simon,
What is interesting in this is your take on this article. To an uninvolved party the article reads like self serving attempts to justify her addiction. Almost a parody. Are you too close to the subject - or the tobacco companies? -to regain a fair perspective?
Your enthusiasm for such a poor piece of writing suggests it may be time for you to move jobs.
Think it through.
Tom
Tom 'Bates'.
A most appropriate name.
Master Bates; it's an opinion-piece relating the author's subjective experience. This particular uninvolved party found it a good read and rather more entertaining than anything I've ever found on your ASH site.
But then, maybe you're too close to the pharmaceutical companies to retain a fair perspective.
Also good to know that Simon doesn't remove dissenting comments on here. Anyone ever tried leaving a pro-choice comment on an anti-smoker's blog? They don't last five minutes.
Tom Bates,
As an "uninvolved party" you can't hope to directly appreciate the benefits most people obtain from smoking, and hence appreciate their dismay at the current situation.
What I really find difficult to accept is that you make no attempt to try and understand why people smoke - you just adopt an holier than thou attitude and do not countenance any other view.
If smokers were allowed their separate ventilated smoking rooms, it wouldn't affect you so why, if you have even an inkling of what civil liberty is about, would you object?
I bet you would, but you could prove me wrong?
Hello Tom Bates,
I'm a smoker, I choose to smoke, it's my right and I shall continue smoking until my dying puff. I'm also British and I shall do and say whatever I want in a free Country or are you trying to say it's not a free Country? What kind of car do you drive? what do you think comes out of the tailpipe? fresh air perhaps, get a clue, when you're driving around you are poisoning everyone you pass, that includes those toddlers you just accelerated past!!! think about it your car makes my one little cigarette seem very insignificant doesn't it?
I thinks Pat artical was exellent and yes I am a smoker, I think Tom should concentrate on stciking with his Ash buddies. Tom...Have you ever smoked!