Smoking: time to re-draw the line
Tuesday, February 17, 2009 The Independent, unlike its centre-left rival the Guardian, has always been rather more liberal on the subject of tobacco. Indeed, some of the most enlightened articles about smoking - and passive smoking - have been published in the Indy. Even the paper's health correspondents have been known to give Forest a reasonable crack of the whip.
In today's Independent health editor Jeremy Laurance highlights the American trend for smoker-free workplaces which he calls a "sinister new development". According to Laurance:
There is a scale of harms associated with smoking. As a non-smoker, I am of course in favour of smoke-free public spaces. But even I baulked at the closure of the Independent's smoking room. What harm were they doing, apart from to each other? That seemed to me a curb on individual freedom too far.
The latest assault – banning smokers rather than smoking – is an order of magnitude more serious. What the US does today, we tend to find ourselves doing tomorrow.
On this occasion, we must draw the line. As the anti-smoking charity ASH (which bans smoking but not smokers among its own employees) says, the object of the policy should be the habit, not the person who has it. A ban on smokers is an unacceptable infringement of personal liberty and must be firmly resisted.
Full article HERE.
Apart from Laurance's opening sentence ("By near universal acclaim, smoke-free workplaces have made the world a better place"), my only quibble is the suggestion, "On this occasion, we must draw the line".
Of course we should draw a line. But the line should have been drawn at separate smoking rooms, or well-ventilated smoking areas. Anyone who supports a comprehensive smoking ban is effectively giving the green light to employers, politicians and health fanatics who want to go that extra mile in search of the "next logical step".
That is why government HAS to amend the smoking ban, if only to allow separate smoking rooms. It will draw a line and send a clear message to the SS (stop smoking) brigade that extremism of any sort is unwelcome and must be resisted in the interests of society as a whole.
Reader Comments (7)
Brilliantly put Simon.
Simon, you are bang on the money. You can't be a "little bit" anti, or rather, you can't endorse a little bit of anti-ism as to do so is to support opening pandoras box
Well said. I hope someone is listening .... but I'm too cynical to believe they will.
it is interesting to note that owing to the recession a few American districts are now considering repealing smoking bans in bars and restaurants
People are already losing jobs, because they smoke!
Employers are doing what they bloody well like now with workers because of the rececession.
Any worker will be so desperate to get a job these days that they'll even give up getting a proper wage.
How come we dont see a quango set up for the unemployed who cant get a job because of their habits.
Are quangos only for the 'good guys' or the compliant.
I'm so happy to find this forum... Just wanted to drop by and say Hi and I'm looking forward to all the great discussion I will have with you guys!