Another day at the office
Wednesday, May 20, 2009 This morning I am giving evidence to the Scottish Parliament's Health & Sport Committee. Subject: the Scottish Government's plan to ban the display of tobacco in shops and outlaw cigarette vending machines.
Apart from Forest, other organisations invited to give evidence (in a room very similar to the one above) include the Association of Independent Tobacco Specialists, British Institute of Innkeeping, Japan Tobacco International, National Association of Cigarette Machine Operators, Tobacco Retailers Alliance, the Scottish Grocers Federation and others. Next week the likes of ASH Scotland will have their say.
They say it's a roundtable "discussion" but I'll be pleasantly surprised if it is. This is the third time I've given oral evidence to a Scottish Parliament committee and it's fair to say the experience has been more cross-examination than discussion.
One or two committee members are openly anti-tobacco and their hostility tends to colour proceedings. It can be difficult at times to remain entirely calm.
This morning's session starts at 10:00. Report to follow.
Reader Comments (9)
Have a good one Simon, I hope that both Rod Boulough & you give it to them straight. They know the truth but hide behind their own PC world, the whole system is corrupt as these Committees do not allow any form of redress as F2C Scotland has found out earlier and further confirmed by Brian Monteith several years ago.
As with any debate there should be reasoned pros and cons to come to an amicable outcome, in this particular case I am not even sure why there should be a debate.
The subject matter banning the display of tobacco in shops and outlawing cigarette vending machines is not worthy of any sensible discussion.
There are adequate safeguards on cigarette machines that can be put in place ie token operated or remote control operation, hiding cigarette displays have proved worthless in other countries.
Beware their goal is to totally eradicate tobacco they are not interested even if thousands of small shopkeepers are put out of business just like thousands of pub and club employees have already been.
Unfortunatly with anti smoking / anti tobacco there appears to be no reasoned debate only the goal of total prohibition of tobacco.
Lets hope the talks sensible with no change to the existing policies, somehow I doubt it though, stakeholder groups are on board and that means dogma not sense.
Take one of those fake cigarettes with you and puff away in the meeting.
Why not raise the point of taxpayers money being spent on all the anti smoking fake charities? I just looked on fakecharities.org and there are five of them listed, and they're the ones we know about.
I also remember reading HSE guidelines for smoking prosecutions in Scotland. Inspectors are advised not to use the second hand smoke argument when bringing prosecutions as there is not enough evidence to make it stand up in court.
Have you read Panic Nation? There is a good section in there about dodgy evidence used to promote the ban.
Look what happened when they made cannabis, cocaine & heroin illegal. there are many precedents against prohibition.
I hope nobody has been prosecuted for breaking the smoking ban, it is a civil offence not a criminal one, therefore one cannot be prosecuted.
John. It becomes a criminal offence if you don't pay the fine.
I note that architecture of the Scottish Parliament appears to mirror their thinking - convoluted, expensive and going around in circles. Perhaps they borrowed the theme from the Flintstone's?
Trading Standards said at that committee that they have little or no evidence that under 18s were buying cigarettes from shops or machines, but were simply taking the evidence from England. Just because Trading Standards in Scotland, haven't been carrying out test purchases doesn't mean that under 18s are buying cigarettes from shops or machines.
I watched the proceedings today Simon and I am in the process of editing it for our blog and must say I was impressed with your no nonsense approach towards these bastards who talked about destroying livelihoods and businesses in such a 'matter of fact' way. They are going to go ahead anyway but your contribution was invaluable. Thanks.
John H Baker
F2C