Do Smoking Bans Work?
By Boorach
@Boorach (30)
February 27, 2007 12:57pm CST
We've had a total ban on smoking in public places here in Scotland since March 2006.
The latest information would suggest that since the ban there has been a 5% INCREASE in tobacco consumption and more 14yos are smoking now.
Personally I don't believe all the hype about "passive" smoking - I've never met anyone who can say that they knew of someone who died from 2nd hand smoke.
What do you think - a good thing, or a waste of time?
1 person likes this
2 responses
@bananamanuk (835)
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27 Feb 07
Hi Boorach, this is a really timely question for me, because I work in the health service in England and they've just made the hospital site a smoke free zone. Personally I don't smoke, and to be honest, I'm not a fan of sitting in a restaurant or pub and coming home smelling of other people's smoke, but having said that, I am very much an advocate of people having the right to choose. I think there has been scientific evidence to prove that it is possible for people to develop cancer through passive smoking, but I don't believe that happens just through the odd time of being down the pub, it's more likely if you live with someone who smokes and you constantly breathe it in.
There's no doubt that smoking related illness, and disease which can include anything from bronchial conditions to cancer do cost the NHS a lot of money. But it is equally true, in my opinion that people, certainly of a certain age, were not only encouraged to smoke, but considering what some of them experienced in life it's really no wonder they did, and they have paid their taxes so should be treated along with everyone else.
As a non-smoker I would always encourage people not to smoke, but I think there is a limit, and should be a limit on what people are forced to do. Coming back the the health service, if someone has smoked all their life and their wife/husband is admitted to hospital and that person is confronted with bad news, I suggest it's the most natural thing that the way they calm down is to light up outside. Well people aren't allowed to do that anymore - that I think is a very tough line, after all it's outside.
Its a peverse system, because the government nanny people into stopping on the one hand, but generate huge tax revenues on the other. If something is banned, it doesn't stop it from happening, that doesn't make it right but it drives people 'underground', or in the case of kids, makes it look cool that they're breaking the law.
I think you've posted a really good question here, open to loads of debate, and definitely rated it. In answer to your question, I do support a ban of smoking, but a more limited one such as in pubs, restuarants and such like.
@Boorach (30)
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27 Feb 07
Ah, some sense! I certainly don't advocate that anyone should smoke but I do believe that it's a matter of choice. I sympathise with non-smokers who find the smell of smoke unpleasant but if we had a choice there would be smoking establishments and non-smoking ones. One of the problems with the ban in Scotland is that there is evidence that many more small children are being exposed to smoke in the home as their parents can't go to the pub to relax and smoke. There's also a huge increase in unregulated drinking in the home - also not good for kids. There are plans here to send out aparachiks to take saliva swabs from kids in school to check the levels of nicotine in their system. Their parents can then expect a visit to "counsel" them and if necessary implement a plan for the care of their kids. Big Brother or what?
I believe that if the majority of the population want a ban then we should have one. The consensus in Scotland before the ban was to have a choice where the publican could put a sign outside their premises that stated whether it was smoking or non-smoking. This would have been the sensible option but the Nanny Nazis that currently run our lives did what they wanted anyway.
My daughter is a non-smoker but now finds going out a trial. She gets left alone in the pub to look after the handbags when all her mates go out for a smoke!
