As someone who has never smoked anything (apart from other people's smoke) and who is quite anti-smoking, I still have some problems with banning smoking in public places.
I am happy with the argument about protecting the workforce, but feel that a simplistic ban is not necessary the best way. I will probably go along with banning smoking from all pubs. I have some difficulty with clubs, however.
What I think might be a good way forwards is to have "Smoking Rooms" which are licensed for smoking on the basis that they have good ventilation and staff are protected from breathing in smoke.
This at least would prevent the entrances to pubs ending up plastered with fag ends and having people walking through smoke.
I have, therefore, tabled such an amendment to the Health Bill to have a debate about this. My amendment would allow local authorities to license certain rooms for smoking.
There are clearly good cases for such provision such as specialist smoking shops where people want to try before they buy.
I accept that smoking is bad for health, but I don't think that it is the role of government to legislate to control how people handle their own health.
I am happy with the argument about protecting the workforce, but feel that a simplistic ban is not necessary the best way. I will probably go along with banning smoking from all pubs. I have some difficulty with clubs, however.
What I think might be a good way forwards is to have "Smoking Rooms" which are licensed for smoking on the basis that they have good ventilation and staff are protected from breathing in smoke.
This at least would prevent the entrances to pubs ending up plastered with fag ends and having people walking through smoke.
I have, therefore, tabled such an amendment to the Health Bill to have a debate about this. My amendment would allow local authorities to license certain rooms for smoking.
There are clearly good cases for such provision such as specialist smoking shops where people want to try before they buy.
I accept that smoking is bad for health, but I don't think that it is the role of government to legislate to control how people handle their own health.
Comments
In terms of obesity, for example, there are all sorts of things the government could do, but should it.
Clearly people should be able to smoke in specialist smoking shops (the try before you buy issue).
Hence I do not support the legalisation of either of those drugs.
Smoking rooms won't work because the ventilation will not be good enough to remove the carcinogens and toxic gases from the air sufficiently to protect the staff.
This isn't about legislating to control how people handle their own health, but how their behaviour affects others. That's a perfectly proper subject for legislation.
Stop trying to please both sides of the argument - get off the fence and decide where you stand.
I support a smoking ban to protect people in the workplace as arguably they don't have a choice to go there. Licensed smoking areas is a good medium though.
Preventing a person doing harm to themself is not reason enough for legislation. Before spouting about costs to the NHS, think about all the other things which cause costs to the tax payer. Driving accidents (seat-belts don't prevent these, just make the injuries less in many cases), repsiritory problems caused by car fumes and pollution, cooking accidents, even slipping on banana skin.
We cannot ban things just because they cost the NHS money, should we ban skiing or motorcycling because its dangerous to the participants? or football and rugby? the point of the NHS is to provide medical cover, free at the point of delivery, to all. Government can advise on how to live, but they should not ever start coercing us to live in a particular way.
The only reason for a smoking ban is to protect those who have no choice but to be in that environment. A peron's own choice to go there or to smoke has no bearing on the subject.
As for unacceptable behaviour from the use of Heroin or Cocaine. Mr Hemming, sir, I suggest that you take a walk along Broad Street around midnight on Friday or Saturday night. You'll see plenty of unacceptable behaviour, not as a result of Heroin (which, I'm told, induces a trance like state) or Cocaine (which causes one to act like a young Conservative).