Article first published as Passive Smoking: Anti-Smoking Legislation on Technorati.
The UK has implemented anti smoking legislation in recent years. Gone are the days when you could sit at your desk at work and enjoy a welcome cigarette. After all it may have been welcome to you but what about your colleagues?
However in the UK the legislation has gone much further than that. If you are a smoker you may say that the legislation has ostracized you. Perhaps you would feel less anti social being a foul mouthed drunk who regularly knocks his partner about a bit? Excessive? Maybe but there is no doubt that those who smoke in the UK are getting short shrift these days.
Before I go on I better state that I am not a smoker. I have not smoked for well over twenty years. These days in the UK if you even try yo see the plight of the smoker you too run the risk of abuse. However smoking in the UK is not illegal. The government greedily rake in as much as they can by way of revenue. Smoking in the UK has traditionally been more expensive than in Europe as successive governments have raked in the money.
You do not have to be a genius though to realise that smoking is not good for you. It seems to this blogger an expensive way to kill yourself. What about those affected by passive smoking though?
Passive smokers often have little choice. A thoughtless partner, for example, who chooses to smoke in the home can do untold damage. Then there is smoking in your car.
The UK, but currently Wales in particular, is looking at extending its smoking legislation to encompass people who smoke in their cars. Their own cars that is. It is particularly with children in mind. Look at the image above and you know that is wrong. Smoking in the close environment of a car with a young baby asleep. Wrong. However many right minded people do still smoke in an enclosed space with a child close at hand.
The latest research has shown that opening a car window does not help. Researchers say that is because the smoke lingers. It is more likely that the pollution from the air outside the car would be more harmful than the air inside.
Is this proposed legislation a step too far?
Initially the authorities are talking about cars which have children as passengers. Even if you do not smoke when the child is on board the effects of previous cigarettes could take their toll.
However, it seems that we are isolating smokers to the extent that we may as well make the habit illegal. If we did smokers would get help and probably be treat more sympathetically. We tend to treat drug abusers better, in many ways, than we do smokers.
Perhaps we could look at legislation to curb the air pollution we are all suffering, especially in cities. That seems a logical step too. In fact it is probably a vital step toward better health.
Instead next we will no doubt ban a person holding their child's hand as they walk down the street. That is if they are smoking a cigarette at the same time. Yes passive smoking is harmful but more legislation? You decide.
The UK has implemented anti smoking legislation in recent years. Gone are the days when you could sit at your desk at work and enjoy a welcome cigarette. After all it may have been welcome to you but what about your colleagues?
However in the UK the legislation has gone much further than that. If you are a smoker you may say that the legislation has ostracized you. Perhaps you would feel less anti social being a foul mouthed drunk who regularly knocks his partner about a bit? Excessive? Maybe but there is no doubt that those who smoke in the UK are getting short shrift these days.
Before I go on I better state that I am not a smoker. I have not smoked for well over twenty years. These days in the UK if you even try yo see the plight of the smoker you too run the risk of abuse. However smoking in the UK is not illegal. The government greedily rake in as much as they can by way of revenue. Smoking in the UK has traditionally been more expensive than in Europe as successive governments have raked in the money.
You do not have to be a genius though to realise that smoking is not good for you. It seems to this blogger an expensive way to kill yourself. What about those affected by passive smoking though?
Passive smokers often have little choice. A thoughtless partner, for example, who chooses to smoke in the home can do untold damage. Then there is smoking in your car.
The UK, but currently Wales in particular, is looking at extending its smoking legislation to encompass people who smoke in their cars. Their own cars that is. It is particularly with children in mind. Look at the image above and you know that is wrong. Smoking in the close environment of a car with a young baby asleep. Wrong. However many right minded people do still smoke in an enclosed space with a child close at hand.
The latest research has shown that opening a car window does not help. Researchers say that is because the smoke lingers. It is more likely that the pollution from the air outside the car would be more harmful than the air inside.
Is this proposed legislation a step too far?
Initially the authorities are talking about cars which have children as passengers. Even if you do not smoke when the child is on board the effects of previous cigarettes could take their toll.
However, it seems that we are isolating smokers to the extent that we may as well make the habit illegal. If we did smokers would get help and probably be treat more sympathetically. We tend to treat drug abusers better, in many ways, than we do smokers.
Perhaps we could look at legislation to curb the air pollution we are all suffering, especially in cities. That seems a logical step too. In fact it is probably a vital step toward better health.
Instead next we will no doubt ban a person holding their child's hand as they walk down the street. That is if they are smoking a cigarette at the same time. Yes passive smoking is harmful but more legislation? You decide.
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