Hi Mands. No onslaught from me. I am a smoker and you have raised some good points. its all about freedom of choice to do what I want to do when I want to do it.Lets just look at a few other issues:
1). Binge Drinking - I live in the middle of Whitley Bay and the weekends are something you have to witness to comprehend. I have hosed vomit from my yard walls and garage doors, I have broken up fights outside my home, I have lost count of the number of times that I have cleared up broken bottles, beer cans, wine bottles, pizza boxes etc,etc, from my front garden. I have NEVER seen television adverts telling me how bad drinking is for my health or other peoples health.
2). Road traffic - go into any town centre and you are inhaling carbon monoxide from buses, cars, vans and wagons. Surely this is bad for us as well ? but I have never seen adverts telling us not to drive or go into any area where there is traffic.
3). Industry - If you leave near any sort of industrial estate, the chances are you you will be inhaling some sort of obnoxious chemical.I have never seen any adverts telling us not to inhale as we pass these places.
4). Food - God only knows what risk we are taking in simply having a meal these days. Food is so full of additives and preservatives and all manner of chemicals that must do us no end of harm but I have never seen any adverts telling us not to eat !
This government and previous governments were quite happy for me to go down a coal mine for 23 years without telling me the risks regarding inhaling coal dust, stone dust etc,etc,. I am aware that there were other careers I could have chosen but thats where the money was at the time. So can you see my vewpoint Mands ?. I smoke because I enjoy it and I go fishing because I enjoy it, there both my choice and we smokers have the same rights of choice as non smokers.I have said in a previous post that I will not smoke in anyones home/space who do not smoke and I think these are good concessions on my part. Living life itself is fraught with dangers and I am sick and tired od seeing anti-smoking adverts everytime I turn on the telly or listen to the radio. Nothing personal Mands and I welcome you to the board. You have come to the right place for good debates.
Cheers
gag1