Smoking is vile, but it’s not illegal

The marginalisation of tobacco terrorists has advanced further with new anti-smoking laws.

Some people are more receptive to heroin injecting rooms than smoking in the park.

The marginalisation of tobacco terrorists has advanced further with new anti-smoking laws.

I normally abhor nanny state policies but I make an exception when it comes to smokers, not just because of the noxious fumes they emit but their habit of treating the world like their personal ashtray.

Wherever you travel, no matter how beautiful and remote, you’ll see evidence of the smokers who were there before you. Otherwise pristine beaches and mountain ranges are littered with filthy butts that spoil the natural environment.

And yet even I have to admit smokers are entitled to ask just where they can enjoy their filthy, yet entirely legal, habit.

The government has long claimed that exorbitant taxes on cigarettes are due to altruistic reasons, not as a means of raising revenue.

That argument falls apart when you look at how dependent governments have become on the billions smokers contribute to the national coffers.

If it were purely a health measure, we would have gradual bans, not higher excises.

When the dangers of asbestos were fully realised, the government banned the importation, sale and use of all products containing the material; they didn’t just impose a tax.

There’s no denying that governments are net beneficiaries of the vast sums smokers provide, even when you take into account the increased healthcare costs.

 

 

Read full piece here.