Imperial Tobacco has launched a new campaign to "support smokers".
Smoking Allowed, says the company, is a "long-term programme of projects and activities to support smokers when they are travelling, working and enjoying their leisure time".
These include "high-quality smoking pavilions ... at key points across the UK. The first opened at Bristol Airport last week providing heating, lighting, shelter, ventilation, hand-gel and litter solutions".
I'm sure there are some people who will argue that Imperial should be doing more to fight the smoking ban rather than tacitly accepting it with a campaign for better smoking shelters.
At risk of sounding like an apologist for the company, I see it rather differently.
To begin with, and to the best of my knowledge, Imperial remains strongly critical of the smoking ban and the 'evidence' that is used to justify it. In particular, you should read The Bauld Truth, a brilliant critique (by Imperial) of the report by Professor Linda Bauld for the Department of Health entitled The Impact of Smokefree Legislation in England: Evidence Review (March 2011).
The Bauld Truth was published in June 2011. I urge you to download it and send a copy to your MP and ask them to (a) respond to it and (b) take it up with the Department of Health.
In addition, I believe that the 'Smoking Allowed' campaign is important because it challenges the Orwellian 'denormalisation' of smoking. Comfortable smoking shelters or "pavilions" and signs that say 'Welcome to your smoking area' may not alter the harsh fact that smokers are forced to light up outside, but a campaign like this could help bring smokers back in from the cold in other ways, and that can only be a good thing.
