You may have read that New York city council has voted to ban smoking in the city’s parks, beaches and public squares.
Supporters of the new measures say it will help improve the health of New Yorkers and prevent non-smokers from having to breathe other people's tobacco smoke. The Telegraph has the story here: New York bans smoking in parks, beaches and public squares.
John Mallon, spokesman for Forest Eireann, has been doing some interviews on the subject and we have just released his response:
“It’s nonsense to suggest that non-smokers are at risk from people smoking in the open air.
“Banning smoking in parks and squares has nothing to do with the health of non-smokers. It’s designed to force people to quit smoking whatever the consequences for civil liberties.
“It is completely unreasonable to ban smoking in all public places, indoors and out.
“Tobacco is a legal product and a huge proportion of what people spend on tobacco goes to the government. If the government wants our money we have to be allowed to smoke somewhere, and not just at home.
“We encourage people to smoke responsibly, but fining people if they light up outside is a step too far.
“Unfortunately anti-smoking zealots won’t be happy until smoking is outlawed completely. If that happens people will still smoke but in an uncontrolled environment and the main beneficiaries will be criminal gangs and the manufacturers of illicit cigarettes.”
I think they have a name for that. Oh yes, Prohibition.
I'll comment further when I get a moment.
See also: NYC bans smoking ... in parks (Big Brother Watch)
PS. Rob Lyons, deputy editor of Spiked, has just commented on my Facebook page:
This is a country where you can be arrested for not crossing the road in a state-approved place or for having a drink when you're 20 years old. Bloomberg seems to be just tidying up a few loose ends.