Should teachers and health workers be forbidden to smoke completely?
Tuesday, October 14, 2014 at 8:47 I'm on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire this morning:
A new survey found that over 60 per cent of people in the UK believe that employees in the food industry and health service should be completely prohibited from smoking. Over 40 per cent agreed that the emergency services and teachers should also have enforced restrictions on smoking.
Consequently I've been invited to discuss the question: "Should those working in certain professions be forbidden from smoking altogether?"
The poll was commissioned by Nicoccino, an "innovative nicotine alternative containing no tobacco or tars and without the smoke and smell".
Developed in Sweden and described as the "ultimate smokeless alternative", it's a "pure nicotine film that dissolves under your lip".
Anything that increases consumer choice is fine by me. What a pity they choose to promote it by encouraging even greater intolerance of smoking.
Try as they might to adopt a "hipster vibe", when words like "prohibition" and "enforced restrictions" are used to target other products the stench is overwhelming, however "pure" the "nicotine experience".
The same goes for e-cig companies who denigrate smoking in their advertising and marketing.
I understand why they do it – for commercial gain – but all it does is fuel the anti-tobacco, anti-nicotine industry whose representatives are currently discussing the next line of attack at COP6 in Moscow.
Reap what you sow and all that.
See also: Why I hate (some) e-cigarette retailers
Reader Comments (6)
They're shooting themselves in the foot. If those employees are prohibited from smoking, they will be tested for nicotine and will therefore be unable to use nicoccino or any other nicotine product.
Yep, as Jean says, when the forces that be start testing employees for cotinine as is happening in America, "Nicoccino" will also be in the firing line. I also see the usual "they stink and have yellow teeth" rubbish despite the fact tobacco smells nice and has only taken on this perception of "stinking" after years of brainwashing. Also, drinking tea and coffee, which I imagine these hipsters do a lot of, stains the teeth too. Pathetic.
Nicoccino is being remarkably stupid as the usual cotinine test can't differentiate between tobacco smoking nicotine and nicotine from ecigs, gum, patches etc. A carbon monoxide test only dects smoking within the last few hours. If you didn't smoke in the morning before work, you would be OK.
Just seen Jean's similar comment.
The only people who should face restrictions are those in the 'public health industry'. They should be restricted from opening their gobs, even to breathe.
As much as I want to help our vaper friends, they do keep putting their foot in it and are pushing me further from supporting their cause the more this kind of crap arises. What is worse is that too many vapers, who claim to be friends, do bugger all when we are faced with this kind of promotional abuse.
If I was a vaper, I'd tell the crap ecig bully to sod off and I'd refuse to buy their stinking product and chose a smoker friendly form of ecig company. But will vapers?
I imagine the usual silence will follow because despite the things we have said over these last few years, they still think their best bet in saving their product of choice is to bash ours.
As long as that attitude prevails, I will never support ecigs or vapers and I will stop defending them as I did just a few days ago when stopped in the high street and asked whether or not I think the new ecig ads should be banned.
Simon, perhaps you could clarify whether or not "Big Tobacco" is working with the FDA to get ecigs banned or forced to become the cig-a-like type that vapers appear to hate so much and believe that tobacco companies are trying to control to ensure that people only smoke alternatives that look like cigarettes. I'm told they are but there is so much shit spouted about tobacco companies, the truth is lost.
"... the emergency services and teachers should also have enforced restrictions on smoking."
Bovine excreta!
I served as a Police Officer for nigh on 30 years. I have seen many a non-smoker Officer cadge a fag at the scene of a nasty traffic accident or dead body found, especially in the warm weather.
At more traumatic scenes involving violent injuries or young persons, everyone ended up with a cigarette in hand.
It's stress release. It also helps to mask the smell.