More on smoking in cars with children
Wednesday, December 17, 2014 at 8:53 Currently at Stansted waiting for a flight to Dublin.
I may (or may not) be on the news later today talking about smoking in cars with children. I recorded an interview for the BBC yesterday in anticipation of some announcement today, but no-one seemed to know what it might be.
Scotland, of course, is pushing ahead with a ban. Yesterday Lib Dem MSP Jim Hume presented a Bill to the Scottish Parliament that has the support of the Scottish Labour party and probably the Scottish Government although the latter is waiting to complete its own consultation on the issue.
Hume insists it's all about "the children", giving them the healthiest start in life. Odd, then, that he retweeted a tweet by someone who supports a ban on smoking in all private vehicles, regardless of the presence of children.
Via Twitter Forest asked Hume whether he supports a total ban but, so far, he's ignored our question.
Yesterday I was on Morning Call (BBC Radio Scotland) discussing the issue for half an hour although my contribution amounted to no more than a few minutes.
Most of what I said is summed up by these comments I gave the Dundee Evening Telegraph, which described me as an "expert"!
"Legislation to ban smoking in cars with children is taking a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
"Smokers don't need to be told how to behave. The overwhelming majority wouldn't dream of lighting a cigarette in a car if a child is present. Enough is enough."
"Criminalising it will have very little impact other than stigmatising smokers even more than they are already.
"The police must have better things to do with their time.
"This is yet another example of politicians interfering in people's lives for no good reason. It's gesture politics.
"The next step will be a ban on smoking in all private vehicles followed by a ban on smoking in the home."
But back to Morning Call. Also on the programme was John Watson of ASH Scotland which has been advising Hume on his Bill.
(How political is that? Further evidence of taxpayers' money being used by a 'charity' to lobby government. Shameless.)
In support of a ban John quoted research in which 25 per cent of children claim to be exposed to tobacco smoke in cars.
Needless to say this "evidence"is entirely anecdotal hence our belief that proper research should be carried out – similar to the UCD study in Dublin – to ascertain the facts not the fiction.
(UCD monitored over 2,200 cars in Dublin's rush hour and recorded only eight drivers smoking and just one child exposed to tobacco smoke in the car.)
Anyway, there was light relief in the form of this Twitter exchange:
#morningcall @simonclark_ from Forest disagrees with the potential smoking ban in cars. He says that smokers in Scotland know how to behave
— BBC Radio Scotland (@BBCRadioScot) December 16, 2014@BBCRadioScot @simonclark_ sure it's no Forres?....get Scottish place-names right at least....
— Willie Farrelly (@bigwilliebhoy) December 16, 2014@bigwilliebhoy @simonclark_ Forest is short for Freedom Organisation for the Right to Enjoy Smoking Tobacco
— BBC Radio Scotland (@BBCRadioScot) December 16, 2014@BBCRadioScot @simonclark_ well say that then...eejits
— Willie Farrelly (@bigwilliebhoy) December 16, 2014
Reader Comments (5)
Vile smokerphobics use gullible and thick politicians like Hume to criminalise smokers. Make no mistake. This is the bottom line and the sum total of their 40 years of effort. It was never about health. It was always about phobic mental illness, irrational fear and hatred.
It has never been about children who have just been exploited by smokerphobics in positions of power who want to use them to get at adult consumers they do not want to help but want to see in prison. This would make them smile and ensure jobs for life as enforcers and jackboots.
My car. My line. The state can fuck off. It's had enough money out of me during my lifetime as a smoker - it will not get a penny more.
As for the pathetic LibDems - only 6% of people support that party now so only 6% will be fully behind this hate campaign of theirs.
Dead Party Walking. #WeSmokeWeVote #UKIP
It comes down to choice, freedom and respect for all- Respect the smokers right to smoke.... who are we to tell you what to do!!- By the same token respect the right of non smokers to NOT smoke (inc 2nd hand). No one should be forced to consume any smoke, be it first hand or second hand, children or adults, in a car, a house or anywhere else for that matter, unless they 'choose' to do so. Legislation is the only way....without which we would still be in the dark ages of coming home after a Saturday night stinking like an ashtray.
The point is that smokers do and we do not need a law to give the impression that we don't. We own our bodies. We own our property. We do not have to be around people who hate smoking - and that isn't all non smokers - and these days we would rather we weren't. However, the places we can go are severely limited by law which puts us right into the path of those who don't want to be around us.
I'm a smoker, I think pub landlords etc should have the choice of being smoking or non-smoking and I think smoking in the car with your kids is generally a bad idea, although some of their stats are questionable. But please don't tell me there is a link between this group's supporters and UKIP!? They are a ridiculous party, and while I fully agree change is needed in government, they are most certainly not the change anyone needs.They would turn us into more of a small minded nation than we are already suffering from. Don't sacrifice bigger issues for the sole hope of extended smoking rights, I'm for the cause, but don't dance with the devil.
For 30 years I voted Labour. Why would I vote for that party now? They'd criminalise me. Why would I switch to Tories or the Limp Dumps who hate me as much?
As a historical child smoker, I think I'm entitled to comment and have an opinion on this.
Smoking in a car with kids is not a matter of life, death or injury. It's a mater of consideration and whether anti-smokers and their apologists like it or not, not all kids mind, feel harmed by it or care whether their parents smoke in a car or not. Those that do tell their parents and the parents do not smoke.
As I said above. This is not about health. It's about criminalisation of former child smokers like myself because they couldn't save us and we haven't done the decent thing and dropped dead yet in our old age.