I was disappointed a week ago when the Sheffield Star published a report about the council launching a campaign to ban smoking in the city's play areas without a single dissenting voice.
We got in touch, the paper invited us to comment, and the result is published today under the headline Sheffield smokefree playground campaign an ‘abuse of public money’ says lobby group Forest.
Credit to the Star and reporter Alex Moore.
Prior to this I don't think Alex was aware that Forest (or a group like Forest) existed. Fair play to him – and his news editor – for offering some balance.
Meanwhile the campaign by singer-songwriter Annie Dressner for the government to introduce legislation to 'make smoking in and near children's parks and playgrounds against the law' appears to have stalled.
After feverishly tweeting the likes of Adele, Taylor Swift and Katie Price in the hope of getting their support, Annie's last campaign tweet was on July 19.
Meanwhile her petition – launched on July 1, four days after she finished recording her new album – currently has 2,889 signatures, a meagre number given the publicity she briefly enjoyed.