Did the war on smoking help radicalise some of today’s young eco warriors?
Friday, November 11, 2022 at 14:15 
Just Stop Oil protester Indigo Rumbelow was interviewed on Sky News last night.
Aside from the ‘shrieking’ and the ‘shouting’ (which wasn’t as bad as some reports have suggested) it was Rumblelow’s analogy with smoking that most interested me.
Speaking to presenter Mark Austin she said:
“So the way I see it is, we’re completely addicted to fossil fuels. Have you ever tried to ask someone to stop smoking? I’ve asked my dad to stop smoking and that’s because I loved him and he was told that if he keeps smoking he’s going to get cancer, and the scientists will tell him, you know, he’s going to get cancer, but it’s not a very pleasant process …”
At that point she was interrupted by Austin, who was struggling to control his errant and slightly eccentric guest, but what I think Rumbelow was trying to say was that, while the ‘process’ might not be nice, disrupting motorists’ lives (like asking her dad to quit smoking) is necessary because it’s for our own good.
That wasn’t the last reference to smoking because when Austin asked why she and her fellow protestors weren’t making their point at COP27 in Egypt she replied, somewhat obscurely:
“Yeah, and back to this idea, isn’t that disgusting? Imagine that. Think about my dad when he was smoking. Imagine if the Cancer Research [sic] invited Benson & Hedges [sic] into their debate on what they’re going to do about lung cancer …”
At this point she paused. Then, her voice rising to an even higher pitch of indignation, she screeched:
“It’s disgusting!”
If that final primal scream doesn’t become a meme I’ll be very disappointed but on a half serious note what are we to make of an eco warrior who sees a connection between her father smoking and the health of the entire planet?
Indigo is 28 which means she was 15 when in 2009 the Department of Health launched a new anti-smoking campaign with this press release (What children really want for Christmas):
Children are so concerned about the impact on their parent's health that they'd go to considerable lengths to get them to give up, including going without Christmas presents; giving up their pocket money; and even committing to complete their homework every night, according to new research ...
The research, which was conducted on behalf of Department of Health, reveals the anti smoking stance of a new smokefree generation of kids [sic] who are so opposed to cigarettes they've labelled smoking stupid, say they will never try a cigarette and that they wish that nobody in the world smoked …
Anne Milton, Public Health Minister, said: "What's clear from the research is that children really want their parents to give up smoking ..."
According to Campaign magazine (September 14, 2009):
The Department of Health will tonight launch its latest anti-smoking campaign, featuring children urging their parents to quit while they watch their favourite TV show.
According to the NHS Stop Smoking Services, a generation of children are growing up to be anti-smoking but are increasingly concerned about the health of their parents who smoke.
The campaign featured a series of TV advertisements. In one ad that ran during Coronation Street ‘Molly from Hammersmith’ said:
Hi Mum, I know you're watching Coronation Street. I don't want you to smoke because I don't want you to go through what your mum went through. Because it will just make me really, really sad and because I don't want you to die. I don't know what I would do without you.”
I’d love to know what happened to Molly and whether she’s now a member of Just Stop Oil or Extinction Rebellion because if you’ve grown up under governments that have encouraged you to question your parents’ lifestyle what are the odds that you’ll be drawn to a campaign that questions the lifestyle of your parents’ entire generation?
Anyway, it’s just a thought. As scientists like to say, more research is needed.
Reader Comments (4)
I don't know the answer to the question, I can only speak for myself so I'm glad I grew up as a smoker. It makes it a lot easier for me to put all those different meddlesome alarmists who try to convince through stigmatization into perspective.
I think you are right, Simon.
From yesterday's Telegraph.
"Just Stop Oil, which is a splinter group of Extinction Rebellion, began recruiting members at universities earlier this year, according to evidence uncovered by the Policy Exchange think tank.
Posters placed on campuses around the country warned students that climate change would lead to apocalyptic events.
One recruitment sign read: “The breakdown of the climate is destroying the economy. It will destroy your job, your family, this community, this town. It will lead to slaughter, war and mass starvation.
“It will be the biggest disaster in history. You can sit around and just let it happen or you can take responsibility to protect those you love.”
In a video posted online, Roger Hallam, who is accused of being one of the organisers of Just Stop Oil, gave an extraordinary prediction of the impact of climate change claiming it would result in rape and violence."
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/11/10/just-stop-oil-protesters-target-m25-fourth-consecutive-day/
Like Tobacco Control, it has become an end of the World cult. I've been threatened by ASH and the RCP since the age of 8, that everyone I loved would die horribly if they didn't stop smoking.
I didn't believe it then and I don't believe it now and as a child I was far too respecting of the adults around me than to question their judgment.
Then again, I'd also spent much time researching nicotine containing vegetables in my Mother's prewar gardening books as a hobby.
Luc
I try to keep a look out for which "meddlesome alarmists" are likely to disrupt my ordered world this week.
From 2009
Lessons Learned From Tobacco Control Should be Applied to Climate Policy
2009
"Climate change is similar to the issue of secondhand smoke in the sense that the damage both cause constitute "externalities." That's the word economists use to describe the side effects of a commercial enterprise that negatively impact other parties, where the cost is not reflected in the price of the product. Markets have no mechanism for dealing with externalities, leaving it up to governments to step in to limit the damage. Industries typically pocket the cash their products and activities generate, while leaving the cost of cleaning up their externalities to a larger group, many of whom don't benefit from the product in any way."
https://www.prwatch.org/news/2009/12/8767/lessons-learned-tobacco-control-should-be-applied-climate-policy
They really don't like successful industries, just as they didn't like clever and entertaining smokers and got rid of them, that's why it's so dull these days.
Of course anti smokerism encourages extremists and of course the war on smokers has given other activists and lobbyists the confidence to abuse any other consumer or business involved in products they dislike, want to eradicate, or control for the future that they have decided we should all have, using the tobacco template to achieve it.
Haven't we smokers said for decades that if the extremists got their way with forcing smoking bans everywhere and destroying the culture of smoking, without tolerance and respect for diversity of different tastes and needs, then no other industry deemed "harmful", without taking into account the relative risks associated with that product rather than just the alarmist scaremongering, would be attacked next including the car and the plane?
If only the government recognised it has embraced extremism in politics and keeps it right at the heart of decision making by allowing ASH and it's activists and lobbyists the power to make all laws in relation to tobacco consumer bashing over the moderates who seek compromise and a way to keep both sides happy.
I wonder what extremists will come next? Perhaps the middle class extremists, and they are always bored middle class youths and manipulative adults, will glue themselves to the doors of McDonalds, KFC or some other down-market take away that they feel is responsible for the fact there are overweight people in the world that they just do not like the look of as they do not like the sort of people who are more likely to visit such places.
This must all stop and the only way to cut the head of the snake of this extremism is to go back to encouraging a culture of tolerance, moderation and respect for differing views and tastes. That can never happen while extremists are so close to Government.
Expect more from the "I demand you do as I say" brigade with their junk science aimed at knee jerk low calibre politicians who cannot think for themselves, or so it seems due to their total failure to do anything other than they are told by certain lobby groups using charity status as a front.