According to an ‘exclusive’ new poll a majority of Brits ‘believe that traditional cigarettes should be banned in favour of vaping and e-cigarettes’.
The Techne UK poll for Express.co.uk revealed that 54 percent believe traditional lighting up of a cigarette should be banned.
The paper describes this as ‘shocking’ but is it? Smokers currently represent 14 per cent (one in seven) of the adult population and we are fed a regular diet of anti-smoking propaganda so it’s hardly surprising when polls come out against the habit, albeit by a small majority.
Anyway Forest was invited to respond and the Express published my response in full:
Simon Clark, director of the smokers’ rights group Forest, said: “Millions of adults enjoy smoking and don’t want to switch. Many have tried vaping and they prefer cigarettes to e-cigarettes. That’s their choice and it must be respected.
“Banning cigarettes in favour of reduced risk products isn’t the way forward. Prohibition never works and it would simply drive more smokers to the black market and fuel illicit trade.
“It could also lead to huge resentment and a significant backlash against e-cigarettes from confirmed smokers who may feel they are being bullied and forced to switch against their will.”
He added: “If smokers quit cigarettes in favour of smoke free products it has to be through choice not prohibition or coercion.”
The poll was published online yesterday afternoon so I will monitor who ‘likes’ or promotes the report (‘Ban smoking in favour of vaping Britons say in exclusive new poll’) on social media. So far it seems to have generated very little traction and the Express isn’t exactly falling over itself to publicise the poll.
The point is of course that the issue is not about smoking or vaping, it’s about giving adults a choice of nicotine products, some ‘safer’ than others, and respecting their decision, whether it’s to smoke, vape or do neither.
How hard is that to understand and support? Unfortunately, as someone commented on Twitter last night:
Non smokers don't want smokers to have the freedom to smoke. Gotcha.
PS. The Express has confirmed (see previous post) that ‘the Government has postponed the publication of a report into how to make Britain smoke free by 2030. The [Khan] report was due to come out on Wednesday but has now been put back.’
I’ll keep you posted.