I was on GB News yesterday discussing the question ‘Should the UK ban smoking?’
Presented by Calvin Robinson, the other guest was “stop smoking expert” Louise Ross who is also ‘interim chair’ of the New Nicotine Alliance, although that role wasn’t mentioned.
Louise and I were interviewed separately - and it was a relatively brief discussion, not the longer debate I had anticipated - but two things she said stood out.
One, like all anti-smoking campaigners she welcomed a tobacco levy because, she said, the industry should pay for smoking cessation services and the treatment of smoking-related diseases.
It’s an argument that ignores the fact that the tobacco companies already pay huge sums in corporation tax and the cost of treating smoking-related illnesses is covered several times over by the tax and VAT on tobacco.
It also ignores the expectation that the cost of a levy will be passed on to the consumer, which is one of several reasons the government has previously rejected the idea.
Two, Louise rather airily dismissed the threat of smoking being banned in the UK, arguing that it’s not government policy. That is true but I’m old enough to remember when it wasn’t government policy to ban smoking in every pub in the country and look what happened.
In any case it’s pretty obvious that what we’ve witnessed since the introduction of the smoking ban - including a ban on the sale of menthol cigarettes and localised restrictions on outdoor smoking - is edging us in the direction of full-scale prohibition, whether it’s the sale or consumption of tobacco.
Excessive restrictions on where people can smoke and bans on an entire category of cigarette may not represent a complete ban on smoking but it’s what I call creeping prohibition and the direction of travel is clear.
In short, Louise’s emollient words (and kind-hearted disposition) may appease some people but I’ve been here before so forgive my cynicism.
You can watch the discussion here.
Even if you don’t watch it it’s worth reading the comments below the video. At the time of writing there are 432 and a quick glance suggests very little support for smoking to be banned, even among those who actively dislike it.
It’s little wonder then that tobacco control campaigners play down the idea - just as they played down a comprehensive ban on indoor public smoking for many years before supporting the policy - but it doesn’t mean that prohibition of tobacco, and therefore smoking, is not their long-term goal.