No stopping the stop smoking brigade

It will surprise no-one that the Tobacco and Vapes Bill is not the end of the war on tobacco.

Not content with banning the sale of tobacco to all future generations of adults, tobacco control campaigners also want to ban cigarette filters (effectively outlawing most cigarettes) and impose a “polluter pays” levy on the tobacco industry.

The latter idea has been around for a decade at least and it's important to anti-smoking campaigners because the aim is to use the money to fund their activities for decades to come.

Anything else? Oh yes, they also want to ban cigar lounges, the type that can be found in cigar shops and are used exclusively by cigar smokers wanting to sample the product before buying.

All these demands were reported today following the publication of a ‘major new report by the influential cross-party All Party Parliamentary Group on Smoking and Health’.

Led by Conservative MP Bob Blackman, the APPG has called for ‘all political parties to back a bold, fully funded strategy to make smoking obsolete within 20 years’. 

So, what next, a ban on smoking terraces such as the one at Boisdale of Belgravia where Forest hosts our annual lunch?

And what about smoking in the home? Last week Professor Sean Semple of the University of Stirling called for legislation to stop people from smoking in houses with children.

Truly, the tobacco control industry won’t stop until there is not a single smoker in Britain.

Anyway, you can read my response to the APPG’s report here.

Comments

[Pat Nurse]

They are just bullies whose jobs depend on pushing the vulnerable and powerless consumer around while pretending to be fighting big industry which can just move on and take their money with them without barely being affected.

They are vile. I could not despise any industry more than that run by anti smoker bullies.