Jail sentence for flicking fag end at neighbour

A man has been given a suspended jail sentence for flicking a cigarette butt at a neighbour's head.

According to the Cork Evening Echo, Anthony Lacey was also fined €300 for threatening to wreck the neighbour's car.

I don't condone Lacey's behaviour – he sounds like a lout – but a four month jail sentence (suspended or otherwise) for flicking a fag end at someone?!

It's hardly GBH, is it?

On the other hand, if someone scratched my car I'd want to string them up.

Threatening to do so is just as bad.

A €300 fine? He got off lightly!

The village in Wales that wants to be "smoke free"

Have you noticed? The definition of "public place" has changed.

When the smoking ban was introduced it was understood to mean an enclosed public place.

Today the BBC reports that a village in Wales has launched a campaign "to stop smoking in public places" - by which they mean outdoor public places.

Llanfairpwll campaign to stop smoking in public places (BBC News)

Update: BBC Wales invited Forest to comment. Here's our full response:

"This is not about public health, it's about control.

"What gives local councils the right to nag and harass people when they are not breaking the law but merely smoking outside?

"The smoking ban was introduced, allegedly, to protect the health of bar workers. There is no evidence that smoking outside is harmful to anyone.

"Tobacco is a legal product. Smokers must be allowed to light up somewhere.

"If the council doesn't want children to see adults smoke it should lobby parliament to amend the smoking ban to permit smoking rooms in pubs, clubs and casinos."

Update: Tobacco control campaigners are tweeting that Llanfairpwll is now "officially" smoke free which is quite different to being smoke free.

Is this another example of Orwellian Newspeak?

PS. I'm discussing this on LBC at 6.20, if anyone's interested.

Exclusive: forced to flee as smokers gather outside hotel room

I spent a rather wet weekend in Scotland.

It included an afternoon in Largs where we took refuge in Nardini's, "Scotland's most famous café, restaurant and ice cream parlour".

The feuding Nardini family hasn't run the business for over a decade (see Frozen out) and their absence hangs like a cloud over this historic institution.

The cafe overlooking the sea may have had a multi-million pound refurbishment but it lacks the family touch that made Nardini's such an attraction for families with young children.

I wasn't complaining. We were glad just to shelter from the rain with a cappuccino and an ice cream sundae.

On Friday evening we booked in to a hotel in Eaglesham, a conservation village just south of Glasgow.

My wife grew up in a neighbouring village and we got married, 22 years ago, in St Bridget's, a tiny Catholic church overlooking the famous Eaglesham Orry, a long A-shaped green that dominates the centre of the village.

After the service we walked the 20-30 guests across the Orry to a small tea room, and after that an even smaller group (a dozen or so) embarked on a five-hour drive to Skye where we spent a long weekend at this hotel before driving all the way to Gatwick.

Naturally I had forgotten that the night before the wedding I had stayed in the same Eaglesham hotel with a number of friends, but there are quite a lot of things about my wedding I don't remember!

Anyway, on Friday we found ourselves in a room directly above the main entrance while a party took place in the private function room.

Every few minutes two or three people would slope outside for a smoke and although they weren't rowdy we could hear every word.

I soon drifted off but I'm told it was gone 2.00am before the final guest had puffed his last cigarette and retired for the night.

On Saturday we were transferred to a room at the back of the hotel – where we enjoyed an undisturbed's night sleep – but the shocking truth remains:

Director of world's oldest smokers' rights group forced to flee as noisy smokers gather outside hotel room.

You couldn't make it up.

That plain packaging statement: Malcolm Tucker would be very proud

Postscript to yesterday's events.

Following the announcement by public health minister Jane Ellison that the government is "minded" to introduce plain packaging after a "final short consultation", I spent most of the day doing radio and TV interviews.

They included Five Live, World at One (Radio 4), PM (Radio 4), Sky News, ITV News and the BBC's Six O'Clock News.

Forest's reaction was also featured on news bulletins on these radio stations:

BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio WM, BBC Radio London, BBC Radio Oxford, BBC Radio York, BBC Radio Hereford and Worcester, BBC Radio Kent, BBC Radio Norfolk, BBC Radio Wiltshire, BBC Radio Guernsey and BBC Radio Tees.

The press, for some reason, was far less interested in what we had to say. And BBC News online ignored us completely.

The real story however is what went on behind the scenes. I'd like to tell you but I've no idea. It's a job for an investigative journalist.

What I know is, as soon as Sir Cyril Chantler handed in his report last week, we were on red alert in anticipation of a government statement.

Every day there was a new and different rumour as to when Sir Cyril's report would be published. One source even suggested it would be made public last Friday, within hours of it being handed over.

Friday came and went and surprisingly the report wasn't even leaked to a Sunday newspaper.

After that the rumours flew thick and fast. The Government was going to make a statement on Tuesday. Then it was Thursday.

On Wednesday, shortly before noon, I was told, definitely, that a statement wouldn't happen this week or next. I understand this information came from the Department of Health itself.

Lo and behold, shortly before midnight on Wednesday, I got another phone call. The Government was going to make a statement in the House of Commons at 11.15 the following morning.

Unbelievable.

In fact, sources have since told me the government was still flip-flopping as late as 7.30 yesterday morning.

One minute the statement was off, then it was on again. The picture it created was like a scene from The Thick Of It.

There was even a suggestion the statement was only being made to distract attention from the Maria Miller expenses scandal. If true, Malcolm Tucker would be very proud.

Anyway, we prepared three press releases in response to what we thought the government might announce.

(I should add that at no stage did we think Sir Cyril was going to do anything other than support plain packaging. Regardless of the evidence, a paediatrician was never going to upset the medical establishment by advocating the status quo.)

Statement number one: government would acknowledge Sir Cyril's report and announce further discussions with other interested parties without committing to plain packaging.

Statement number two: government would accept Sir Cyril's report, declare support for plain packaging, but announce further consultation.

Statement number three: government would accept Sir Cyril's report and proceed at full speed with plain packaging.

Without being wise after the event, we guessed correctly that the government would go with statement number two, or something similar.

Statement number one would have been justified but it was unlikely to happen because it would have brought the wrath of the tobacco control industry, including the Labour party, down on government.

It would have been right, and brave, but bravery (or principle) isn't a quality I associate with David Cameron's Conservative party.

So we are where we are. The government has made clear it supports plain packaging but there will be a short delay while it consults further.

I'm sure most readers of this blog are as hacked off about this as I am but this "final short consultation" gives us an opportunity to make our feelings known – again – and we must make the most of it.

Next week we will announce how you can help.

I'm off to Scotland now (Glasgow tonight, then Largs on the Ayrshire coast). While I'm gone I'll leave you with this essential reading:

Plain packaging doesn't work (Nick de Bois MP)
Plain packs edging closer (Chris Snowdon)
What we learned from Ellison and Chantler today (Dick Puddlecote)
Protect our children – from nasty politicians (Brian Monteith)

PS. Great contributions in parliament yesterday from the likes of Jacob Rees Mogg, Rob Halfon, and Philip Davies.

Glad to see some MPs are still willing to stand up and fight paternalism and prohibition.

Update: Hear me talking to Shelagh Fogarty (Five Live) here.

The PM report (Radio 4) is here. It features an interview with Mike Ridgeway of the UK packaging industry.

Government announcement on plain packaging

Government to make statement in the House of Commons on standardised packaging of tobacco.

Statement expected between 11.15 and 11.30am. Watch this space.

Update on Thursday, April 3, 2014 at 10:59 by Simon Clark

The government has announced it plans to proceed with plain packaging following a "final short consultation":

Here is Forest's response:

ANTI PLAIN PACK CAMPAIGNERS URGE GOVERNMENT TO KEEP AN "OPEN MIND"

Campaigners have urged the government to keep an "open mind" on plain packaging legislation following an announcement by public health minister Jane Ellison.

According to Ellison the government is currently minded to proceed with plain packaging but will conduct a final short consultation.

Simon Clark, director of the smokers' group Forest which runs the Hands Off Our Packs campaign, said:

"It makes sense for the government to take its time and consult further but it seems perverse to commit to a policy before those discussions have taken place.

"If further consultation is to have any meaning the government must keep an open mind.

"The final decision on standardised packaging must be based on hard evidence that it stops children smoking. Conjecture and subjective opinion are not enough."

Clark urged the government not to forget the outcome of the public consultation on plain packaging.

"A four-month consultation resulted in over 665,000 responses, two thirds of them opposed to plain packaging.

"We urge government not to ignore those responses which were submitted in good faith.

"Failure to take into account the result of a public consultation would leave a very bad taste and could alienate a large number of voters, many of whom could be driven to vote for Ukip in protest."

I'm off to do Five Live and possibly the World at One on Radio 4.

Smoking shelters for hardworking people

I was on BBC Radio Sussex this morning.

According to a local news agency, 'An ambulance trust where every employee is banned from smoking is splashing out NHS cash on shelters for those staff who can't beat the craving for a cigarette.'

Naturally I supported the trust's decision which demonstrates a welcome pragmatism, not to mention a caring attitude to members of staff who choose to smoke during their breaks.

What disturbs me is that SECAmb had to act because of complaints about staff smoking in "public view".

It is really that offensive?

For goodness sake. Have those complaining got nothing better to do than snitch on hardworking people (as George Osborne might say)?

As for the "angry soon-to-retire paramedic", the sooner he (or she) retires the better. I wouldn't want someone like that looking after me following an accident!

Update on Tuesday, April 1, 2014 at 10:56 by Simon Clark

I was interviewed on Radio Sussex by Jeni Barnett who is standing in for the regular presenter.

A couple of years ago Jeni interviewed me for BBC London. She's an ex-smoker and we had a bit of a ding-dong.

I accused her of being "patronising" and "middle class" in her attitude to smoking. She claimed (in a very plummy voice!) that she was far from being middle class.

As I was faded out I heard her tell listeners, "Well, I won that argument."

Today she could not have been nicer or more friendly. In fact she finished the interview by saying, "Forest are very lucky to have you."

I think I've found my soulmate.

April Fool? "Sugar must only be available on prescription"

I confess I'm a curmudgeon when it comes to April Fool jokes.

What used to be a bit of fun has become boring and predictable. Why does anyone bother?

Truth is, real life is so ridiculous these days it's impossible to tell fact from fiction.

For example, is this an April Fool: Seven-a-day fruit and veg 'saves lives' (BBC News)?

Probably not, but it could be.

A couple of years ago we sent out a Hands Off Our Packs press release entitled 'Easter eggs to be sold in plain packaging':

Easter eggs could be sold in plain packaging from next year.

Public health campaigners want all seasonal confectionary to be sold in uniform beige packs which research has shown is the colour that is least appealing to children and the obese.

Proposals being considered by the Government would remove all branding and colourful packaging in an attempt to reduce indulgence levels.

Public health groups have welcomed the proposals. "If this legislation stops one young person from picking up a shiny, glitzy Easter egg and prevents them becoming addicted to chocolate then it will have been worthwhile," said Candy Barr, chief executive officer for Action on Eating and Health.

“We would also like Easter eggs to be sold behind closed doors in retail outlets. At present they are on open display which is far too tempting for customers.”

Yesterday we dug it out, dusted it down, and sent it to our media contacts in Ireland.

Last night our man in Cork, John Mallon, dropped me a note to say he's been booked to do an interview this morning on an Irish radio station.

Topic: plain packs for Easter eggs.

John says he will demand plain packaging for Easter Eggs "and much else too".

"Sugar," he says, "must only be available on prescription."

This should be fun. Listen live to Tipp FM online at 10.45.

Farage on 4 - don't miss it

Looking forward to watching Nigel Farage: Who Are You? on TV tonight.

This is how Channel 4 describes the documentary, which starts at 7.30:

On a six-month journey full of incident, controversial filmmaker Martin Durkin gets to know Nigel Farage, the controversial UKIP leader who's turning British politics upside down.

You may remember that we invited Nigel to take part in Forest's Liberty Lounge event at The Comedy Store during the Conservative conference in Manchester last year.

I wrote about it here, Nigel Farage lights up Conservative conference fringe, and added this postscript:

Boris Johnson was the star of another not-so-fringe meeting at exactly the same time that Nigel Farage was appearing at The Comedy Store.

The BBC sent reporters to both events - see Tory conference: Boris Johnson v Nigel Farage.

The Forest/IEA meeting was also filmed by a TV crew making a documentary about Farage for Channel 4.

I would be very surprised if our event is featured in the Durkin's documentary, if only because it was the smallest of three meetings Nigel took part in that day, but there may be a shot of him drinking and smoking outside before his interview with the IEA's Mark Littlewood.

Either way, it should be an entertaining 60 minutes.

See also: Censorship of Forest Tory ad "heavy-handed to say the least" and Invitation to A Beer and a Fag with Farage and other events.

Update: An early scene did feature Farage at the Forest/IEA event 'A Beer and a Fag with Farage' at The Comedy Store in Manchester.

Sadly we weren't credited.