Short but Sweet

Short but sweet - My letter to the papers

July 8 - the Mail
Dear Sirs
Are you aware of the ONS report issued this week that states ONLY 33% of the people want a total smoking ban. This is little changed from last year yet claims of rapidly increasing support were frequently heard from anti-smoking
groups.
The ban, we keep being told, has the overwhelming support of the people and even the Government response to the Health Committee published to Parliamentin March this year claimed 71% in favour of the total ban. They preferred a
YouGov poll result over the Country's own department for statistics. Surely Parliament was biased by such a 'way off the mark' assertion.

Regards

July 8 - Mag-UK website
Hi
Re: North of the Border June 2006
I read this with great interest but actually feel the writer understated many of the so-called facts.
One extremely enlightening fact emerged this week when the Office of National Statistics revealed that only 33% support a total ban.

The Government quoted a figure of 71% when they presented their response to the Health Committees report.

The ban is due to come into effect next summer but it's not too late to show the Government how we feel.
Your members have the opportunity to show their opposition to the ban (or the Government) by visiting http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/The_Big_Debate/ or even downloading a petition form from the links page on my site at www.myweb.tiscali.co.uk/nearlydone . There are already over 14,000 names on
returned petitions and that's from the efforts of a small group of annoyed smokers and non-smokers.

I would appreciate your help in letting your massive membership know about the above.

Regards

July 7 - Telegraph and Independent
Dear Sirs,

The Government’s assertion of rapidly strengthening public support for smoke-free legislation was based on inaccurate data.

According to the latest figures from the Office of National Statistics only 33% are in favour of a total smoking ban in pubs. This contrasts with the 71% quoted in their response to the Health Committee’s report presented to Parliament in March 2006.

Surely this must make us all wonder what else they got wrong and why it was not available when Lord Stoddart asked for it in the Lord’s?
‘The Publican’ quotes public health minister Caroline Flint as saying: "The ONS survey shows once again the strong public support for action to restrict smoking in enclosed public places and workplaces.”

Such a typical politician’s response! She ignored the question and countered with an irrelevant but obvious comment. There is no doubt that there is strong support for restrictions but NOT for a total ban.

AND

The Government’s assertion of rapidly strengthening public support for smoke-free legislation was based on inaccurate data.

Could the Scottish data be the report found at http://www.clearingtheairscotland.com/research/opinion-survey.html ?

When looking at this document it is hard to find much of any real significance and most ‘lay people’ might come to the conclusion that the figures, based on a sample of only 1040, are so variable that no valid conclusions can be drawn from them.

There was certainly no evidence of the ban’s popularity with ex-bingo players.