Dec07

A Country divided is no advert for competent Government.
Only the most incompetent of decision makers or anti-smokers would consider this law to be sensible when it was never needed or asked for.
Who, when discouraging tobacco advertising, would force smokers outside where their laughter and camaraderie becomes an effective advert for smoking?
Who but the blinkered fail to see that bans make activities more attractive to young people?
Who but the incompetent would describe a situation where some premises can offer outside spaces and others cannot a 'level playing field'?
Who but the gutless would exclude 14 million voters from contributing to discussion about a law that severely impacts upon their own activity?
Who but the bully would force fellow human beings outside into constructions that even the RSPCA would condemn?
Who but the vicious bully would do this to the old and lonely?
Who but the liar would promote minimal statistical correlations as scientific fact?
Who but the unthinking would accept the propaganda of any hate group as unbiased or true?
Who but the arrogant would consider a law that excludes and demonises a quarter of the population to be of benefit to a cohesive society?
Who but the thoroughly inept would accept the word of groups who have everything to gain from the promotion of ineffective pharmaceutical products?
Who but those bereft of commercial experience would claim no loss of trade in sectors where the majority of customers smoke?
Who but the sadist would promote the closure of venues that bring together the lonely and are at the centre of community?
Who, despite having accepted millions of pounds of public money, to educate and discourage smoking would impose punishment to hide their failure?
Only the mentally challenged would declare that 21st Century technology cannot remove even fine particulates from the air?
Who but the limited would consider secondhand smoke to be more dangerous than the many thousands of pollutants in the modern world?
Only politicians would pass a law to detract attention from their many, many failed initiatives and their inability to guide our Country.
The destruction of jobs and businesses, the loss of recreation venues, the damage to the environment, the promotion of isolation and depression are the real costs of this legislation and still our politicians believe the propaganda of hate. There has been no permanent reduction of smoking prevalence in Ireland; the claims of a 17% reduction of heart problems in Scotland were exposed as a fabricated LIE; the closure of social clubs and pubs and subsequent social damage in Scotland and Ireland are REAL.
Smoking, like other adult vices, belongs INSIDE adult social venues. They were the people's answer to providing for many less than desirable adult behaviours.