Holy Smoke

6.14.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 5th Jul 2007

No smoke without fire

I found out yesterday why signmakers are doing such good trade in 'no smoking' signs. The law specifies that our public spaces should be littered with the things.

I'd rather have the dog ends, frankly.

And 'respect' to the vicar who lit up in a station after saying to a police officer there 'I'd like to report a crime'. They did nothing. Environmental Health enforce it, apparently. Yeah, that'll work.

If the government was serious about the health implications of smoking, they'd implement the minimum smoking age escalator. Year on year, the minimum age you can buy tobacco increases.

Yes, that'd be very 'nanny state' but isn't this public spaces thing?

A use for ID cards .. proof of age! That's only going to cost £5 - £18Bn depending on who you believe .. around £8 - 9Bn is raised in tax from tobacco.

Related Link:

BBC news - holy smoke