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Government Policy On Smoking - Paul Robinson (26th Oct 2005 - 08:41:50) So the government is in confusion with regard to its attitude to smoking. Perhaps its collective handwringing could have more to do with the revenue that it gets in tax from the sale of tobacco. John Reid's mealy mouthed explanation about depriving the poor of one of their few pleasures is patronising in the extreme. Statistics show that, with the exception of young people, girls in particular, more and more people from all stratas of the socio-economic scale are giving up smoking for health reasons. Being e frequent visitor to Ireland I can tell you that pubs and restaurants are doing better trade now than they ever did before because non smokers who are in the majority are now using them because of the smoke free environment. Unfortunately the smokers who are in the minority in Ireland as well as here are turning the pavements into ashtrays but maybe, like America, this can be addressed as well.

Re: Government Policy On Smoking - Alex Cameron (29th Oct 2005 - 11:45:27) Being an ex-smoker i've always held the belief that the rights of both sides should be respected - smokers should the right to do as they wish with their own bodies, but should not inflict it on others who have chosen not to. The issue for me is that it is yet one more ban - this government's answer to everything. That's a mistake we will pay for in the long term, but as it appeases hysterical Daily Mail and Sun readers it gets put to the top of the list.

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