Smoking

[Malcolm Robinson]

I maybe an ex-smoker but I do agree with the sentiment.

[Eileen]

Im an ex smoker as well Malcolm I also agree with this sentiment, and really feel for the family of the young boy who died on friday, killed by a drunken bloke driving a tractor.

[threegee]

Governments have always been in two minds about tobacco - they feel they need to social engineer but are hooked on the huge revenue it produces.

I think smoking is pure crazy, but when it comes down to civil liberties the nanny state has gone too far and needs to get off the backs of people who still chose to. The revenue needs to be ring fenced to go into the NHS and I think smokers should be made to contribute to NHS costs directly related to their smoking (maybe by extra insurance). But all this packaging nonsense needs to stop, as does the ads and the lecturing. Teach kids at school about the dangers and leave it at that!

Stop the moral crusading politicians, we don't need you to tell us how we should live our lives; just set a better example yourselves, like in the old days when politicians had to show a bit of backbone. Maybe make a start by doubling all the prices at the HoC bar - that's a bit of social engineering that would get my support!

[keith lockey]

I've never smoked, though most of my family are heavy smokers, but the one thing that REALLY annoys me with smoking is the cigarette dumps, butts, whatever you want to call them, that litter our streets. If a teeneager bought a Gregg's pasty and threw the bag on the ground it would be considered littering. But if an adult flicks a butt onto the pavement int seems to be okay. NO, there is no difference, except in the size of the litter. So if anything the packaging should show a mountain of dump, or butts indicating the litter factor that cleaners have to sweep up every week.

Edited August 11, 2013 by keith lockey

[Symptoms]

I'd ban filtered snouts and make plain tabs the only ones available. At a stroke you'd shorten the lives of the smokers and save the billions of pounds that would have to be spent on the long-term care of these wheezing and spluttering fools. There's also the added benefit of plain fag-ends, unlike the discarded filters, being completely bio-degradable, thus addressing KeithL's concerns.

[Maggie/915]

My Dad was a smoker and died unable to breath.

When the black lung gets you that's the kiss of death.

He had a huge operation to remove part of a lung in the late 1930s and was told not to smoke.

They knew then how dangerous it was!

Sadly my youngest still misses him, even though he died in 1985.

[tomtom]

A filthy habit which sadly permeates our lives - even walking in the street you see the evidence all over - fag ends! Have you noticed the mess outside the pubs in Bedlington - why in Gods name can't people use the few ashbins that some publicans provide.