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Disgust itself isn't a good metric for whether something should be banned. The fact that smoking impacts others is the key thing.
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The fact that smoking impacts others is the key thing.
In so many ways. People are still dying directly and indirectly from second hand smoke, lives shortened, children developing athsma, people with athsma and other respiratory conditions aren't safe in alot of spaces. Then the huge cost, which has been mentioned, on the nhs and the taking up of capacity by people with easily preventable conditions. People will whine about anything, seatbelts, speed limits, solid fuel ban in urban areas, sugar tax, banning hitting kids, which cause obvious harm and death and sensible governments just need to ride out the bullshit until it becomes normal, which it always does, people move on and forget. Cigarettes have been widespread for about a century, which is nothing and easily reversible. To suggest its somehow vital to our ability to socialise or enjoy alcohol or have a thriving hospitality sector is really thick.
Alcohol is a bit different; ale was invented many centuries ago literally as a way of re-hydrating without risking dirty water. I think we will always have beer and places to drink it. Fags will be forgotten and in another century we will be astonished they existed, like asbestos or lead in make up.
William.
Ha, Ian Dunt has gone on a mega rant about French ashtrays being "objects of beauty" that clearly comes from someone who really fucking misses smoking himself, which seems to be the problem with all the commentators who can't comprehend the world has moved on and generally think cigarettes are disgusting.
https://iandunt.substack.com/p/leave-smokers-alone-and-mind-your