Nanny State Continues to Infringe on Your Life

  A new scheme proposed by Health Watchdogs is for smokers to apply for a licence to smoke.  I know it sounds stupid and crass but if someone doesn't stop this now where will it end?

The name of the "I know what's best for you" and the schemes idea is Julian Le Grand.  He is grand master of the Health England and unfortunately a former advisor to Tony Blair when he was Prime Minister.  He says that smokers may be deterred by having to fill in an application form (more data for the government to lose or get stolen) and therefore break the habit. To receive a licence it would cost you £10 at present and means that you have "opted in" to smoke.  On the licence which would be renewed annually would be a photo and evidence of age.

So if you wished to purchase tobacco you would have to produce your licence at the shop counter therefore making the assistant unwittngly the smoke police enforcer.  Youths seen by police smoking on the streets would be asked for their licence.  Can you imagine it?  A dazzling array of blue and red lights, a screech of brakes as cops spot three teens smoking.  All right, nobody move.  Hands on the hood. Legs spread.  Okay, show us your licence.  Meantime, down the road a dear little old lady gets mugged by a young gang for her purse just because the cost of booze has gone up and pocket money don't cover it no  more.

In a nutshell to anyone with intelligence to solve the equation of 4 + 4 = 8 would see this as just another stealth tax. Ah! Ha! they cry, but it's not because the millions raised would be pumped into the Health Service , a good cause.  No it isn't because we all have had out national health contributions jacked up to cover the upgrading and expansion of the NHS but it seems the money has found a black hole. It would also drive the habit and purchase underground aligning with drugs, smoking dens (sounds like the great depression of America trying to control booze) and the blackmarket.

We already have regulation on smoke and gases - exhaust smoke, power station smoke, chimney smoke and soon cattles's bums methane, farting and sheeps breath.

So Mr. Le Grand (lang - french:definition the big, the large, maybe "grandiose") who probably drives a German gas guzzler down to the local paper shop, go away on holiday, to a very, very far away place. You obviously need some time for R&R.  Health England? Another self appointed busy body group to join the ever expanding list of interfering associations.

The downside to this proposal is the government will consider it sometime late this year - Hopefully throw it out as unworkable, insane and crass.

Last update : 18-02-2008 15:34

Average user rating

No rating