One of the world’s greatest health risks at the turn of the 21st Century was smoking, but thanks to numerous anti-smoking efforts, greater education, and increased governmental regulation against smoking, the tide seems to be turning. For example, in the UK, one of the major goals of the National Health was to cut the percentage of smokers from 21 percent at the moment to less than 10 percent by 2020, and one of the ways they’re going to do that is by banning all cigarette branding.
Now, I’m a militant anti-smoker, but I know that people will always find a way to smoke, even if they have to do it outside. So long as they’re doing it someplace I don’t have to go through (read: run the gauntlet of outside smokers huddling around the doorway of every event) and so long as I can avoid their second-hand smoke, puff away. It’s your body; kill it however you like. Just don’t expect me to pay for your health care.
Tags: United Kingdom, Great Britain, branding ban, cigarette advertising ban, anti-smoking laws, legislation, anti-smoking efforts, Andy Burnham