Tobacco Control Carnage

Still very busy in Puddlecoteville, but I've found a window to get down a few scribbles from what's been in the news of late.

For example, here is the kind of appalling shambles you are left with when you let ideological lunatics determine public sector policy.

Smoking will be fully banned at the Royal United Hospital in Bath by the end of the year. 

It is currently advertised as a smoke-free site but there are designated shelters for lighting up that will be removed to end the ‘conflicting messages'.

Conflicting messages? What would they be? That smokers should be bullied or else it sends the message that people at NHS institutions might be in the caring profession? Yes I suppose they have a point.

Vaping will be allowed but anyone wanting to smoke will have to leave the site - a move expected to upset neighbouring residents.

So having annoyed one set of taxpayers - smokers - this NHS trust is now going to piss off locals who pay council tax too. Isn't it far easier to just have some shelters somewhere which makes sure everyone is happy?

Of course not, we are dealing with extremists here.

"By the end of this year we have to be smoke free."

Why? There is no law saying you have to. Nor is there any danger to bystanders (please look up J S Mill).

"We have some work to do to build support for our staff around smoking cessation. 

"Probably the most challenging aspect is enforcement."

Yes, because there is no law about it so you have none.

“What expectation do we have on our staff? What sanctions could there be for repeat offenders? Enforcement is the key to this."

Ah I see, so you're going to write into your employment policies that anyone using a legal product in their spare time where no-one can be harmed by it will lose their job.

Sometimes I feel like linking a dynamo up to George Orwell's grave, it could provide free light and heat for the entire country.

James Scott, the trust’s chief executive, said: "This is a significant challenge for us and every hospital I've ever been in, including abroad. 

"Don't think this is an NHS problem. 

"We will be forcing smokers off-site - that's our patients and staff. 

“The consequence is we will get more and more complaints from our neighbours. 

"That's what's happened every time we've done this in the past.

Erm, so don't do it then. Seriously, no-one will care.

“Legally, provided staff are outside our curtilage, they can smoke."

Yep, sadly for authoritarian arseholes, this is true. And long may it continue to be so.

He said some doctors may object to the ban because of the calming effect that smoking can have in stressful situations.

Good, there are still some people in the health service who are human and haven't completely turned into vile interfering cultists.

Public Health England recognises vaping as an effective tool for quitting smoking but Mr Scott said there is some emerging evidence that it "isn't as harmless as it's currently thought to be".

What a clusterfuck of ignoramuses our NHS is.

Nigel Stevens, a non-executive director of the trust, asked if there had been any research into how smoking bans affect staff retention - which is an issue for the RUH. 

He was told the trust would look into it. 

A survey showed that staff are divided on the issue. 

49 per cent thought the RUH should go smoke free, while 49 per cent thought it should be permitted in some capacity. 

Some 90 per cent of smokers thought that smoking should be allowed. 

Those against the ban said that shelters were a good way to contain smokers; staff, visitors and patients may be under a lot of stress and need to smoke; and that people had free choice over whether they smoke. Those who supported the ban said the RUH had a responsibility to promote healthy choices.

Of course, if they just ignored the whole non-problem most people wouldn't give a shit and they could spend their apparently meagre resources on healthcare rather than blathering on about fripperies like this.

Still, plenty of objections there, maybe they will decide that way anyway, who knows?

The trust backed the ban.

Of course they did, the knuckle-dragging cowards. All objections were completely ignored; no compromises were allowed; there is absolutely no middle ground with 'public health' campaigners, it has to be a binary all-or-nothing.

A report to the meeting says that patients, visitors or residents have not yet been consulted but this is planned for later in the year.

As if that's going to make any difference. Or, as someone said in the comments ...

They tried this once before...it failed. What makes them think it will work again?

Brainwashed ideological morons will never, ever see sense. An NHS administrator recognising and addressing the needs of their visitors is about as rare as a BNP member embracing black history month.

I think we need a few more elections where we collectively vote none-of-the-above-screw-everything-and-hope-you-all-burn before these elitists get the message, don't you?