The gradual erosion of our human rights; the EU imposing laws on olive oil, cinnamon whirls – the EU even find it fitting to strangle small businesses with the most ridiculous regulations. Such regulations cost the taxpayer around £18 billion a year, only a fraction compared to the total cost of our EU membership, approximately £120 billion. Not only does this cost strangle our economy, but it strangles the wealth creators of our country – the business people, who contribute massively towards our GDP and allow us to sustain the welfare state, as well as our membership to the EU.
However, while these facts remain an issue of disillusionment among people of all ages, there are specific additional issues that impact particularly on younger smokers, of which I admit I am one. The costly “Fight against Tobacco” by the EU has caused a polarisation between young smokers and non-smokers. Rather than promoting a libertarian attitude towards smoking, the left-wing has used students to impose their anti-smoker’s views onto other students, hence the now-popular term, “dirty smoker”. Rather than allow freedom of choice, the EU and pro-EU parties have indoctrinated the majority of young people with pro-regulation and anti-freedom views. Pseudo-science even comes into it – such as the so-called “evidence” regarding passive smoke. This may well be true, but it is certainly exaggerated to look even more dangerous than alcohol. This simply bends and manipulates scientific evidence to support the left-wing view.
The EU has also called for the banning of strongly-flavoured cigarettes and filters, such as menthol flavouring. These are popular among young people, so this has impacted on them especially, albeit the measure applies to everyone. Rather than being encouraged to make choices with what they want to do with their bodies, the EU are telling them what to think, rather than challenge authority. Glenis Wilmott, Labour leader in the European parliament, said:
“Cigarette packets should look like they contain a dangerous drug, rather than perfume or lipstick”.
And yet, alcohol comes in many varieties – “alcopops” such as WKD, which dilute the taste of strong, dangerous alcohol and promote under-age drinking. This is pure and utter hypocrisy – if the EU really cared people young and old, they would encourage freedom of choice, responsibility and true tolerance of the habits of others, rather than this indoctrination by the “nanny state”.
As well as this, the EU have recently sought to ban the use of e-cigarettes of those under 18. I respect the choice of many 16-18 year olds to stop smoking tobacco and smoke e-cigarettes instead, and promote their freedom to smoke these wherever and whenever they choose. This EU directive has promoted the reverse of what they have sought to achieve – rather than providing an alternative to tobacco, such as the e-cigs, the alternative has been banned, so many young people fail to see the benefits of quitting smoking. E-Cigs are meant to help people quit, like any other nicotine product (such as patches).
This shows that the EU have a hidden agenda – rather than promote (and give people the choice to) quitting smoking, all they wish to do is clamp down on our rights. This hidden agenda may be correspondent with the huge amount of tax revenue that the government gain from cigarette tax. The banning of these e-cigs has disgruntled young people, but they still continue to submit to the EU. And, as Paul Nuttall MEP has pointed out in this article, from 2016, e-cigarettes will only be found in licensed chemists and pharmacies.
The idea that right-wing parties are fascist is becoming old. In fact it is the EU and left-wing who display authoritative qualities, such as the 2007 anti-tobacco laws, which saw the prevention of smoking in public places, namely, pubs. This saw a decline in the number of pubs in Britain, and an increase in the popularity of supermarket-sold alcohol. People chose to smoke and drink in the comfort of their own home, rather than take it away from the home and in an adult atmosphere such as a pub or bar. As well as this, the 2007 laws saw the prohibition of the purchase of cigarettes for 16 year olds – yet another right taken away from the teenagers. I blame both the smoking ban and the supermarket monopoly of alcohol, both of which have been allowed and encouraged by the EU, who seek to appease big businesses/corporates rather than their people.
The continued persecution of smokers with these laws has caused another, more pressing issue to rise – the use of marijuana. The more rules imposed on smokers, the more the young people in particular will passively turn against the authority and turn to more dangerous drugs. But, the EU still fail to address the true “war on drugs”, and yet totally reject the idea of legalizing them. Continuing the war on drugs only promotes a black market and consistent illicit activity. Overall, the “war against tobacco” is merely a façade for the EU to keep paying themselves extortionate wages and reduce the free will of the people.
A very good article. I think that perhaps this phrase “it is the EU and left-wing who display authoritative qualities” should read “authoritarian” rather than “authoritative”.
I’m sorry, I’m a nit-picking pedant. It’s my problem, I’ll deal with it.
That fascism is of the right wing is one of the biggest lies ever told by the Statist Left, and represents an attempt to shield them from the burden of historical totalitarianism that came from their philosophies. National Socialism is just like every other form of Socialism, it institutionalizes inhumanity, creates an Almighty State that assumes control of nearly every function of life, and every historical example of either has acted on that inhumanity with appalling results. I don’t see it as being different from the rest of the breed, and Socialism of any stripe is not from the right, but I digress… this was supposed to be about smoking.
Freedom is the freedom to be stupid as long as you’re the only person being harmed by your own stupidity. While secondhand, or passive smoke from cigarettes in enclosed environments harms others with repetitive exposure and invites regulation, the electronic cigarette emits only water vapor and is completely harmless to anyone but its user if anyone at all, since nicotine without the traditional delivery mechanisms has never been shown to have any negative effects in the dosage levels that come from cigarettes.
A government that acts as a babysitter is inimical to freedom. Bureaucrats will happily plan every activity of your life for you if you let them, and it will be a gray, boring, joyless, expensive, and arduous existence if that ever comes to pass.
Good post, one point though…
“While secondhand, or passive smoke from cigarettes in enclosed environments harms others…”
You know that there is actually no empirical evidence for this? I’m aware that smoky environments are unpleasant for non-smokers, but adverse medial impacts of “passive smoking” are unproven.
PS if that is a picture of you, then you are crazy. Smoking destroys the looks of pretty girls in no time.
Sorry. They can’t always be wrong. On this specific issue, I agree with them. Freedom to kill yourself with a harmful drug because you are young and stupid is not freedom to me. If Libertarianism has to mean legalising drugs for the stupid or relaxing smoking rules, I’m not one.
I disagree with this law to ban smoking in public/commercial buildings. It is too draconian and a complete affront to civil liberties and I’m not even a smoker. It is down to personnal choice. I can remember buildings like churches being forced to display “No Smoking” signs, where people don’t normally smoke anyway, but these were being threatened with fines for not displaying the signs, even when not required. There should be facilities or a clause to allow for smoking clubs/pubs to operate, where smoking is allowed within the building, providing proper ventilation is installed. Signs advisory, not compulsory. The last time I checked, It is NOT illegal to buy tobacco. It raises approximately £11billions every year in taxes. Many jobs depend on it and it provides pleasure to millions in this country. I’m not saying it is good for you, who is? but it is THEIR body not the Governments, nor is it your right to tell them… Inform yes, but that only. The government is there to serve, not rule. That is a libertarian viewpoint on smoking and quite a few other things too.
People will quite happily make their own cages for safety or security
reasons, when it comes to protecting their own children, but when those
children grow up, we will have turned those cages into prisons for them.
.