IT was not so long ago that
secondary school children were allowed to smoke in many of the more
"advanced" schools around the country. Staff rooms were also often
full of teachers puffing on pipes and cigarettes as pupils regularly entered
and left.
Today, the idea of a 17-year-old
taking a puff between classes seems as strange as quill pens or the regular
floggings that were a feature of the Irish educational system for far too long.
The world changes, and smokers have had to endure more change than most as
their habit has moved from socially acceptable to pariah status.
The Government's latest plans to
outlaw smoking anywhere in secondary school grounds and near creche facilities
is another step in a long-term strategy to "de-normalise" smoking and
ensure that fewer than one person in 20 smokes by 2025.
That is a noble objective, but
like many others it is one to be pursued carefully.
The prohibition of alcohol in the
United States during the 1920s did little more than cement the position of
criminal gangs, and serves as a salutary warning. There is already plenty of evidence
that high taxes in Ireland are a boon for crooks while also turning many
otherwise law-abiding citizens into criminals.
There is also the question of
equity. Many ordinary smokers deeply resent their outlaw status and insist, not
without reason, that their behaviour is likely to be less lethal to others than
speeding drivers or alcohol.
That is all true, but the truth
is that most smokers wish they could kick the habit, and hundreds of thousands
of smokers have done just that thanks to the policy of de-normalising smoking.
The gradual escalation of this policy will undoubtedly save more people from
premature death while also saving them money.
Health Minister James Reilly has
had a mixed tenure in office, but he cannot be faulted for his commitment to
fighting tobacco and the tobacco industry. He must now set himself measurable
targets so he knows whether he really is on track with this grand ambition.
Irish Independent: http://www.independent.ie/opinion/editorial/war-on-tobacco-worthy-but-must-not-be-rushed-29455614.html
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