I am that worst of non-smokers, a “born again” ex-smoker, yet even I do not support more health and safety totalitarianism dished out on soft targets like smokers. Stirrer, you hit the nail on the head with your analysis of smoking as a class issue. Personal experience can vouch for that: when I lived in Bristol (affluent, middle class, eco-everything) virtually everyone I knew was a non smoker. Since I moved to south Wales, I appear to be surrounded by smokers, all old working class. And yes, the health problems in Wales are so much worse than England- but not due to smoking. Think diseases of deprivation: obesity, alcoholism, drug abuse. As to the NHS, I have been banging on for years that the problem is the viral growth of bureaucracy. Chucking more money at the NHS is like chucking sugar in a Petri dish of yeast, it will just feed the administrative parasites (the managers, HR honchos, quality control bods, health statisticians, diversity officers and all those other leeches infesting actual patient care). We know how little Starmer’s “Labour” cares for genuine manual workers by their complete silence on the closure of most of the Port Talbot steel works, which will hammer in the final nail in the coffin for Welsh industry.
I wonder if he realises how tired and actually ludicrous the "saving the NHS" line sounds these days... Save the health service by damaging a large part of the population through experimental medical procedures...
I was an early smoker but quit over 48 years ago. If I could, I would go back to smoking if they ever invented a "safe" cigarette which may be impossible. Vapping ain't it. I don't have a clue as to why I sometimes toss this around in my head. Could it be that smoking is that addictive?
Tobacco duty more than covers the cost of treating smokers. The idea that it will save the NHS any money is nonsense.
I am that worst of non-smokers, a “born again” ex-smoker, yet even I do not support more health and safety totalitarianism dished out on soft targets like smokers. Stirrer, you hit the nail on the head with your analysis of smoking as a class issue. Personal experience can vouch for that: when I lived in Bristol (affluent, middle class, eco-everything) virtually everyone I knew was a non smoker. Since I moved to south Wales, I appear to be surrounded by smokers, all old working class. And yes, the health problems in Wales are so much worse than England- but not due to smoking. Think diseases of deprivation: obesity, alcoholism, drug abuse. As to the NHS, I have been banging on for years that the problem is the viral growth of bureaucracy. Chucking more money at the NHS is like chucking sugar in a Petri dish of yeast, it will just feed the administrative parasites (the managers, HR honchos, quality control bods, health statisticians, diversity officers and all those other leeches infesting actual patient care). We know how little Starmer’s “Labour” cares for genuine manual workers by their complete silence on the closure of most of the Port Talbot steel works, which will hammer in the final nail in the coffin for Welsh industry.
Labour don’t care about the working class. I can’t remember when they last did. At least the Tories don’t pretend to.
For the ultimate in so-called socialist ‘stay safe/ be kind’ smug elites, i present Welsh Government:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y8gdp9y56o
Who want to be safer and kinder than anywhere else - but not to smokers mind you 😀
They don’t care because they know we’ll vote for them regardless.
Starmer's party needs to change their name.
I wonder if he realises how tired and actually ludicrous the "saving the NHS" line sounds these days... Save the health service by damaging a large part of the population through experimental medical procedures...
As you often say, you couldn't make it up.
I was an early smoker but quit over 48 years ago. If I could, I would go back to smoking if they ever invented a "safe" cigarette which may be impossible. Vapping ain't it. I don't have a clue as to why I sometimes toss this around in my head. Could it be that smoking is that addictive?