Tuesday, February 28

Up in smoke

Authorities in Australia's most populous state, New South Wales, are to consider banning smoking in cars despite the fact that cars world wide are the number one pollutant of our environment, spitting out more carbon-monoxide and other nasty pollutants in a few minutes more than a smoker could ever match in a year. Supporters of this legislation have argued that research into the dangers of passive smoking has proven that change is urgently needed. Well if that is so (the passive smoke dangers) why not ban cigarettes all together, also campfires, wood-burning, coal burning and all other open fires, plus get rid of the fossil fuel driven cars and trucks.
Somehow I believe that legislation of this nature (if you are tempted to bring it down to the "little" people like a little Nazi in the first place) would be a somewhat more effective way and promote health on this planet as never seen before. But no, they start thinking from the donkeys tail upward and try to ban smoking in private cars. How dummified have politicians become. The "little man" is to be blamed instead of large cooperations who pollute at nausea to the detriment of all peoples on this globe . But I guess it just happens to be easier to go after the "weakest link" in society than actually facing real issues at hand.

2 comments:

Gary said...

Beautiful pipe photo by the way...and yes, next it will be legal to buy smokes, but illegal to smoke them in your own home or even in your yard. It's hard to understand this law - be interesting to hear what Lindsay has to say.

lindsaylobe said...

I think the smoker is a soft target. I am nor against smoking being prohibited in office and dineing facilities.

But it’s becoming quite fashionable in Melbourne to even ban it on the street, outside Buildings where this is designated non smoking areas, which means you have to take say 20steps to the left or right before you’re allowed to light up!!
The bill to ban smoking in cars in NSW was put forward by Christian Democratic party MP Fred Nile as a private members bill. Originally it was about parents smoking around young children in cars as well as at home, but the issue needed more public discussion.

However Health Minister in N SW John Hatzistergos has now indicated the government would support a parliamentary inquiry assessing a private member's bill proposing a complete ban on smoking in cars