Anti Smoking Nazis

I used to smoke cigarettes. A lot of them. 20 a day.

Then I read the greatest book ever written and I gave up. I've now not smoked for nearly three years and I fully appreciate how much better my life is sans cancer sticks. I support moves by Governments to ban smoking in public places - I applaud the decision of the Blair government to completely ban smoking in all bars, restaurants and clubs next year. It is beyond dispute that people in their workplace should not be subjected to second hand smoke. The right of someone NOT to breathe in poisonous fumes is more important than someone's right to breathe them into their own lungs. Smokers can smoke outside - simple.

So, we've now reached the point where public places will be smoke free, cigarette advertising is illegal and extensive programs are in place to either discourage people from starting to smoke or encouraging them to stop. I think that's enough. People have a right to do as they wish in a free society, as long as it doesn't harm others.

But now there are calls for smokers to be docked pay for the amount of time they spend on fag breaks (or smokos as the Aussies call them). This is a step too far. Everyone at work finds ways of getting out of doing work for 5 minutes here and there - grabbing a coffee, surfing the web, reading the paper whilst on the bog etc. Smokers tend to use their 5 minutes to get some much needed nicotine into their system. So what? Of course it shouldn't be abused - I used to have one cigarette at 11am and one at 3pm (as well as 4 during lunch & 3 before getting to work at 9am - oh, those were the days!) and that seems reasonable to me. 10 minutes out of an 8 hour day.

I think the push to ban smokos comes from non smokers' pure envy at the way in which smokers have the audacity just to release their ball and chain without their superior's permission in order to saunter outside to have a fag and a chat. The non smokers sit meekly behind their desks all day scared to move an inch in case the boss thinks they aren't working whereas the smoker gives a big fuck you to his manager and bold as brass strolls out for a break whenever he feels like it. It's one of the very few acts of rebellion still permitted in the workplace and that's why it should remain. To all the smokers out there, I say fuck the anti smoking nerds, go and do your duty and go light up - do it for all the oppressed workers worldwide! And to the non smokers I say, get a fucking life you tools.