According PR Newswire press release Tim Lord, chief executive of the Tobacco Manufacturers’ Association, responded today to the news that EU Health Commissioner David Byrne proposes to use EU Health and Safety Law to impose a blanket ban on public smoking all across Europe.
Everyone, smokers and non-smokers, employees and the rest of us, should have access to clean air. We all agree with that – the issue is how do you deliver it? Commissioner Byrne wants a draconian solution – to ban smoking wherever people may work – and do so via a Brussels directive to all of Europe. The Commissioner should leave health issues to individual countries as envisaged under EU protocol and let them handle their own affairs. He should also note the impact of blanket smoking bans in other countries.
a ban on smoking is a civil issue. im tired of these left wing liberals making moral issues out of civil liberties, and the taking real moral issues and confusing them with civil liberties. its rediculous. smoking has to do with my right as an american to pursue happiness to whatever degree i wish. anti smoking lobbyists are so worried about the health and rights of the non smoker, but what about the smoker? just because a smoker pursues an “unhealthy lifestyle” doesnt make them any less of an american. they are entitled to the same rights and protection as any one else.