tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3585028625507474093.post5146943629792060899..comments2023-10-17T15:56:22.827+01:00Comments on Velvet Glove, Iron Fist: The pain in SpainChristopher Snowdonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15963753745009712865noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3585028625507474093.post-85953503905992010222011-01-22T07:56:20.288+00:002011-01-22T07:56:20.288+00:00This isn't the first time Spain has tried to b...This isn't the first time Spain has tried to ban smoking.Will Needhamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05461965595536423860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3585028625507474093.post-81563386972456310502011-01-21T16:09:40.809+00:002011-01-21T16:09:40.809+00:00for a total smoking ban to succeed, a country must...<i> for a total smoking ban to succeed, a country must fulfill most or all of the following criteria:<br /><br />1. A strong economy and a quiet political environment<br /><br />2. An officious, jobsworth mentality amongst the authorities and/or a very law-abiding public<br /><br />3. A relatively low smoking rate<br /><br />4. A widespread belief that secondhand smoke is a major public health peril</i><br /><br />Sounds plausible. But<br /><br />1. Smoking bans weaken the economy by driving pubs and bars and cafes out of business as smokers no longer visit them. This raises the political temperature.<br /><br />2. Smoking bans, by expelling smokers from society, create an outcast group who have little interest in being law-abiding.<br /><br />3. Smoking bans seem to regularly result in more people smoking rather than fewer (perhaps as a consequence of 2)<br /><br />4. Smoking bans result in more people querying the validity of studies showing smoking to be a major public health peril (by reading books like yours), and public belief dwindling.<br /><br />In short, smoking bans act to negate every single one of the conditions needed to make them work.Frank Davishttp://frank-davis.livejournal.comnoreply@blogger.com