The amount Action on Smoking Health raised from voluntary donations in the entire financial year 2008/09. The intense lobbying of this charity is regularly reported in every newspaper in the UK and its activities were pivotal in bringing about a total smoking ban in England.
£6,027
The amount raised in voluntary donations in two days by a small group of blog-readers in order to free Nick Hogan, a man imprisoned for breaching England's total smoking ban (as reported in just one UK newspaper).
Old Holborn and Anna Racoon's fundraising goes on. You can donate here. They have also found an extraordinary passage in a document the government issued to provide 'guidance' for councils:
In addition to the evidence of smoking taking place, the Courts have also indicated that they are taking into consideration the following matters:
• the number of occasions on which the council is able to demonstrate that information and advice on the smokefree requirements have been provided to the person in control;
• the failure by the person in control to take action after the receipt of such information and advice;
and
• public statements made by or on behalf of the person in control:
• that they do not agree with or support the smokefree legislation;
• that they are actively campaigning against it; or
• that they do not intend to do anything more than simply inform people that they should not smoke.
As OH says, this means that what you think of the smoking ban influences how severely you will be treated. What else can this be called but a thoughtcrime ?
