Comments on: Giving young children Argos vouchers to give up smoking is absolutely ridiculous

By: Bobshead

Bobshead — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 22:46:18 +0000

One of your best, AT.
The vouchers will, of course, incentivise kids to spark up. It’s absurd.

By: Ellee

Ellee — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 21:31:13 +0000

Truly staggering.

By: Shaun Pilkington

Shaun Pilkington — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 18:31:01 +0000

Didn’t I read something about a breath-CO detector? They use them at the GPs when you’re on Nicotine Replacement Therapy to spur you on as detectable carbon-monoxide leaves the blood stream…

/still pines for a ciggie from time to time and it’s been 4 bloody years!

By: Sue

Sue — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 17:54:44 +0000

How to they know they’ve stopped smoking? Are they given a blood test or do they just give them a sniff?

By: LFAT

LFAT — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 14:14:34 +0000

The evidence doesn’t appear to be anywhere near as important as the targets that ASH set themselves / the government in reducing teenage smoking rates. If the number of smokers comes down, even temporarily, they will be shouting from the rooftops about it – totally irrespective of the damage it might be causing.

Two years is a long time to not have a simple yes or no answer. I sense a new UK government advertising campaign coming on as we speak…..

By: patently

patently — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 13:40:58 +0000

There is a message for us in the fact that the scheme has been run for two years in Finland, with no conclusive results either way.

Only an idiot or someone with an agenda other than reducing smoking in children would miss it… so the jury is still out.

By: Bill Quango MP

Bill Quango MP — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 13:30:57 +0000

The spokesperson on BBC yesterday said “There is no evidence that this scheme works. Its early days. The scheme has also been runs in Finland ? for two years, but the evidence is inconclusive”

How can I dump my ‘Light ambiance measurements,working from heights between 0.3 + 0.6 meters and safe distances elbow travel on the desktop, to reduce RSI in the workplace by 2025′Quango and get a really meaty one like smoking?

By: LFAT

LFAT — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 11:59:39 +0000

Idiots perhaps, but I suspect that it is their underlying philosophy that drives the majority of this. They are well aware that by making so many people dependant on tax credits and other state handouts, they can simultaneously draw voters in and force their ideology onto the public.

Unfortunately the level of opposition to this from the recipients, be it these stupid teenagers or otherwise, is often very low as they are getting something for nothing.

By: patently

patently — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 11:23:56 +0000

...I would be delighted if you could explain to me why children should not start smoking when there is a cash prize waiting for them if they smoke for a couple of months and then temporarily quit?... ...the next phase of the smoking crusade will be to ban smoking in the homes of people with children... Gosh. It's almost as if Labour don't care two hoots about people's welfare, so long as they can continue to build a client state consisting of an underclass dependent on handouts, forever dancing to the latest official behavioural guideline, together with an army of interventionist publicly funded busybodies intoxicated with the power they wield over us all. Oh, hang on, we can't necessarily infer that from the steady stream of news reports like this one, as there is an alternative hypothesis which fits the facts equally well. They're all idiots (but at least not all of them are blind).

By: LFAT

LFAT — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 11:00:14 +0000

Why not?! Now is a good time to vent your anger, given their biased ignorance being put on display for all to see!