more smoking lunancy its a world wide pandemic

[Matt Day]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/8746927/Couple-banned-from-fostering-due-to-two-cigars.html

I hope whoever made this decision gets fired as this aprt from stinking of nanny healthism is a complete lack of common sense

[jedipastor]

That is a bunch of insanity. How on earth does it effect the health and welfare of a child if a parent or foster parent smokes cigars outside the house, particularly if it's 1-2 a year! I knew the UK was getting crazier and crazier, and I guess this is just more evidence.

[Ghabanos]

This has got to be a joke...

[TonyV]

This is so wrong on so many different levels that those council bosses must be insane.Maybe they should check out what the hell those people were smoking..

[IcedCanuck]

That's pretty f'ed up right there. WTF is the matter with people. I would hardly brand someone as a smoker because they have burned two sticks in the past twelve months ... get a life.

[thechenman]

The truly tragic thing is that its just going to get continuously worse...

[riazp]

People have gone MAD...how does smoking two cigars in 18 months make you a deviant human being unable to foster children? If thats the case, I, who is a 2-3 cigar a WEEK smoker should be banned from being a parent and have my child ripped away from me, as I am much worst of a human being than that man who smoked 2 cigars in 18 months and wants to ope his hom to adopt a child who does not have one...F'N ridiculous.

[DrunkenMonkey]

The defenses raised to support the poor guy are as maddening as the decision. "well he really isn't a smoker, so he shouldn't be prevented from raising the kids". Implying that if he had been a regular smoker, then it would have been proper to deny the application. Jesus.

[mazolaman]

Fascinating,and bloody ridiculous,the puritanical stance the social services have taken here.

It is particularly ironic that they respond this way on this scale,but we are happy to allow Philip Morris et al to do things like this.

This research was questioning why young people start smoking cigarettes,and therefore,it is argued, could be used by Philip Morris to market cigarettes to young people.

Sadly,It's a classic example of how our governments are now too weak to challenge big business.

Or too happy to take their tax cash.

Oh the irony.

[PigFish]

Fascinating,and bloody ridiculous,the puritanical stance the social services have taken here.

It is particularly ironic that they respond this way on this scale,but we are happy to allow Philip Morris et al to do things like this.

This research was questioning why young people start smoking cigarettes,and therefore,it is argued, could be used by Philip Morris to market cigarettes to young people.

Sadly,It's a classic example of how our governments are now too weak to challenge big business.

Or too happy to take their tax cash.

Oh the irony.

I don't know about yours mate, but government around here challenges big business all the time! We had the Fed raid Gibson Guitars a week ago... yep they shut them down for a day "again" charging that they were using endangered wood species, illegally obtained. They took the wood and filed no charges. One of the agents told the CEO... if you move your operation to Madagascar this would not have happened! They don't raid Gibson competitors, who also obtain and use the same wood, Harry at Gibson belongs to the wrong political party!

I starkly disagree with you here mate; no surprise. This is not the result of government protecting citizens, it is a matter of demonizing industry with the intent to get the public behind oppressively taxing them. I will go a step further. From government centers all forms and the most serious crimes of discrimination. What ever happened to all of us, you, me or the gang next door being viewed as equal citizens. Crimes are no longer a matter of common law, broken contract or evidenced by damaged parties... winners and losers are chosen by centralized government.

We agree that government should watch out for the people. It should never partner with industry or get in the game of favoring one group over another. Living in what we call society, somehow we have been convinced that we have the 'right' to be protected from all things at all times, including the basic rights of our fellow men. We also agree that what rights you have may very well be determined by how well connected you are politically. But lets look at some facts. The tobacco companies have a lot of money and it has not protected them! They have been targeted as "wealth redistribution contributors" as a matter of that fact, not despite it. People chose to smoke voluntarily. Anyone convinced that Joe Camel is the cause is a real dope! Everyone knows it is dangerous now. There are no secrets regarding smoking now. Doctors don't recommend it anymore!!! A questionable reason of education has become out and out tyranny!

The crime is the discrimination by the state. We have moved discrimination from the private sector and centralized it with national government institutionalized discrimination. These cases are not overreaching! It is what they do when you give them the power to do it. For hundreds of years people could raise their own kids. For hundreds of years they could smoke around them if they wanted, let them drive the family tractor, teach them to hunt and about the tradition religion of the family. Now you need the States permission.

At a school where one of my grandkids goes, one person, yes one person has caused hotdogs, hamburgers, french fries and pizza removed from the lunch schedule. THEY SERVE HUMAS AND SUSHI! That's right, elementary school kids pick up their plates, pick on some of the rice because it is sweet and dump the rest of it right in the trash because they have been manipulated by one person. Government is always picking winners and losers, even at the lowest levels. Just convince the central power that you have a good heart and the best intentions for the public and you can push your minority opinion and values, or lack there of, right down the throats of everyone else. It comes with a good dose of the States blessing as always. The kids at this school will suffer for it for years as the "offended" child will move to middle school and the parent will attempt to pollute the water there as well. As a side note, every kid at that school has a copy of the picture of the mother and son involved in the fiasco going into the ice cream parlor for a good dose of the forbidden fruit! I have seen the picture myself.

My stepson sends the kids to school with a lunch! My guess is that they will have them on trial for trading with the enemy if they sell or trade a can of soda!

We need to be protected from governent mate. Individuals and corporations, while they can damage any one of us, centralized decisions limiting our individual liberty damages all of us. Just my 2 cts. -Piggy

[mazolaman]

I think we agree the original story in this topic was ridiculous?

My point was that the British government (or in this case the civil service) will enforce this kind of rubbish,but will probably not prevent Philip Morris from accessing charity/public funded research,which could be used to target tobacco sales to children.

Do you think the government should try to prevent cigarette sales to children,or is this an overbearing government?

The thought that big business has no influence over our governments is laughable,hence the number of lobby groups.All our members of the house of lords are "silent" directors of large companies,surely those companies are paying them £50k for something.......?

Our governments now have no control over our economies at all,most multinationals avoid massive amounts of tax.Interesting stuff.

Do you think hotdogs,hamburgers,french fries,and pizza are a good diet for kids?

Maybe on occasion,but a bit of salad with humus and chicken is a decent dinner.

Children on both sides of the pond are rapidly becoming obese.

I personally wouldn't eat the sushi,while I rather like it,it is usually made with bluefin tuna,which is pretty much an endangered species now,because there are no restrictions on it's capture(weak government)we are just taking all there is,in fact,some factory ships are now freezing it on capture,for when it becomes extinct,as it will be worth more money.

spineless governance will see lots of species wiped out.

[Matt Day]

Well with the cigarette manufacturer trying to get the results of study’s is really fair everyone person and organisations should be treated equally in the request for information as if you do not it creates a dangerous precedent of inequality were information can be withheld it can be used to the advantage of those who may wish to withhold disclosure of the information. everyone should be equal before the law whatever their view or aims.

[aavkk]

lunacy taken to a new level. Its funny how easily certain rules are bent and others are looked upon as black and white.